114 



BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



very limited extent, since only two others are known, one Euro- 

 pean, the other African. These bees are very similar in structure 

 to the AndrenidcB ; the females possess the scopa on the tibiae, and 

 the apical fringe on the abdomen, and their tarsi are of similar 

 construction to those of the Andrenidce, but their tongue is 

 folded at the apex when in repose. In habit they are precisely 

 similar to Andrena, excavating burrows and laving up a store of 

 pollen and honey in a similar manner; they are bees of summer, 

 the most abundant species being the Panurgus Banksiams 

 which forms large colonies in retired sandy spots on heaths' 

 making its appearance in July ; for years such a community has 

 existed on the north side of the Vale of Health, Hampstead 

 Heath, where m spring I have met with the larv^ in small cells 

 about six inches beneath the surface, and have reared both sexes; 

 they do not change to nymphs many days before arriving at 

 their perfect condition, usually twenty or twenty-five days. The 

 second species is more local, but very plentiful in many situa- 

 tions, forming colonies in hard trodden footpaths: a light- 

 coloured fly {Miltogramma) is frequently to be seen entering its 

 burrows. These bees do not appear to frequent any other 

 flowers than those of the Mouse-ear Hawkweed. 



1. Panurgus calcaratus. 



P. ater, nitidus, glabriusculus ; antennis dimidiato-rufis. 



Apis calcarala, Scop, Ent, Cam. p. 301. 803 $ . 

 Philanthus ater, Fahr. Ent. Sysf. ii. 292. 13 S . 

 Apis ursina, Kirby, Mon, Ap, Angl ii. 178. 1, var. /3 ? . 

 Apis Linria;ella, Kirhy, Man, Jp, Angl. ii. 179. 2 c? • 

 Andrena lobata, Panz. Faun. Germ. 72. 16c?. 

 Dasypoda lobata, Fabr. SysL Piez. p. 336. 3 $ . 

 Trachusa lobata, Panz. Faun. Germ. 96. 18 ? . 

 Panurgus ater, Panz. Krit. Revis. p. 2] 1 c? . 

 Panurgus unicolor, Spin. Ins. Lig. fasc. 2. p. 54. 42 ? 

 Panurgus lobatus, Latr. EncycL Meth. viii. 719. 3 cj ? . 



St. Farg. Hym. ii. 225. 2 <? ? . 



Curtis, Brit. Ent, iii. p. 102. 



Nyland. Ap. Boreal p, 224. 1. 

 Panurgus calcaratus, Smith. ZooL iv. 1452. 2$ ^ 



Female. Length 3^-4 lines.— Jet-black, shining, nearly naked; 

 the face has a little black pubescence, the scape pubescent, the 

 flagellum, except two or three of the basal joints, pale testaceous 

 beneath. Tlie disk of the thorax very smooth and shining, 

 the metathorax rounded behind; the wings hyaline, the ner- 



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