42 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIX* 



23. Halictus minutus. 



H, niger, Valde nitidus; antennis subtus fulvescentibus. 



Melitta minuta, Kirbyy Mon. Ap. Angl. ii. 61. 20 ^ $ • 

 Halictus minutus, St, Farg, Hym,i\. Til. 17. 



Smith, Zool vi. 2102. 13. 



Nyland, Ap, Boreal, p. 202. 7. 



Female, Length 2^-3 lines. — Black; head and thorax very 

 finely punctured; the flagellum fulvescent beneath. Thorax 

 glossy, the wings subhyaline and iridescent, the tegulse and 

 nervures rufo-piceous; the metathorax rounded, subrugose at 

 the base, beyond which is a smooth and shining space ; the legs 

 sometimes nigro-piceoxis, thinly sprinkled with cinereous pu- 

 bescence, the apical joints of the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen 

 very glossy, ovate and delicately punctured. B.M. 



Male. Length 2^ lines. — The antennse as long as the thorax, 

 subfulvous beneath, sometimes bright fulvous, the scape black; 

 the face clothed with white pubescence ; the apex of the clypeus 

 yellowish-white, the mandibles towards their apex reddish-yel- 

 low, their tips ferruginous. Thorax shining, the wings beauti- 

 fully iridescent ; the apical joints of the tarsi rufo-testaceous ; 

 the abdomen elongate, the margins of the intermediate segments 

 depressed. B.M. 



The females of this species most closely resemble those of 

 villosuluSy but the puncturing will at once distinguish them ; in 

 minutus the thorax is closely and finely punctured, whilst in 'vH' 



less fuscous above. Thorax finely and very closely punctured, 

 the metathorax rugose ; the tegulse rufo-piceous ; the wings ■ 



hyaline, iridescent, the nervures fuscous ; the tibiae at their 

 base and apex, the anterior pair in front, and the tarsi yellow ; 

 the anterior tibia; are sometimes fulvous in front ; the claws fer- 

 ruginous. Abdomen elongate, very smooth and shining, im- 

 punctate ; the margins of the intermediate segments depressed, 

 and having at their base laterally a little white pubes- \ 

 eeuce . B.M., 



I 



Dr. N3dander suggests the probability of this male belonging 

 to H. subfasciatuSy which is very probable, but he does not say 

 whether the clypeus is pale or not at the apex. I have taken 

 this bee near London, but never met with H. subfasciatus ; a 

 doubt existing, they are separated. I did not find the male in 

 Yorkshire, where I took H. subfasciatus, but it was perhaps too 

 early in the season for their appearance. 



I 



