THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



No. 155.] 



MAY, MDCCCLXXVI. 



[Price Od. 



On t/ie Brilish Species of Sphekodes. By Edward Newman. 



1. Sphekodes gibba, male. 2. Ditto, female. 3. S. Sphekoides, male. 



4. Ditto, female (Mr. Smith uow jjlaces these as synoDymous with 



5. gibba). 5. S. suBCiUADRATA,/(.'»iaZt' (the head of the male is of the same 

 subquadrate form). 



Sphekodes is a genus of small bees, whose life-history is 

 at present extremely obscure. Authors are by no means 

 unanimous as to the leading question, whether the species 

 are constructors or parasites, who labour not themselves, but 

 avail themselves exclusively of the labours of others. St. 

 Fargeau believed them parasitic on the genus Halictns, but 

 Kirby says they burrow in the ground for purposes of 

 nidification. To Mr. Smith we are indebted for an excellent 

 monograph of the species, published in the 'Zoologist' 



VOL. IX. o 



