Enemies of Bees — Robber Ftiea. 



319 



There are two other insects of this family, MdUop'/yra vrcina 

 and MaMoplwra bombovdes, which differ greatly in form from 

 those mentioned above; they look more like bumble-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 Flor- 



Fig. 175. Fib. 176. 



ida — with the information that they dart forth from some con- 

 venient 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 belong to Loew's third group, Axilina,, 

 as the antennae end in a bristle (Fig. 175), while the sec- 



Fig. 177. 



ond longitudinal vein of the wing (Fig. 177, 6) runs into tbe 

 first (Fig. 17»| -■ 



