ENTOMOLOGICAL CABINET. 



CRABRO CRIBRARIUS. Leach. 



Head, thorax and body black, the latter with six 

 yellow bands, the first very narrow, the second tri- 

 angular at the sides, and meeting in the centre by its 

 points, the remaining bands broader than the first : 

 the antennae short and black ; the anterior feet in 

 the male palmated, the tarsi very short ; thighs of 

 the four posterior feet black, the tibia and tarsi yel- 

 low. Length of the body 6$ lines. Inhabit sand- 

 banks in June, July and August. 



This insect is remarkable for the sexual varia- 

 tions of the joint of the leg, which may be seen in 

 the male of crabro cribrarius F and several other 

 species of the same family, in which these tibiae 

 are dilated externally into a concavo-convex plate, 

 or rather have one fixed to them and part of the 

 thigh, of an irregular and somewhat angular shape, 

 with numerous transparent dots, so as not badly 

 to resemble a sieve : whence the trivial name of 

 the species. Rolander, who first described it, fan- 

 cied that this plate was really perforated, and that 

 by means of it the animal actually sifted the pollen . 

 but it is most probably for sexual purposes. 



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