MOUTH OF WASP. 



pa. 



Fig. 12 represents the mouth parts of a bee, Prosopis 

 (Fig. 13), seen from below ; md being the mandibles ; 

 pm, the palpi of the maxillae la y 

 //, those of the lower lip. 



The bees belonging to this 

 genus construct their cells in 

 sand, or in the centre of dry 

 bramble sticks, lining them with 

 a transparent mucus, which they 

 smooth down with their trowel- 

 like lower lip (Fig. 12 //), and 

 which hardens into a thin mem- 

 brane (Smith " Catalogue of 

 Brit. Hymenoptera," p. 7). 



That the mouth of Prosopis 

 probably represents the condi- 

 tion of that of the ancestors of 

 the Hive-bees, before the mouth-parts underwent spe- 

 cial modifications, may be inferred from the fact that 

 the same type occurs in allied groups, as is shown in 

 Fig. 14, which represents the mouth of a wasp (Polistes) 



FIG. 12. Front part of head of 

 Prosopis, seen from below, 

 with the mouth -parts ex- 

 tended, pa, paraglossae; IL 

 ligula ; //, labial palpi ; pin. 

 maxillary palpi; mt, men- 

 tum; st, stipes; md, man- 

 dibles ; c, cardo ; o, eye. 



FIG. 13. Prosopis. FIG. 14. Mouth-parts of Pollster 



also seen from below. We may therefore considei 

 that Prosopis shows in this respect no special adap- 

 tation for the acquirement of honey, arid in fact, 



