918 INSECTA. 



BoMBUS IMPETTJOSTJS, Smith, Plate LXXXI, fig. 11. 



Bombus impetuoms, Smith, Proe. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 249, pi. xviii, fig. 8. 



i^^mafe.— Black ; the pubescence on the head black. The thorax above and 

 at the sides clothed with a rich fulvous pubescence ; the disk with black pubescence 

 between the wings ; the apical joints of the anterior and intermediate tarsi and the 

 posterior pair entirely obscure rufo-piceous ; the posterior tibiae have their outer 

 margin of the same colour, but brighter ; wings dark-brown. Abdomen : the basal 

 segment is covered above with bright pale fulvous pubescence, the two following 

 segments have a clothing of black pubescence, and the three apical ones of red. 

 Length 9 lines. 



The worker is clothed like the female, but the fulvous pubescence is brighter 

 and paler, and it varies in size from 8 to 10 lines. 



Apis indica, Pabr., Ent. Syst., SuppL, p. 274. 

 Apis ploralis, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Augl., II, p. 323. 

 Apis dorsata, Eabr., Ent. Syst., ii, p. 328. 



Apis laboeiosa, Smith, Plate LXXXI, fig. 10. 



Ajjis laloriosa, Smith, Proe. Zool. Soc, 1871, p. 249, pi. xviii, fig. 7. 



Worker. — Black ; the vertex shining and having some long black pubescence '; 

 the face just above the insertion of the antennse with fulvous pubescence ; the eyes 

 have a short black pubescence and a few scattered punctures ; the cheeks covered 

 with pale fulvous pubescence. Thorax clothed with fulvous pubescence, which is 

 palest beneath and on the inferior margins of the anterior and intermediate femora ; 

 the posterior femora more thinly fringed with pale fulvous pubescence ; the poste- 

 rior tibise and the basal joint of the tarsi fringed with black pubescence ; the supe- 

 rior wings shghtly smoky or fuscous, darkest in the marginal and first submarginal 

 cell. Abdomen almost naked, but with a little fulvous pubescence on the margin 

 of the basal segment ; the truncation of the basal segment covered with fine short 

 downy fulvous j)ubescence ; the apex of the abdomen with a little black pubescence. 

 Length 8 lines. 



I cannot but consider this a distinct species from all that have hitherto been 

 described. I am not desirous of increasing the number ; but, after a careful 

 examination of the characters in which specific distinctions are to be found, I will 

 poiat out in what this Bee differs from both A. dorsata and A. zonata, both of 

 which agree with it ia size. The ocelli are smaller and more distant from the com- 

 pound eyes ; and it has only twelve transverse rows of bristles on the inner surface 

 of the posterior metatarsus, exclusive of that on its apical margin. In A. dorsata 

 the abdomen is covered above with a short downy pubescence ; this Bee has the 

 abdomen naked, and there is not a trace of bands of pubescence at the basal 

 margins of the segments, as in ^. zonata. 



