206 ' [February, 



DOEYPHOEA TTNDTTLATO-FASCIATA, U. Sp. 



Broadly ovate, very convex, dark metallic violaceous ; the head, antennce, and 

 thorax black, opaque, finely punctured ; elytra flavous, remotely punctured, the 

 sutural and lateral margins, some spots at the base and three undulated transverse 

 bands, before, at, and below the middle, black. Length, 8 lines. 



Head finely punctured ; antennee extending to the base of the elytra, black, the 

 lower three joints stained with fulvous below ; thorax three times broader than long, 

 the sides broadly rounded, the surface finely and remotely punctured, the interstices 

 also microscopically finely punctate, the sides with a small round fovea, the extreme 

 lateral margin impressed with a row of larger punctures ; scutellum black, smooth, 

 impunctate ; elytra not wider at the base than the thorax, more strongly punctured 

 than the. latter, the interstices finely aciculate here and there, bright yellowish-white, 

 the basal margin with two or three black spots joined together, a transverse band, 

 composed of four united spots, placed before, another similar band below the middle, 

 and a shorter one, abbreviated near the suture and ending in an elongate spot, as 

 ■well as the sutural and lateral margin narrowly, black ; under-side and legs vio- 

 laceous ; mesosternal process strong and curved. 



Hah. : Colombia (my collection). 



This species, of which I possess a single example, was obtained 

 by the late Mr. Wallis in Colombia ; it may be known from D. Batesi, 

 Baly, by the fine punctuation of the thorax, which is not visible 

 without a lens, the sides of the thorax are also more strongly rounded 

 in the present species, and the last elytral band does not extend to 

 the suture ; D. nigro-gnttata, Stal, has olive-green elytra, the bands 

 are divided into isolated spots, and do not extend to the lateral margin ; 

 D. procas is similarly marked. 



7, Hemstall Road, West Hampstead : 

 November, 1888. 



IS SPEECODES PARASITIC? 

 BY E. C. L. PEEKINS. 



Some time ago, in this Magazine, I gave an account of the habits 

 of the bees of the genus Sphecodes, Latr., and mentioned certain facts 

 which favour the view that these bees are parasitic on Halicti. These 

 facts were simply the result of my own observations in localities very 

 rich in this genus, and I did not then attempt to discuss the arguments 

 brought forward against the parasitic view ; now, however, it seems 

 advisable (as I have been able to make the acquaintance of one other 

 rare species) to add a few further notes, and notice the chief observa- 

 tions which have caused the genus to be regarded as an industrial one. 



When I began to collect Hymenoptera I was not a little surprised 

 that the whole of the leucozonius group of Halictus appeared to be 



