4. A1STDEENA. 71 



Female. Length 4^ lines. — Black ; the pubescence on the face short 

 and pale fulvous ; the nagellum nigro-piceous towards the apex. 

 Thorax shining and finely punctured ; the metathorax opaque ; the 

 pubescence on the middle of the disk dark ferruginous, at the sides 

 it is pale fulvous, as well as on the metathorax laterally ; the wings 

 hyaline, faintly clouded at their apical margins, the nervures f usco- 

 ferruginous ; the legs have a pale pubescence, the floccus nearly 

 white, having an ochraceous tinge, the scopa pale fulvous. Abdomen 

 shining, subovate, and convex, very delicately and closely punc- 

 tured ; the apical margin of the basal segment has on each side a 

 short fringe of white pubescence, the following have a marginal 

 fringe of the same colour, the first usually interrupted ; the apical 

 fimbria fulvous. E.M. 



This species appears at the same time as A. afzeliella, and may 

 possibly be a variety of it, the only describable difference I can 

 detect being its black posterior tibiae and tarsi. Kirby suggests that 

 it might be mistaken for A. conveociuscula ; but its abdomen is more 

 cordate and less convex, and its clypeus differently punctured ; that 

 of A. coywexiuscula has the punctures stronger and not so close, and 

 has a central shining smooth line. This insect has a peculiar 

 interest attached to it, being that upon which Kirby found his 

 Pediculus melittaz. This hexapod is found upon bees of almost 

 every genus in this country, also occasionally upon wasps and 

 dipterous insects. Kirby, relying upon the figure and descrip- 

 tion of De Geer, concluded that it was the larva of a species of 

 Meloe: this appears to be doubtful. The hexapod is very common 

 about Hampstead ; so are Meloe violaceus and 31. proscai^abceus. The 

 larvae of both I have reared from the eggs ; and they are bright yel- 

 low. P. melittm is always black. There are only the two species 

 of Meloe mentioned found at Hampstead. Another circumstance 

 adds to the difficulty. On digging out cells of Anthophora I found 

 in one a perfect bee and two or three of Kirby's hexapods. As 

 that author observes, if it were a larva, one would expect it to vary 

 in size ; but we know now that the larvae of Meloe only increase 

 in size after they have changed to the apod condition. That it is 

 the larva of some insect is most probable : this, in Kirby's words, 

 " future observation will clear up." 



60. Andrena afzeliella. 



A. nigra, pallide fulvo villosa, thorace fusco-ferrugineo ; abdomine 

 ovato, fasciis tribus pallidis, anticis interruptis. 



Andrena afzeliella, Smith, Zool. v. 1929 ; Pees Great Brit 101 <$ 5 • 



Schenck, Nass. Bien. 257. 

 Melitta afzeliella, Kirby, Mon. Apum Angl. ii. 169 $ . 



Female. Length 4|-5 lines. — Black; the face with pale fulvous 

 pubescence, that on the 'clypeus shorter and paler ; the nagellum 

 rufo-piceous towards the apex beneath. The thorax closely punc- 



