15. ANXHOPHORA. 187 



sexes are those of the insect in perfect unbleached condition ; these 

 bees, appearing only in hot bright sunny weather, soon fade and 

 become more or less cinereous. 



Genus 15. ANTHOPHORA. 



Apis (pt.), Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 953 (1766). 



Anthophora, Latr. Nouv. Diet. d'Stst. Nat. ix. 167 (1803). 



Metfilla (pt.), Fabr. Syst. Piez. 328 (1804). 



Lasius (pt.), Jurine, Hym. 235 (1807). 



Saropoda (pt.), Curtis, Brit. Ent. viii. (1831). 



Head transverse, not quite as wide as the thorax ; ocelli in an 

 isosceles triangle on the vertex ; antennas short, subclavate, the scape 

 shorter than the second joint of the flagellum ; the labrum subqua- 

 drate, its anterior margin more or less rounded ; the clypeus convex 

 and produced ; tongue elongate, one third longer than the palpi ; 

 labial palpi 4-jointed, the basal joint thrice the length of the 

 second, the two apical joints minute, subclavate, and articulated near 

 the apex of the second joint ; paraglossce short and lanceolate ; 

 maxillary palpi 6-jointed, the basal joint short, stout, and about 

 half the length of the second joint, the rest filiform and decreasing 

 in length. Thorax ovate ; anterior wings with three submarginal 

 cells, the second narrowed towards the marginal and receiving the 

 first recurrent nervure in the middle; the third, which is rounded 

 towards the apex of the wing, receives the second recurrent nervure 

 at its apex ; the posterior tibiae and basal joint of the tarsi densely 

 pubescent externally. Abdomen ovate, sometimes densely pubescent 

 or with pubescent fasciae. 



In some species the males have the intermediate legs elongated. 



Of the insects which are parasitic on A. acervorum in the larva 

 state, the first which claims notice is a species belonging to the 

 Chalcididae, of the genus Melittobia of Westwood, with which the 

 genus Anthophorabia of Newport is synonymous. The latter gen- 

 tleman published a valuable and highly interesting memoir on this 

 parasite in the ' Lumaean Transactions,' vol. xxi. p. 63. 



In the autumn of 1853 I had the good fortune of finding this inte- 

 resting parasite in the cells of Anthophora. The female is a minute 

 shining dark green insect, not more than half a line in length ; the 

 male is equally minute, but is of a testaceous yellow colour, having 

 only rudimeutary wings, and is not furnished with the usual com- 

 pound eyes, but has in their place exceedingly minute simple eyes or 

 ocelli, besides three true ocelli on the vertex of the head. This re- 

 markable conformation was discovered by Mr. Newport, who has 

 given ample details, the results of most elaborate physiological 

 investigations, in the paper alluded to. Melittobia is here treated 

 as the parasite of Anthophora, in accordance with the history of its 

 habits as detailed by Mr. Newport ; but when I discovered the larva 

 it was feeding on that of Monodontomerus nituhis, a true parasite on 

 the bee, which has been found in its cells feeding on the pupae. 

 Having obtained a large supply of larvae of the bee, and also of 



