98 



be called an anology, the species of the genus Nomia make 

 an extraordinarily noticeable exception to the rule. These 

 beautiful bees can be met with just as commonly from 

 spring to autumn, whilst they are at the same time strictly 

 morning insects, with the exception of course, when the mor- 

 ning had been cloudy or rainy, and it cleared up to midday; 

 then a few specimens could be found on flowers in the 

 afternoon. 



The imported Apis mellifica var. ligustica, which .was 

 in most cases Hving wild here, was always the first bee to 

 be met with in the morning and the last to leave the flow- 

 ers in the evening, just as it was „on the go" from early 

 spring to late autumn. 



In the following, the special conditions of each species 

 will be considered. The numbers of the species correspond 

 to those given in Friese' s above mentioned work, in the intro- 

 duction to which the author makes the Suggestion that the 

 species of Biglossa could possibly be hosts for the larger 

 species of Epeolus. I cannot at this moment give any proof 

 in Support of this supposition, although I am of the opinion 

 it is correct, as I observed that in the localities, where the 

 Biglossa species were commonest, for example at Pedregal 

 and Chacras de Coria in the neighbourhood of the town of 

 Mendoza, Epeolus occurred in the greatest numbers. 



On the other band I am almost certain that Epeolus 

 Burmeisteri is parasitic on Ancyloscelis nigriceps (perhaps 

 also A. clypearis). These two Ancyloscelis (perhaps also a 

 Tetralonia) species, which I hardly consider correct to 

 separate, appear in the hottest summertime at amongst other 

 places Chacras de Coria in large flocks, building gregari- 

 ously in the barer spots on the sloping banks to the road- 

 ways or similar places, and flying over these Ancyloscelis 

 colonies were there always found a number of Epeolus 

 Burmeisteri, so that I always found a number of both in 

 the net, when I swept over the locality in the hottest sun- 



