1901.] HYMENOPTJ5RA FROM ?^EW BRTTAIN. 243 



POLISTES ASTEEOPE, Sp. nOV. 



Rufus, late pallide flavo macidatus ; peclibus pallide rvfis, basi late 

 pallide jiava ; alis Jiyalinis, ajnce fere violaceis, nervis, costa 

 stigmateque fuscis. 5 . 



Long. 14 min. 



Antennse rufous, covered with a white microscopic pile. Head 

 pale yellow, rufous on the vertex ; the vertex and the upper part 

 of the front sparsely, but distinctly punctured ; there is a distinct, 

 rather wide furrow on the lower part of the front. Clypeus longer 

 than wide ; its apex roundly projects in the middle ; the furrow 

 on its top is broadly curved downwards in the middle ; the lateral 

 one is oblique and is angled in the middle Avhere it unites in the 

 fovea. Mandibles pallid yellow, rufous round the edges ; the 

 teeth are black. Occiput for the greater part black. Thorax 

 pallid yellow ; the upper part of the pronotum and the centre of 

 the mesonotum rufous ; the sides, the base and apex of the meso- 

 notum are black ; the inner side of the black lateral and apical 

 parts are lined with pale yellow. Scutellums pale yellow ; the post- 

 scutellum is lined with black behind. The furrow on the median 

 segment is black, wide and narrowed at the top. The upper part 

 of the mesopleura at the apex, the lower two-thirds of the meta- 

 pleurse at the base, and a mark placed between the basal suture 

 and the spiracles, and two irregular marks on the mesosternum, 

 black. The nervures, costa, and stigma have a violaceous tinge ; 

 along the costa the colour is tinged with fulvous, along the radial 

 cellule with violaceous. Abdomen rufo-fulvous ; all the segments 

 ai'e pale yellow at their apices all round ; the apex of the petiole 

 is much more broadly marked with yellow. 



Rhynchium brunneum Eab. 



One example. The black colour on the basal three segments 

 extends to near the apex of the segments, which have only a narrow 

 band of the rufous colour. The wings, if anything, are more richly 

 coloured than usual. 



Anthophila. 



Melipoka (Trig-ona). 



A single species of this genus, which I have not been able to 

 identify. In view of the present very unsatisfactoi*y state of this 

 genus, I have not ventured to describe it. 



Xylocopa PEEKiisrsi, sp. nov. 



Long. 24 mm. 



In Willey's ' Zoological Results ' (p. 388), Dr. Sharp has written 

 the following remarks :— " Mr. R. C. L. Perkins has (E. M. M., Feb. 

 1899, p- 38) called attention to the very extraordinary symbiosis of 

 the female bees of the genus Koptortliosoma {Xylocopa) and certain 

 Acarids ; the bee being provided with a special chamber in the 

 abdomen which is tenanted by the Acari. The males do not 



