BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Having on several occasions captured the sexes in coitu, there 

 can be no hesitation in uniting these insects. The species is 

 extremely abundant, and is found in all parts of the kingdom. 

 It usually makes its appearance in the beginning of April ; males 

 are sometimes taken at the latter end of March. 



23. Andrena Mouffetella. 



A. .nigra, pallido-pubescens ; abdomine piloso, nigro-aeneo ; 

 thorace rufescenti- piloso ; tibiis posticis runs. 



Melitta Mouffetella, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 108. 53. 

 Andrena Mouffetella, Smith, Zool. v. 1738. 20. 



Female. Length 6-7 lines. Black ; the face clothed with 

 griseous pubescence, intermixed with fulvous, that on the 

 cheeks white. Thorax : above, the pubescence is rufo-fulvous, 

 at the sides and beneath white ; the wings hyaline, their apical 

 margins faintly clouded, the nervures pale testaceous ; the 

 legs have a pale rufous pubescence, the fringe on the femora 

 and the floccus white ; the posterior tibiae, the apical joints of 

 the anterior tarsi, and the intermediate and posterior pairs ru- 

 fous, the scopa fulvous. Abdomen nigro- aeneous, subovate, 

 very convex, thinly" covered with short, pale, fulvous pubes- 

 cence, the apical margins of the segments having a fringe of 

 the same colour. 



Male. Length 5 lines. The face has a brown pubescence, the 

 antennae as long as the thorax, the joints subarcuate. Thorax : 

 above having a pale fulvous pubescence ; the wings as in the 

 female ; all the tarsi and the posterior tibiae ferruginous. Ab- 

 domen ovate-lanceolate, having a dense pale fulvous pubes- 

 cence. 



This species is rare : a specimen was captured on Holdershot 

 Heath, near Farnborough, in 1849. It resembles A. atriceps, 

 but the female as well as the male are much more pubescent ; 

 the abdomen being densely covered with short pale pubescence 

 has a nigro-aeneous tinge ; it may be known from atriceps by 

 not having the apical margins of the abdomen depressed. 



24. Andrena nigro-aenea. 



A. nigra, fulvo-pubescens ; capite anoque atris; abdomine sub- 

 hirsute, nigro-aeneo. 



Melitta nigro-33nea, Kirby, ii. 109. 54 $ . 



Sowerby, Brit. Miscel. i. 77. t. 38. 

 Andrena nigro-aenea, Smith. Zool. \. 1739. 2 $ <j> . 



