BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 71 



Having on several occasions captured the sexes in coitu, there 

 can be no hesitation in uniting these insects. The species is 

 extremely abundant^ and is found in all parts of the kingdom. 

 It usually makes its appearance in the beginning of April; males 

 are sometimes taken at the latter end of March. 



23. Andrena Mouffetella, 



A, nigra, pallido-pubescens ; abdomine piloso, nigro-^eneo ; 

 thorace rufescenti-piloso ; tibiis posticis rufis. 



Melitta Mouffetella, Kirhy, Mon. Ap. Angl ii. 108. 53, 

 Andrena Mouffetella, Smith, ZooL v. 1738. 20. 



Female, Length 6-/ lines. — Black; the face clothed with 

 griseous pubescence, intermixed with fulvous, that on the 

 cheeks white. Thorax : above, the pubescence is rufo-fulvous, 

 at the sides and beneath white; the wings hyaline, their apical 

 margins faintly clouded, the nervures pale testaceous; the 

 legs have a pale rufous pubescence, the fringe on the femora 

 and the floccus white ; the posterior tibiae, the apical joints of 

 the anterior tarsi, and the intermediate and posterior pairs ru- 

 fous, the scopa fulvous. Abdomen nigro-seneous, subovate, 

 very convex, thinly covered with short, pale, fulvous pubes- 

 cence, the apical margins of the segments having a fringe of 

 the same colour. 



Male. Length 5 lines.— The face has a brow^n pubescence, the 

 antennae as long as the thorax, the joints subarcuate. Thorax : 

 above having a pale fulvous pubescence ; the wings as in the 

 female; all the tarsi and the posterior tibiae ferruginous. Ab- 

 domen ovate-lanceolate, having a dense pale fulvous pubes- 

 cence. 



This species is rare : a specimen was captured on Holdershot 

 Heath, near Farnborough, in 1S49. It resembles A. atriceps, 

 but the female as well as the male are much more pubescent ; 

 the abdomen being densely covered wdth short pale pubescence 

 has a nigro-seneous tinge ; it may be known from africeps by 

 not having the apical margins of the abdomen depressed. 



Andrena nigro 



hirsuto, nigro-aeneo. 



Melitta nigro-aenea, Kirbj/, ii. 109. 54 ? . 



Sowerby, Brit, MisceL i. 77. t. 38. 

 Andrena nigro-aenea, Smith, ZooL v. 1739. 2 J 5* . 



abdomine 



