GENUS MEGACHILE AND SOME BABE INSECTS.— EACKEB. 137 



NOTES ON THE GENUS MEGACHILE AND 



SOME RARE INSECTS COLLECTED 



DURING 1913-14. 



By Henry Hacker, F.E.S. 



There are at present ninety-eight species of Megachilt described from 

 Australia, of which number thirty-nine occur in Queensland. I have taken the 

 following species, mostly in the vicinity of Brisbane, during the last two seasons. 



1. M. ustulata, Sm. — Females, Brisbane, December, January. This 

 species takes possession of crannies and holes in timber, which they line with a 

 resinous substance. On 8th January several M. ustulata were noticed entering 

 crevices (unfortunately in an awkward place for observation) under the veranda 

 of my house. Several bees which were about to enter thes<' crevices were captured 

 and were all found to be carrying masses of a resinous substance in their man- 

 dibles. Even while the bees were flying, the load in their mandibles, which had 

 a white wool-like appearance, could be distinctly seen. With some difficulty a 

 nest was dug out, in fragments, and was- seen to consist of a single cell composed 

 of resin which Avas quite soft in the centre but hard and brittle on the outside. 

 This cell contained a larva about half-grown. 



2. M. mystacea, Fab. — Males, females, Brisbane, November, January, 

 February, March. This species has similar habits to the previous one in making 

 resinous cells. The examples bred at the Museum had appropriated an old 

 empty nest of Sceliphron hetum. The clay cells of the wasp had been lined with 

 resin and the old exit-holes had been neatly sealed up with the same material. 

 The adult bees emerged singly from each cell on 27th November. 



3. M. rhodura, Ckll. — Although the nest of this bee was not found, the 

 insect is suspected of similar nesting habits to M. ustulata and M. mystacea. On 

 3rd December a number were seen visiting a Eucalyptus tree from which the 

 resin had oozed and formed several hard patches on the trunk. The bees were 

 fairly numerous on these patches, where they would remain for several minutes 

 at a time. They were rather shy, and would not allow one to approach within 

 two yards of them. At that distance one could distinctly see them moving their 

 heads, and they appeared to be rasping the patch of resin with their mandibles. 

 As both sexes were captured on these resin-patches, it would seem that in this 

 species the male assists the female in constructing their cells. 



