352 CLASS vnr. 



Bijdrage tot de kennis der mond-dulen van eenige Hymenoptera, by 

 our accurate and profound BRANTS, Tijdschrift voor nat. Gesch. vm. 

 1841, bl. 71126. 



a. Social. Males, females and neuters or workers. Maxillary 

 palps short, uniarticulate. Posterior tibise in neuters dilated out- 

 wardly towards the extremity. First joint of tarsi tomentose 

 externally, or furnished with brushes. 



1. Posterior tibiae with spurs either none or obsolete. 



Apis FABR., nob. (spec, from genus apis L.) Mandibles with 

 dorsum smooth. 



Comp. LATREILLE, Ann. du Mus. iv. pp. 383 394, PL 69, v. pp. 

 M 61 171, PL 13 ; DE HUMBOLDT et BONPLAND, Recueil d' Observa- 

 tions de Zoologie et d'Anat. comp. i. 1811, 4to. pp. 270 297. PL 19 

 21; Des A beilles proprement dites, et plus par ticulierement des insectes 

 de la meme famille qui sont propres a FAmerique meridionale ; par 

 LATREILLE). 



Melipona ILLIG., LATR., Trigona JURINE. Cubital cells two. 

 First joint of posterior tarsi obtrigonal. 



Exotic species, almost all from South America, with mandibles denticu- 

 late (Trigona LATE.), or edentulous (Melipona LATR.) Comp. LATREILLE 

 1.1. ; M. SPINOLA, Observations sur les Apiaires Meloponides, Ann. des Sc. 

 nat. seSe'rie, Tom. xin. 1840. Zool. pp. 116 140. PL i ; BLANCHARD, 

 Diet. Univ. d'Hist. natur. vm. 1847, PP- 85 89, art. Meliponites. 



Sting none, or rather rudiments alone of sting, not adapted for puncturing. 



Apis LATR. Cubital cells three. First joint of posterior tarsi 

 elongato-quadrate, in neuters covered with hairs disposed in trans- 

 verse rows, and produced anteriorly into an external tooth or 

 auricula l . 



Sp. Apis mellifica L., Honey-bee, Abeille domestique, Mouchea miel, Hausbiene, 

 Honigbiene, Bee ; Ann. du Mus. v. PL 13, fig. i 3 ; DUMERIL Consid. gen. 

 s. 1. Ins. PL 29, fig. 4 ; BRANDT u. KATZEBURG, Mediz. Zool. n. Tab. 24 ; 

 blackish, yet apparently of a lighter colour from greyish hair, especially 

 on the thorax ; a transverse, woolly, gray stripe at the base of the third and 

 following rings of the abdomen ; length of the body about half an inch, 

 breadth of outspread wings ten lines (in workers). This species is domes- 

 ticated in Europe, and has been transported into America. All the species 

 of the genus Apis LATR. belong originally to the Eastern hemisphere. 



In one hive there are commonly 15,000 or 20,000 working bees, 600 

 800 males, named drones (the ancients named them Ktj^ves, fuel), and 



1 Comp. Annal. du Mns. iv. PI. 69, fig. 5. 



