i 5 4 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



VIII 



MILLIMETRE. 



Section I. Pollen-storers. 



1. BOMBUS LAPIDARIUS, Linnaeus. 

 Stone Humble-bee. 



QUEEN. Large; length 20-22 mm., expanse 37- 

 40 mm. Shape of abdomen somewhat elongate. 



Black, with the three last segments of the abdomen bright 

 red. Hairs of the corbicula entirely black. 



Occasionally there is a narrow greyish-yellow band on 

 the front of the thorax, or a trace of it. 



The coat is rather short, dense, and fine. 



Wings clear. 



Worker. Length 11 -16 mm. 

 Only differs from the queen in size. 



Male. Length 14-16 mm., expanse 27-30 mm. 

 Abdomen rather elongate. 



Head black, with- the face sulphur-yellow. Thorax 

 black, with a sulphur -yellow band in front and a much 

 narrower one behind, the latter generally reduced to a few 

 hairs and sometimes absent. Abdomen black, with the four 

 last segments bright red, and with sometimes a little sulphur- 

 yellow on the 1st segment. 



Antennae very short length of flagellum 4^ mm. 



Armature distinct. 



This is the only common species in which the 

 queen and worker are black with a red tail except 

 B. derhamellus, which is easily distinguished by the 

 red hairs of the corbicula, and Psithyrus riipestris, 

 which may be known by its brown wings. More- 



