482 ^Ir. T. I). A. (^ockerell — Descriptions and 



liVII. — Descriptions and Bpcnrds of Bees. — LXX. 

 By T. D. A. COCKERELL, University ot Colorado. 



Melissodes robustior, sp. n. 



? . — Tjeniitli about 13 mfii., anterior w'xwg 10 mm. 

 Robust, black, with the pubescence mainly light oclira- 

 ceous, but a moderate amount of black on vertex ; mesn- 

 tliorax with a large patch of black hair on disc posteriorly, 

 not approachincr sides ; anterior part of scutellum with much 

 black hair; tegulaj with light hair in front and black about 

 middle; hair on apical part of anterior ajid middle tibij« 

 externally sooty ; anterior and middle tarsi and inner side of 

 hind tarsi with dark brown hair; scopa of hind legs very 

 large, collecting a great amount of sunflower pollen ; hind 

 margins of abdominal segments dark, only the first narrowly 

 subhyaline ; abdominal bands very pale ochraceous, no well- 

 detined basal band on second segment, and the middle one 

 more or less interrupted in middle ; fifth and sixth segments 

 with black liair, filth with long pale hair at sides ; venter 

 with leddish hair. Head bioad, facial quadrangle broader 

 than long ; antenna3 black, the flagellum marked with dull 

 red beneath ; tegulse black or rufo-piceous. Wings dusky, 

 nervures fuscous ; disc of mesothorax shining, with distinct 

 well-separated punctures; spurs very pale yellowish. 

 (J. — Length about IL mm., flagellum 7 mm. 

 Pubescence pale ochraceous, with a little black on disc of 

 mesothorax and scutellum ; mandibles black ; labru.n with 

 a round cream-coloured spot ; clypeus bright lemon-yellow ; 

 flagellum bright ferruginous beneath ; third antennal joint 

 longer than broad ; tegulae with ochreous hair. Wings 

 dusky, nervures fuscous, the basal nervure ferruginous. 

 Hind margins of abdominal segments broadly reddish sub- 

 hyaline : h;iir on inner side of hind tarsi ferruginous. 



Hah. Berkeley, C;difornia; females at flowers of cultivated 

 Heiianthus annuus, the type, Aug. 9, 1915. The male, 

 which possibly represents a distinct species, was collected at 

 Los Angeles, California, at flowers of Heiianthus lenticuhris^ 

 AugUit 1915 {Cockerell). At Orange, California, Aug. 16, 

 I ibund numerous Mel ssodes visiting Heliantlins lenticularu^ 

 but they were all \L. aurv/enia, Cresson. 



The female M. rohustior runs in my tables in Trans. Amer. 

 Knt. Soe., 190G, to M. griadelice, but is much larger, and is 

 easily distinguished by the black hair of the thorax being 

 separated from the toguhc by a broad ochraceous band. In 



