OSJIIA.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-0. LnUCOHIELANA. 



195 



wild thyme. The Nomada sexfasciata is parasitic on 

 the bee called Eucera longicornis, and may be seen in 

 the mouth of June flying about where these bees have 

 a colony, and occasionally entering into and issuing 

 from their burrows. 



Genus Epeolus. — There is but one British species 

 of this genns ; it is short and glabrous, and distinguished 

 by the maxillary palpi being short and one-jointed. 

 Epcohis variegatus is a parasite on another bee, Colletcs 

 Daviesana, and is found in its burrows. The males 

 like the males of most bees, seem to be a lazy set, 

 passing most of their time reposing in flowers. The 

 females are also very sluggish, and may be easily taken 

 with the hand. Their sting is very sharp. 



Genus Ccelioxys. — This is another genus of para- 

 sitic bees, and may be known by the abdomen being 

 conical in the female, and toothed at the tip in tlie 

 male. The mandibles are broad and toothed. There 

 are six British species described ; thej' are parasites on 

 Saropoda, and Megachile. 



Genus Stulis. — This is another parasitic genus of 

 bees, which is short and ovate. There are three species 

 found in these islands. The female of Slelis lihcsoptera 

 has been observed entering the burrows of Osmia 

 fulviveiitris in an old post. On one occasion it flew 

 out to a short distance and settled on another post, 

 apparently waiting for the Osmia to complete her 

 labour, for immediately on the latter leaving, the Stelis 

 re-entered. One of the species is parasitic on an 

 Osmia, which makes its nest in bramble sticks. 



Genus Melecta. — Two species of this genus are 

 found in this country. One of these [Melecta luc- 

 tuom) is a beautiful jet-black bee, spotted with snow- 

 white. It is parasitic on Anthophora. Jlr. Smith has 

 tVcquently bred it from the cells of that bee. In the 

 autumn of 1852 he procured a great number of larva; 

 from the nests of the Anthophora. He could detect 

 no dillerence in their form, but some were orange- 

 yellow and others white. All the yellow larv* turned 

 into Aiithophora, and some of the pale larvie proved 

 to be Melecta. He adds that these bees are frequently 

 infested with the larva of the genus of beetles called 

 ileloe, a dozen of them sometimes adhering to the 

 sides of the metathorax. 



Genus Os.mia. — Of the genus Osmia ten species are 

 British. 



OSMIA RUFA is the most abundant species in this 

 country ; the female is armed on each side of the 

 clypeus with a stout horn (Iience the name also given 

 to it of Osmia bicornis). This pretty bee varies its 

 economy according to circumstances. " In hilly coun- 

 try or at the sea-side, it chooses the sunny side of 

 .cliffs or sandy banks, in which it forms its burrows; 

 but in cultivated districts, particularly if tlie soil be 

 clayey, it selects a decaying tree, preferring the stump 

 of an old willow. It lays up a store of pollen and honey 

 for the larvaj, which, when full grown, spin a tough 

 dark-brown cocoon, in which they remain in the larva 

 state until the autumn, when the majority change to 

 pupse, and soon arrive at their perfect conditicn. 

 Many, however, pass the winter in the larva state." 

 This Osmia frequently makes its burrows in the mortar 

 of old walls. 



OSHIA lEUCOMELANA selects for her nest the dead 

 branches of the common bramble, and removes from 

 them the pith, usually to the depth of from five to six 

 inches. At the end she deposits a supply of food, 

 which she closes in with a substance like masticated 

 leaves. In one bramble stick she usually forms five 

 or six cells. She does not extract the whole of the 

 pith, but alternately widens and contracts the diameter 

 of the tube, each contraction indicating the end of a 

 cell. Immediately before closing up each cell, she 

 deposits an egg. The egg is white, and about the size 

 and shape of a caraway seed. The larva is hatched in 

 about eight days, and feeds about ten or twelve, when 

 it is full grown, and spins for itself a thin silken cover- 

 ing. In this cocoon it remains till the following spring, 

 wlien it goes through its other transformations, appear- 

 ing in June as a winged bee. 



"The two most interesting species found in these 

 islands are the Osmia aurnlenta and 0. hieolor. These 

 bees generally burrow in banks, particularly the latter, 

 which forms colonies. It appears to be the natural 

 habit of these species to construct tunnels in hard banks 

 with great labour and untiring perseverance ; stifl wo 

 find them at times exhibiting an amount of sagacity 

 and a degree of knowledge that at once dispels the 

 idea of their actions being the result of mere blind 

 instinct, impelling them in one undeviating course. A 

 moment's consideration will suffice to call to mind 

 many tunnels and tubes, ready formed, which would 

 appear to be admirably adapted for the purposes of the 

 bee ; for instance, the straws of a thatch and many 

 reeds ; and what could be more admirably adapted to 

 their requirements than the tubes of many shells'? So 

 thinks the bee. 0. aurulcnta and 0. hieolor both select 

 the shells of Helix hortensis and Helix ncmoralis. The 

 shells of these snails are, of course, very abundant, and 

 lie half hidden beneath grass, mosses, and jilants. The 

 bees, finding them in such situations, dispense with their 

 accustomed labour, and take possession of the deserted 

 shells. The number of cells varies according to the 

 length of the whorl of the shells selected, the usual 

 number being four ; but in some instances they con- 

 struct five or six, commencing at the end of the whorl. 

 A suitable supply of pollen and honey is collected, an 

 egg deposited, and a partition formed of abraded vege- 

 table matter. The process is repeated until the requi- 

 site number is formed, when the whole is most carefully 

 protected by closing up the entrance with small pellets 

 of clay, sticks, and pebbles ; these are firmly cemented 

 together with some glutinous matter, and the bee has 

 finished her task. AVhen she has selected the sliell of 

 a much larger snail, say that o{ Helix aspersa, in which 

 the whorl is mucli larger in diameter than that of the 

 other two, in fact, too wide for a single cell, our little 

 architect, never at a loss, readily adapts it to her 

 purpose, by forming two cells side by side ; and as 

 she advances towards the entrance of the whorl, it 

 becomes too wide even for this contrivance. Here let 

 us admire the ingenuity of the little creature : she 

 constructs a couple of colls transversely ! — and this is 

 the little animal which has been so blindly slandered 

 as being a mere machine. On the beautiful chalk 

 slopes, not far from Mr. Atkin's seat of Halstead Place, 



