2. peosopis. 7 



Melitta (pt.), Kirby, Man. Ap. Angl. 134*6 (1802). 

 Prosopis (pt,), Fair. Syst. Piez. p. 293 (1804). 



Head subtriangular, flatfish, as wide as the thorax ; the stemmata 

 in a triangle on the vertex ; the tongne subemarginate at the apex ; 

 the maxillary palpi 6-jointed, the labial palpi 4-jointed ; the supe- 

 rior wings having one marginal and two submarginal cells, the 

 second submarginal cell slightly restricted towards the marginal, the 

 first recurrent nervure received at the apex of the first submarginal 

 cell, the second at the apex of the second. 



The bees of which the present genus is composed, being destitute 

 of the usual apparatus for collecting pollen, were long regarded as 

 belonging to the family of parasites. Some years ago two of the 

 species were bred from bramble-sticks, the larvae having been exposed 

 and found to be arranged in the same regular order as in the acknow- 

 ledged industrious or working species. This observation was made 

 by Mr. Thwaites in 1841. Since that time I have repeatedly bred 

 them from a similar nidus. But all doubt of their habits has been 

 removed by the observations of Sir Sidney S. Saunders, who has bred 

 an Albanian species in great profusion. They construct their cells in 

 bramble-sticks, which they line, in the same manner as Colletes, with 

 a thin transparent membrane, calculated for holding semiliquid 

 honey, which they store up for their young. The Albanian species 

 were usually much infested by a Stylops. I had a very interesting 

 nest of one of these bees given to me. The bee was observed to have 

 chosen a hollow piece of flint stone, on breaking which a number of 

 the silken cocoons were found, some containing perfect bees when 

 received. Mr. Walcott had in his collection two specimens of Pro- 

 sopis communis which had apparently been attacked by a species of 

 Stylops. The fact has not been previously observed in this country ; 

 but in the ' Transactions of the Entomological Society,' vol. i. new 

 ser. p. 58, will be found an interesting account of a species of 

 Stylops which attacks Prosopis rubicola, found by Sir Sidney S. 

 Saunders in Albania. 



The geographical distribution of the genus Prosopis is of wide ex- 

 tent, the species being found both in the Old and New World, and 

 well represented in Australia. The British species make their appear- 

 ance in the month of June, and continue to be found during the two 

 following months in different parts of the kingdom. The most corn^ 

 mon habit of these bees is to perforate the pith of dead bramble- 

 sticks ; but I have found them occupying holes in a brick wall. They 

 line their burrows with a delicate transparent membrane, after the 

 manner of Colletes. The cells are provisioned with semiliquid honey ; 

 but P. hyalinata is said to form small pellets of honey and pollen, as 

 observed by Mr. Bridgman, of Norwich. They are frequently found 

 on the flowers of the bramble, but their favourite flowers are those 

 of the different species of Reseda (mignonette). When these insects 

 are handled in a living state they emit an agreeable odour. All the 

 species are occasionally bred from dead perforated bramble-sticks. 



