42 ANDRENIDiE. 



subhy aline, iridescent and slightly clouded at their apical margins, 

 the nervures testaceous ; the legs usually dark rufo-piceous, the 

 tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, with a thinly scattered 

 pale pubescence ; the apex acute and pale testaceous. B.M. 



This species is found during July and August. I have usually 

 found it on the flowers of the mallow (Malva sylvestris). Closely 

 resembling A. gwynana, it is a less bulky insect and less pubes- 

 cent ; its abdomen is more elongate ; and the margins of the seg- 

 ments beneath are fringed with pale pubescence, whereas the fringes 

 are black in A. gwynana. The male has a more slender form, the 

 legs paler with pale ferruginous tarsi. 



20. Andrena helvola. 



A. nigra ; thorace abdominisque basi fulvo-rufis, hirtis ; tibiarum 

 posticarum scopa flavescente. 



Andrena helvola, Rossi, Faun. Etrus. ii. 97. 



Panz. Faun. Germ. 97. 19. 



Smith, Zool. v. 1742 ; Bees Great Brit. 68 S 2 • 



Nyland. Notts, ur Sallsk. pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. ii. 99. 



Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 91 $ . 

 Apis helvola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 955, et Cab. Mus. Linn. Soc. 5 • 



Fair. Fnt. Syst. ii. 810 ; Syst. Piez. 326. 



Spin. Tns. Ligur. i. 122. 

 Melitta helvola, Jtirby, Won. Apum Angl. ii. 119 $ ■ 

 Melitta angulosa, Kirby, lib. cit. 127 S • 



Female. Length 5-5^ lines. — Black ; the pubescence on the clypeus 

 pale fulvous, above and on the sides of the face it is fuscous ; the 

 mandibles ferruginous at their apex. Thorax clothed above with 

 rufo-fulvous pubescence, at the sides and beneath it is griseous ; 

 the wings hyaline, their apical margins faintly clouded, the tegulae 

 and nervures ferruginous ; the femora beneath fringed with white 

 pubescence, the floccus white, the scopa pale fulvous, the apical 

 joints of the tarsi ferruginous. Abdomen subovate, the pubescence 

 at the base fulvous, beyond which it is cinereous ; beneath, the 

 margins fringed with cinereous pubescence. B.M. 



Male. Length 5-5| lines. — Black ; the head wider than the thorax, 

 subquadrate ; the clypeus covered with long white pubescence, at 

 the insertion of the antennas it is pale fulvous ; the antennas nearly 

 as long as the thorax ; the mandibles forcipate, subdentate at their 

 base. Thorax thinly clothed above with rufo-fulvous pubescence ; 

 the wings hyaline, iridescent, faintly clouded at their apex, the 

 nervures ferruginous, teguke rufo-piceous ; the tarsi ferruginous. 

 Abdomen shining, ovate-lanceolate, fulvous at the apex. B.M. 



This insect is not rare ; it appears to be somewhat local, but is 

 scattered all over the kingdom ; it is found in the London district, 

 appearing usually at the end of April or the beginning of May ; it 



