156 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



is undoubtedly identical with the A. luctuosa of Scopoli and 

 Schrank: the description of the latter author is admirable. 



This species appears to be by far the most abundant and widely 

 distributed, occurring in Denmark and Sweden; the second 

 species, M. armata, not having been observed so far to the north 

 of Europe. In this country, M. luctuosa is by far the scarcer 

 of the two, it is extremely local, and is parasitic on Anthophora 

 retusa ; it appears therefore later in the season than M. armata, 

 usually about the beginning of May ; it has occurred on Hamp- 

 stead Heath, Blackheath, near Shirley, at Hawley, Hants, and 

 Coomb Wood, Surrey. 



2. Melecta armata. 



M. atra, cinereo-villosa ; abdominis segmentis utrinque puncto 

 ovato albo ornatis. 



Apis punctata, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 219. 35 $ . 



Don. Brit. Ins. xii. 47. 376. 

 Andrena armata, Panz. Faun. Germ. 70. 22. 

 Melecta punctata, Brutte, Exped. Sc. de More'e, iii. 342. 717. 



Curtis, Brit. Ent. t. 125 $ . 



Smith, ZoolAii. 1148.1. 

 Melecta Clotho, Newm. Ent. Mag. ii. 513 $ . 

 Melecta Alecto, Newm. Ent. Mag. ii. 513. 3 $ . 

 Var. Melecta Tisiphone et Megaera, Newm. Ent. Mag. ii. 513 $ . 



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

 with long cinereous pubescence, that on the clypeus brightest, 

 the labrum and cheeks have a black pubescence. Thorax : the 

 disk has the pubescence cinereous, that on the scutellum is 

 black, and on each side is a tuft of white ; the wings subhyaline, 

 their margins fuscous; the intermediate and posterior tibia? 

 have a white patch at their base. Abdomen smooth and shining, 

 a tuft of white pubescence on each side at the base, the second 

 segment has a similar tuft, and sometimes a round spot within, 

 the third and fourth have on each side a minute round spot of 

 white pubescence. B.M. 



Var. /3. Black ; the pubescence black, intermixed on the face, 

 thorax anteriorly, and on the metathorax laterally with cine- 

 reous ; an obscure cinereous spot at the base of the intermediate 

 and posterior tibiae ; the abdomen obscurely cinereous at the 

 base, the third and fourth segments have on each side a minute 

 white spot. (MegGra, Newm.) 



Var. y. The pubescence black, except a few cinereous hairs on 



