BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 1/1 



Megachile cterulcscens, Sjnn. Ins, Lig, fasc. 1. 145. 12. 

 Osmia caerulcsccus, Latr, EncycL Meth, viii. 581. 12 cJ ^ . 



St. Farg. Hym, ii. 325. 16. 



Brullp, Hist, Nat, Canar. iii, 85. 10. 



Smitlij ZooL ii. 743. 5. 



Lucas, Explor, Sc. Alger, iii, 190. 



Nyland. Jp, Boreal, p. 262. 4 ; Revis. Ap. Boreal, p. 271. 8. 

 Abeille ma^onne, etc., De Geer, Ins. ii. 751. t. 30. f. 23 9 & t. 32. 

 f.l^. 



Female. Length 3|-4| lines. — Deep blue; head as wide as the 

 thorax, subquadrate, closely punctured, the antennae not longer 

 than the head ; mandibles very stout, longitudinally grooved, 

 pubescent ; a little white pubescence on each side of the face 

 below the insertion of the antennee, the cheeks have also a white 

 pubescence. Thoraxvery closely punctured, and having a little 

 white pubescence at the sides of the metathorax ; the wdngs sub- 

 hyaline, the margins having a fuscous cloud; the legs have a 

 glittering hoary pubescence. Abdomen subglobose, shining, 

 finely and closely punctured, at the base there is a little thin hoary 

 pubescence, the apical margins of the segments have a narrow 

 white fringe, broadly interrupted on the three basal ones, usually 

 obliterated on the first ; beneath densely clothed with black 

 pubescence. B.M. 



Male. Length 31-4;^ lines. — Brassy-green; the head and thorax 

 very closely punctured, the head subquadrate, as wide as the 

 thorax ; the face clothed with long fulvous pubescence, palest 

 on the clypeus. Thorax : the disk thinly covered with pale 

 fulvous pubescence ; beneath more or less hoary ; the wings 

 as in the other sex. Abdomen narrowed at the base, shining, 

 finely and closely punctured, the margins of the two basal 

 segments depressed; two or three of the apical segments 

 have a narrow pale fringe; the sixth segment has its mar- 

 gin slightly notched in the middle, the seventh is incurved, bi- 

 dentate. B.M. 



This species is found in all parts of the kingdom. The co- 

 lour of the female varies, being sometimes deep blue, at other 

 times nearly black; it also varies a good deal in size. The 

 0. purpurascens of Smith's Catalogue has been discovered to be 

 a North American insect. 



* 



10. Osmia leucomelana. 



0. aterrima, albido-subvillosa ; abdominis segmentis marginibus 



i2 



