]10 
PSYCHE 
[October 
Melissodes agilis Cress. 
187S Melissodes agilis Cress. <J', Proc. Ac. Xat. Sci. Phil. p. 204. 
1878 Melissodes aurigenia Cress. 9 cJ', Proc. Ac. Xat. Sci. Phil. p. 212. 
This species is regularly taken each year on the garden sunflower, but has never 
been collected on the inflorescence of any other plant. It flies from August 10th to 
September 2nd. This bee, especially the males, is very active upon the wing and 
easily frightened. One male is very remarkable, being a partial gyandromorjih, 
with a male antenna on the left side and a female one on the right. The name agilis 
has jiriority of ])lace, but the more northern aurigenia form (to which the IMaine 
specimens belong) appears to be more widespread. 
Melissodes illata n. sp. 
$ . — Length a little over 8 mm. Black, resembling M. perplexa Cr., but smaller 
and less robust, also closely related to M. vernoniae Robt., but clypeus of male yellow, 
and size smaller. Clypeus usually, labrum and upper part of face bare; clypeus 
rather coarsely and mesothorax finely punctured; sides of face below the insertion 
of the antennae, pleurae and sides of metathorax clothed with grayish pubescence; 
hair on vertex mixed with black; dorsum of mesothorax and scutellum covereil with 
short black jrubescence, which extends to the tegulae. Wings dusky with nervures 
and tegulae black. Legs fuscous, posterior pair with scopa on tibiae and outer side 
of basal joint of tarsi pale ochraceous. Abdomen small, oval, narrowly convex and 
shining; 1st segment bare except for erect white hairs at base; 2nd segment with 
oblique fasciae on the sides, interrupted in the midille, also a narrow hair band at 
base; median white fasciae on 3rd and 4th segments entire; the two apical segments 
clothed with black hair. 
C?. — Length 8 mm. Antennae about the length of the body, fulvo-ferruginous 
beneath; pubescence longer and more dense than in the female; clypeus and large 
lunate spot at the base of labrum lemon yellow. Pubescence of legs griseous, on 
inner side of tarsi orange-red, apical tarsi rufous, tibial spurs pale yellow. Apical 
margins of abdominal segments testaceous, shining; abdominal fasciae median as 
in the female, but the band on 2nd segment entire, or nearly so. Acute lateral spines 
on the extreme sides of the two apical segments. 
The female is very like M. perplexa, but smaller (perplexa has the size and build 
of simillima) ; the male is easily known from perplexa by the yellow (instead of 
creamy-white) clypeus, the U])per part of which is not black. Herein it resembles 
