

38 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



This species very closely resembles H. morio, but it differs 

 both in the colour and sculpture of the metathorax, which 

 has a subenclosed space at its base, more strongly rugose than 

 in H, morioy and is of the same colour as the disk, whereas, in 

 H. moriOi it is of a darker green than the other parts ; the male 

 of H, (eratus has the metathorax more coarsely sculptured, and 

 is also a rather smaller species. It is distributed all over the 

 country, but not so numerously as H. morio, colonies of which 

 are of frequent occurrence. 



17. Halictus morio, 



+ 



H. aeneus, metathorace cserulescenti ; abdomine nigro. 



Hyteus morio, Fabr.Ent. Syst. ii. 306. 16(?; SysL Piez. 321. 8. 



Coqueb. Illust, Icon, Ins. p. 25. t. 6. f. 5. 

 Melitta morio, Kirby^ Mon. Ap. AngL ii. 60. 19 (J $ - 

 Halictus morio, Si, Farg, Hym, ii. 284. 26. 



Smith, ZooL vi. 2101. 6. 



Nyland. Ap, Boreal, p. 204. 9. 



Female, Length 2-2^ lines. — ^Head and thorax brassy-green, 

 finely and closely punctured ; antennse fulvous towards their 

 apex beneath ; thorax shining, the metathorax of a blue-green, 

 longitudinally rugose at the base, not enclosed; the wings sub- 

 hyaline, splendidly iridescent, the nervures testaceous ; the te- 

 gular piceous I the legs have a glittering white pubescence. 

 Abdomen ovate, black and shining, having a short scattered 

 pale pubescence at the sides and towards the apex ; the basal 

 lateral margins of the two intermediate segments have some- 

 times a little short white pubescence, very frequently oblite- 

 rated. B.M. 



Male, Length 2| lines. — Head and thorax coloured as in the 

 female, the clyj)eus yellow at its apex ; the flagellum fulvous 

 beneath ; the abdomen elongate, black, the margins of the two 

 basal segments depressed ; a little white pubescence on the 

 basal margins of the second and third segments. B.M, 



i 



This is perhaps the most abundant of all the species ; it is to 

 be found frequently at the sides of old walls, and in pathways, 

 even in streets in the suburbs of London; Nornadafurva he- 



quently infests its burrows. Males are found as late as the end 

 of October. 



I 



