164 



BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN, 



Osmia tunensis, Brulle, Exped. Sc, de Moree, iii. 388. 751. 

 Smithf ZooL ii. 744. 6. 



Lucas, Explor, Sc. Alger, iii. 189. 106. t. 7. f. 6. 



Female. Length 4-4f lines.— Black, closely punctured; the 

 head large, subquadrate, nearly as wide as the thorax ; mandi- 

 bles stout, tridentate, the apical tooth acute ; the face clothed 

 with a short fulvous pubescence ; the antenna not longer than 

 the head, subfiliform and slender. Thorax clothed with a rufo- 

 fulvous pubescence, paler beneath; the wings fusco-hyaline, 

 the nervures and tegular ferruginous ; the legs have a rufo-ful- 

 vous pubescence, that on the tarsi beneath bright ferruginous ; 

 the calcaria rufo-testaceous, the claws ferruginous. Abdomen 

 subglobose, at the base and on the sides a rufo-fulvous pubes- 

 cence; the margins of the segments have a short fringe of the 

 same colour; beneath densely clothed with bright ferruginous 

 pubescence. ' ^M. 



Male. Length 4-5| lines.— The face densely clothed with long 

 pale pubescence, that on the vertex and disk of the thorax 

 ochraceous ; both the latter have an seneous tinge ; the pu- 

 bescence on the sides of the thorax and beneath, hoary ; the 

 legs have a similar pubescence; the wings as in the female. 

 Abdomen narrowest at its base, obscurely aeneous, the base 

 has a little pale pubescence, the margins of the three apical 

 segments have a fringe of bright fulvo-ferruginous pubes- 

 cence ; the margin of the sixth segment slightly notched in the 

 middle and deeply emarginate laterally, forming a stout in- 

 curved tooth ; the apical segment concealed, bidentate. B.M. 



This species is very abundant in many localities in the western 

 and south-western counties, but no examples have been re- 

 ceived from the north. I have a series of specimens from 

 Wales even richer in colour than my own bred specimens. The 

 male described by Mr. Kirby as belonging to this species is that 

 of 0. xantJwmelana, as may be seen by an examination of the 

 typical specimen in the Kirbian collection. The usual time for 

 this insect to appear is the end of March, but it is found most 

 numerously in April and May. 



3. Osmia bicolor. 



O. hirsuta aterrima; abdomine tarsisque quatuor posticis hir- 

 suto-ferrugineis. Corpore in mare fusco-a^neo, hirsutie pal- 

 lida, ano emarginato. 



Apis bicolor, Schrank, Ins. Just, p. 806 $ . 

 Kirby, Man. Ap, AngL ii. 277. 58. 





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