6G axdrkxid.*:. 



the face thinly sprinkled with glittering pubescence ; the antennae 

 black, with sometimes the underside of the apical joints rufo-piceous. 

 The thorax above closely and finely punctured, the scutellum less 

 closely so ; wings subhyaline, iridescent, and very faintly clouded 

 at their apex ; the nervures dark rufo-testaceous ; the scopa on the 

 posterior tibia? cinereous, very bright and glittering. Abdomen 

 short and ovate, widest in the middle ; the second and third seg- 

 ments have on their apical margins laterally a fringe of short white 

 pubescence; these are frequently obliterated; the apical fimbria 

 cinereous, at the extreme apex it is more or less ferruginous. B.M. 



Male. Length 2| lines. — Black ; the face clothed with black pu- 

 bescence ; the antennae shorter than the thorax ; the mandibles 

 ferruginous at their apex ; the wings splendidly iridescent ; the 

 pubescence cinereous ; the claws ferruginous ; the abdomen oblong- 

 ovate ; the apical margins of the segments laterally thinly fringed 

 with white pubescence, frequently more or less obliterated. B.M. 



This is one of the first bees that appears in spring. Usually 

 males are found towards the end of March ; the female appears a few 

 davs later. The species is widely distributed. In May the female 

 is frequently found on the germander speedwell. 



53. Andrena minutula. 



A. atra, cinereo subvillosa, antennis subtus fulvescentibus, abdo- 

 mine ovato, tibiis posticis scopa argentea. 



Andrena minutula, Smith, Zoul. v. 1925; Bees Great Brit. 9G. 



Scliencl;, Nass. Bien. 263. 

 Melitta minutula, Kirby, Man. Apum Anyl. ii. 161 tf 2 • 



Female. Length 3-3^ lines. — Very closely resembling A. parvula, 

 the only differences being that the underside of theflagellum of the 

 antennae is always more or less rufo-testaceous, its pubescence is 

 more sparing and shorter, its scopa is more white or silvery, and its 

 abdomen more elongate. B.M. 



Male. Length 2.^-3 lines. — The entire pubescence cinereous, that on 

 the clypeus very bright and glittering ; the flagellum rufo-piceous 

 beneath ; the wings subhyaline, splendidly iridescent ; the legs 

 have a beautiful glittering pubescence, the ealcaria pale testaceous, 

 the apical joints of the tarsi rufo-testaceous. Abdomen subovate, 

 convex, smooth, and shining. B.M. 



Var. a. The legs rufo-testaceous. 



Var. /3. The posterior tarsi entirely testaceous. 



This species appears about the end of June or the beginning of 

 July. Its female is scarcely distinguishable from that of A. par- 

 vula, whilst its male is abundantly distinct. I formerly united the 

 female with that of A. parvula, separating the male of parvula 

 as a distinct species, under the name of " nigrifrons," Mr. Bridg- 



