4. MELECTA. 137 



2. Melecta armata. 



M. atra, cinereo villosa, abdominis segmentis utrinque puncto ovato 

 albo ornatis. 



Melecta armata, St.- Far g. Hym. ii. 444 $ $ . 



Smith, Bees Great Brit. 156. 

 Andrena armata, Panz. Faun. Germ. 70. 22 2 • 

 Apis punctata, Kirby, Mon. Apum Angl. ii. 219 S 2 • 

 Melecta punctata, Curtis, Brit. Ent. 125, tab. 125 S • 



Smith, Zool. iii. 1148. 



Schenck, Nass. Bien. 172. 

 Melecta alecto, Newm. Ent. Mag. ii. 513 $ . 

 Melecta clotho, tisiphone et rnagaera, lib. cit. 513 2 • 



Female. Length 6-7 lines. — Black; the face and vertex clothed 

 with long cinereous pubescence, that on the clypeus brightest ; the 

 labrum and cheeks have a black pubescence. Thorax : the disk 

 has the pubescence cinereous, that on the scutellum is black, and 

 on each side is a tuft of white ; the wings subhyaline, their margins 

 fuscous ; the intermediate and posterior tibiae have a white patch 

 at their base. Abdomen smooth and shining, a tuft of white 

 pubescence on each side at the base ; the second segment has a 

 similar tuft, and sometimes a round spot within ; the third and 

 fourth have on each side a minute round spot of white pubescence. 



B.M. 



Var. [d. Black ; the pubescence black, intermixed on the face, thorax 

 anteriorly, and on the metathorax laterally with cinereous ; an 

 obscure cinereous spot at the base of the intermediate and posterior 

 tibiae ; the abdomen obscurely cinereous at the base, the third and 

 fourth segments have on each side a minute white spot, (magoera, 

 Newm.) 



Yar. y. The pubescence black, except a [few cinereous hairs on each 

 side of the metathorax and abdomen at its base ; a minute cinere- 

 ous spot sometimes on each side of the third segment, (tisiphone, 

 Newm.) 



Male. Length 6-7 lines. — Black; the face has the pubescence 

 cinereous ; that on the thorax is of the same colour ; the scutellum 

 bidentate and covered with black pubescence, the intermediate 

 tibiae above and the posterior pair at their base have a short white 

 pubescence. Abdomen — the base thinly clothed with cinereous 

 pubescence, and having on each side a tuft of nearly white pubes- 

 cence, a similar tuft on the second, and two minute white spots on 

 each of the following segments placed laterally ; and sometimes the 

 fifth segment is also spotted* B.M. 



The female of this species is subject to great variation in the colour 

 of its pubescence, and Newman gave specific names to some of these 

 varieties. The sexes are not subject to great difference in size; but 

 occasionally, as in almost all species of parasitic Apidee, very small 

 starved examples are taken ; one of such only measuring four lines 



