12. CERATIXA. 181 



Ceratina cvanea, St.- Fan/. Hym. ii. 505. 



Gerst. Stett. ent. Zek. 1869, 180. 



Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 68. 

 Apis cyanea, Kirby, Mon. Apum Anyl. ii. 308, tab. 17. fig. 7 £ > fig- 8 



Ceratina eaerulea, Smith, Zool. iv. 1448 ; Bees Great Brit. 194. 

 Schenck, Kass. Bien. 171. 



Female. Length 2^-3 lines. — Shining dark blue, closely and finely 

 punctured ; antennae, clypeus, and mandibles black, the latter rufo- 

 piceous at their apex and tridentate ; tbe flagellum rufo-piceous 

 beneath towards the apex. Thorax, the mesothorax with a cen- 

 tral impressed line and also a short one opposite each tcgula ; the 

 wings fusco-hy aline and iridescent ; the pubescence on the legs 

 cinereous, but on the posterior tarsi beneath it is yellowish ; the 

 apical joints of the tarsi rufo -testaceous, the calcaria pale testaceous. 

 Abdomen, the sixth segment with a central carina terminating in 

 a sharp point at the apex ; beneath, the segments have a thin, long, 

 pale pubescence. B.M. 



Var. fi. A minute pale spot on the clypeus. 



Male. — Usually about the size of the female, differing iu having the 

 clypeus and labrum white ; the sixth segment, of the abdomen as 

 in the other sex, the seventh produced into an elevated mucro, 

 which is deeply emarginate at the apex and rendered bidentate. 



B.M. 



This species was considered by myself and others to be identical 

 with the Apis casrulea of A'illars until Dr. Gerstaecker pointed out the 

 error ; on referring to Villars's ' Linnaei Entomologia,' and comparing 

 the description and figure with the British species, it is apparent 

 that he describes a different species, which, I think, is identical with 

 the Ceratina cenea of Brulle. 



Ceratina cyanea is a very local insect, but plentiful in certain lo- 

 calities. I have found it during June and July plentiful in the war- 

 ren at Folkestone, frequeuting the flowers of Echium vulgare; later 

 in the season, in October, a quantity of perforated bramble-sticks 

 were obtained from the same locality, and on examining them some 

 weeks afterwards it was ascertained that they contained the perfect 

 bee. By placing the sticks in a warm situation several came forth 

 on Christmas day ; this clearly established the fact of the insect 

 hibernating in the perfect condition. The species is not uncommon 

 in the neighbourhood of Bristol, and has been taken sparingly at 

 Charlton, Kent, at Birch and Darent Woods, at "Weybridge and 

 Budleigh-Salterton, South Devon. 



2. Ceratina cucurbitina. 



C. nigra, nitida ; elypeo callisque humeralibus albo ornatis. Mas 

 clypeo labroque punctis albis. 



Apis cucurbitina, Rossi, Mantis. Ins. i. 145 9 

 Hykeus albilabris, Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. 305. 



