OR, MANUAL OF THB APIAKY. 491 



There are two other insects of this family, Mallophora 

 orcina and Mallophora bomboides, which differ greatly in 

 form from those mentioned above ; they look more like bum- 

 ble-bees, for which they have been mistaken. 



I have received these insects from several of our enterpris- 

 ing bee-keepers of the South — Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida 

 — with the information that they dart forth from some conven- 

 ient perch, and with swift and sure aim grasp a bee, and bear 

 it to some bush, when they leisurely suck out all but the mere 

 crust, and cast away the remains. 



The insects in question, which in form, size, and color 

 much resemble bumble-bees, belong to Loew's third group, 



Fig. 274. 



Wing of Mallophora. — Original. 



Asilina, as the antennae end in a bristle (Fig. 272), while the 

 second longitudinal vein of the wing (Fig. 274, b) runs into 

 the first (Fig. 274, a). 



The genus is Mallophora. The venation of the wings 

 much resembles that of the genus Promachus, though the 

 form of these insects is very different. 



In Mallophora and Promachus the venation is as repre- 

 sented in Fig. 274, where, as will be seen, the second vein (Fig. 

 274, b) forks, while in the genus Asilus (Fig. 269) the third 

 vein is forked, though in all three genera the third joint of the 

 antennae (Fig. 272) ends in a prolonged bristle. 



One of the most common of these pests, which I am 

 informed by Dr. Hagen, is Mallaphora orcina, Weid., is one 

 inch long, and expands one and three-fourths inches (Fig. 275). 

 The head (Fig. 272) is broad, the eyes black and prominent, 

 the antennae three-jointed, the last joint terminating in a 

 bristle, while the beak is very large, strong, and, like the eyes 



