BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 151 



Genus 5. STELIS. 



Apis, pt., Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl i. 154 (1802). 

 MegiUa, pt., Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 328 (1804). 

 Stelis, Panz. Krit. Revis. ii. (1806). 

 Megachile, pt., Latr. Hist. Nat. xiv. 51 (1805). 

 Gyrodroma, King, Illig. Mag. vi. (1807). 



Head transverse, the stemmata placed in a triangle on the 

 vertex ; antenna? filiform in both sexes. The labial palpi four- 

 jointed, the two basal joints elongate, the basal joint about two- 

 thirds of the length of the second joint, the two apical joints 

 minute. The maxillary palpi two-jointed, the joints minute. The 

 superior wings with one marginal and two submarginal cells, 

 the marginal cell as long as the two submarginals, its apex 

 rounded ; the submarginal cells of about equal length, the se- 

 cond receiving the first recurrent nervure a little within ; the 

 second recurrent nervure passes a little beyond the apex of the 

 second submarginal cell, and unites with the abbreviated cubi- 

 tal nervure ; the legs having the calcaria simple and the claws 

 bifid. 



This genus of parasitic bees consists of a small number of 

 species ; about eight are at present known, three of which are 

 found in Britain. One species has been observed entering the 

 burrows of Osmiafulviventris, and Stelis minuta is parasitic on 

 O. leucomelana ; a specimen was obtained from a bramble-stick 

 containing the nest of Osmia. Leon Dufour has also obtained 

 /S. minuta from bramble-sticks. 



1. Stelis aterrima. 



S. nigra, punctulatissima ; scutello bidentato ; abdominis seg- 

 mentis marginibus decoloratis. 



Apis aterrima, Panz. Faun. Germ. 56. 15. 



Apis punctulatissima, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 231. 39. t. 16. f. 9. 



Megilla aterrima, Fabr. Syst. Piez. p. 331. 15. 



Megachile punctatissima, Latr. Hist. Nat. xiv. 54. 



Spin. Ins. Lig. fasc. 1. p. 135. 3. 

 Stelis aterrima, St. Farg. Hym. ii. 527. 1. 



Smith, Zool. iii. 1154. 1 <? ? . 



Nyland. Ap. Boreal, p. 275. 2. 



