86 



BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Div. VI.— TAe segments of the abdomen laving marginal fasoim, 

 A. ThefascicB concolorous with the pubescence of the thorax, 



44, Andrena Mvicrus. 



A. nigra, pallide fulvo-villosa ; abdomine fasciis tribus pallidis; 

 . tibiarum postlcarum scopa fulva. 



Melitta fulvicrus, Kirhg, Man. Ap. Angl ii. 138. 77 <? ? . 

 Melitta contigua, Kirby, Mon.Ap^Angl, ii. 140. 79 c? van 

 Andrena fulvicrus, Smith, Zool v. 1916. 46. 

 Andrena articulata, Smithy ZooL v. 1750. 41, var. c?. 



Female. Length 4i-5i lines.— Black; the clypeus has a cloth- 

 ing of fulvous pubescence, above which it is black. Thorax : 

 the disk thinly clothed with fulvous pubescence, on the sides 

 and metathorax it is paler i wings hyaline^ the nervures ferru- 

 ginous, the tegulas piceous ; the pubescence on the legs rufous, 

 the scopa fulvous, the claws ferruginous, the pubescence on the 

 tarsi beneath ferruginous, the floccus pale fulvous. Abdomen 

 ovate, shining, closely and finely punctured ; the margin of the S 

 basal segment and those of the three following have a fascia of 

 pale fulvous pubescence, that on the basal segment usually 



' more or less obliterated ; the apical fimbria sooty-black. B.M. 



Male. Length 31-5 lines.— Black; the face densely clothed 

 with black pubescence, usually intermixed with a few fulvous 

 hairs; antennge half the length of the thorax, the latter clothed 

 with pale fulvous pubescence, palest on the sides and on the 

 legs. ^ Abdomen ovate-lanceolate, closely punctured ; the apical 

 margins of the segments, which are shghtly depressed, have a 

 fascia of ochraceous pubescence ; the entire abdomen has a short 

 scattered pubescence of the same colour; the sixth and apical 

 segments have a little dark fuscous pubescence, the extreme 

 apex ferruginous. B.M. 



Var. a. _ Length 5^ hues.— The flagellum, except the basal joint, 

 rufo-piccous beneath ; the mandibles and apical joints of the 

 tarsi ferruginous; the fasciic of the abdomen white ; the abdo- 

 men very shining and punctate. 



This is a very abundant species in the London district, and 

 appears to be generally distributed over the country. It has 

 been received from Scotland. The males vary considerably in 

 size as well as in colour; when long exposed they become en- 

 tirely hoary. Mr. Kirby's M. contigua is certainly a worn spe- 

 cimen of the male; and it is pretty certain that A. articulata is 



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