BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 15 



ruginous, and the apical margins of the following rufo-piceous ; 

 sometimes only the basal segment red, or that, and a portion of 

 the second red. B.M. 



Male. The face, base of the mandibles and scape of the antennae 

 in front, white ; the tibiae and basal joints of the tarsi white. 



Of this beautiful species there is a specimen in the Collec- 

 tion- of the British Museum, captured by Dr. Leach at Kings- 

 bridge, Devon; and amongst a number of Hymenoptera pur- 

 chased of Mr. Pelerin, from the neighbourhood of Bideford, 

 another specimen occurred ; on these authorities it is believed to 

 be a British insect ; and when it is borne in mind, that amongst 

 some hymenopterous insects which Mr. S. Stevens captured in 

 Devon, a specimen of Nomada armata equally rare and local oc- 

 curred, it may reasonably be hoped that some day the greater 

 part, if not all, of the rare Devonshire insects will be found. 



Subfamily 2. ACUTILINGUES, Westw. 

 Genus 3. SPHECODES, Latr. 



Sphex, pt., Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 941 (1766). 

 Apis, pt., Christ. Hym. p. 153 (1791). 

 Nomada, pt., Fabr. Ent. Syst. ii. 345 (1793). 

 Melitta, pt., Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. \. 137*% (1802). 

 Sphecodes, Latr. Hist. Nat. xiii. 368 (1805). 

 Dichroa, Germ. Faun. Ins. Europ. fasc. 5. 



Head as wide as the thorax, body nearly naked ; the tongue 

 acute, short, not folded; the labial palpi four-jointed, the first 

 joint nearly as long as the two following, the apical joint shortest ; 

 the paraglossae minute; the maxillary palpi six-jointed, the 

 basal joint short, the second twice its length, the four apical 

 joints of about equal length, about one-third shorter than the 

 second joint ; the superior wings having one marginal and three 

 submarginal cells : the first submarginal about as long as the 

 two following, the second slightly narrowed towards the mar- 

 ginal, subquadrate, its inferior margin angulated and receiving 

 the first recurrent nervure a little beyond the middle. The ocelli 

 placed in a triangle on the vertex ; the antennae of the males sub- 

 moniliform. The posterior legs and abdomen of the female 

 destitute of pollenigerous apparatus. 



The bees which are included in this genus have hitherto been 

 regarded as parasites on those comprised in the genus Halictus, 



