BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 93 



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52. Andrena chrysosceles. 



A, nigra, cinereo-subpubescens ; abdomine nitido, fasciis inter- 

 ruptis albis; ano, tarsis, tibiisque posticis, testaceis. Mas, 

 facie autice albida. 



Melitta chrysosceles, Kirhy, Mon. Jp, Angl. ii. 143. 82. 

 Andrena chrysosceles, Smith, ZooL v. 1917. 17. 



Nyland, Jp. Boreal, p. 218, 15 ; Revk, Ap, Boreal, p. 257. 26. 



Female, Length 4-4\ lines.- — Black; the face has a short 

 glittering whitish pubescence, the channels on each side of the 

 face covered with a fulvous pile, the apex of the flagellum fulvo- 

 piceous beneath. Thorax : the disk has a very thin pale ful- 

 vous pubescence, and on each side over the tegulse an ab- 

 breviated impressed line ; the wings fulvo-hyaline, iridescent, 

 the nervures and teguhe pale rufo-testaceous ; legs nigro-pice- 

 ous, and having a pale pubescence ; the tarsi and the posterior 

 tibige fulvo-testaceous ; the floccus and fringe of the femora 

 white, the scopa of a pale golden yellow, very bright and glit- 

 tering. Abdomen subovate, subdcpressed, shining and very 

 delicately punctured; the apical margins of the three interme- 

 diate segments have a very narrow^ white marginal fringe, the 

 first two usually interrupted ; the apical fimbria bright fulvous. 



B.M. 



Male, Length 3^-4 lines.— Head rather wdder than the thorax, 

 the clypeus pale yellow, and having on each side a minute black 

 dot; the pubescence on the clypeus silvery-white, above and 

 on the vertex very pale fulvous, it is of the same colour on the 

 disk of the thorax; wings and legs as in the other sex, the pos- 

 terior tibiae fuscous and pale at the apex. Abdomen lanceolate, 

 shining and dehcately punctured, the margins of the segments 

 obscurely rufo-piceous, the intermediate ones having laterally 

 a short fringe of white pubescence, the apex pale testaceous. 



B.M. 



This species usually appears in June; it is widely distributed, 

 but is still a local insect ; it occurs in many places in the London 

 district, and is frequently taken on Umbelliferce at wood sides, 

 &c. ; it is a very distinct species and easily recognized. 



