1'^ BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



8. Prosopis varipes. 



P. atra, tibiis flavis nigro annulatis ; fronte maculata. 



i Prosopis varipes, Smith, Cat Hym. Ins, Brit. Mus. pt. 1. 21. 12. 



Female. Length H line. — Black; head and thorax closely punc- 

 tured, the antennae yellow, the scape beneath black ; a spot on 

 the clypeus touching the apical margin and a triangular spot 

 on each side, yellow. Thorax, the collar, tubercles, tegulge in 

 front, and the basal half of the tibiae, yellow; the apical joints 

 of the tarsi fusco-ferruginous; the metathorax covered with 

 short white pubescence, except the enclosed portion below the 

 scutellum, which is deeply rugose. Abdomen short, rounded, 

 smooth and shining. The spots on the face sometimes quite, 

 or nearly obsolete. B.M. 



Male. — Black; the face below the insertion of the antennae and 

 their scape in front, pale yellow ; the flagellum fulvous beneath. 

 Thorax, the collar, tubercles, and tegulse in front, tibiae and 

 tarsi, bright yellow ; a spot on all the tibise behind and the 

 apical joints of the tarsi, ferruginous ; wings hyahne, splendidly 

 iridescent. Abdomen closely and finely punctured. B.M. 



This is a rare species ; I nevei: met with it at large, but have 

 bred it from bramble and rose sticks sent from Bristol : in the 

 British Museum are specimens from Devonshire. 



9, Prosopis variegata. 



P. atra, thorace maculato, abdomine rufo, apice fusco ; segmen- 

 torum marginibus cinereis, tibiis albo annulatis. 



Mellinus variegatus, Fahr. Ent. Syst. Supp. 265. 1-2. 

 Prosopis variegata, Fabr. Si/st. Flez. p. 259. 9. 



St. Farg. Hym, ii. 534. 1, 



Lucas, Eocplo. So. Alger, iii. 223. 169. 

 Prosopis colorata, Panz. Faun. Germ. 89. 14. 

 Hylaeus variegatus, Smith, Zool. vi, 2202. 1. 



Female, Length 2-3 lines. ^Black; a cream-coloured hne on 

 each side of the face, nearly extending to the vertex ; a spot or 

 line of the same colour on the anterior margin of the clypeus; 

 the flagellum fulvous beneath, except one or two of its basal 

 joints. Thorax : the collar, tubercles, and tegulie in front, also a 

 spot on each side at the base of the scutellum, cream-coloured ; 

 all the tibiai at their base, the anterior pair in front and the 

 femora at their extreme apex, cream-coloured; the apical joints 

 of the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen : the two basal segments fer- 



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