2oS THE HUMBLE-BEE 



2. PSITHYRUS VESTALIS, Foucrier. 



QUEEN. Large ; length 20-22 mm., expanse 40-43 

 mm. ; sometimes smaller. 



Head black. Thorax black, with a deep yellow (often 

 brownish-yellow) band in front. Abdomen black ; with the 

 3rd segment lemon-yellow on the sides, except at the base, 

 4th segment white, 5th segment white on the sides. The 

 deep yellow band on the thorax is often narrow and 

 darkened. 



6th dorsal segment shining. 



The elevations on the sides of the 6th ventral segment 

 are ridge-like and rounded, and converge toward the apex 

 but they do not nearly meet there, and the space between 

 them there is thickly covered with short, velvety, golden 

 hairs. 



Male. Length 15-17 mm., expanse 30-33 mm. 



Head black, often with a few yellow hairs on top. 

 Thorax black, with a yellow band in front and sometimes a 

 few yellow hairs behind. Abdomen black ; with sometimes 

 the 1st segment yellow (this band is not very prominent 

 owing to the paucity of the hairs) ; with the 3rd segment 

 yellow, but black in the middle at the base ; and with 

 the 4th and 5th segments white, the 6th segment more or 

 less black in the middle and white at the sides, and the 

 7th more or less black. 



Coat rather short ; and differing from that of every other 

 species of Psithyrus in being even, not shaggy. 



Antennse long and thick ; length of fiagellum 6 mm 

 The 3rd joint of the antennse is much shorter than the 5th 

 joint, which almost equals the 3rd and 4th together. 



Armature very like that of Ps. distinctus, but the inner 

 border of the forceps is densely fringed with short stiff 

 hairs. 



This species preys on Bombtis terrestris. It is 

 very common in the south and east of England, and 



