7. OSMIA. 161 



A very local species, seldom taken near London. It usually ap- 

 pears in April, when it has been taken plentifully at Purfleet and in 

 chalk-pits at Northneet. Near Bristol it very commonly constructs 

 its cells in snail-shells, from which I have frequently bred it. The 

 pubescence of the male soon fades to cinereous or nearly white. The 

 description is that of a bred specimen. 



10. Osmia leucomelana. 



0. aterrima, albido subvillosa ; abdominis segmentis marginibus 

 utrinque albis, ventre lana cinerascente tecto ; calcaribus pallidis : 

 corpore maris nigro-fusco, ano in media fovea impressa. 



Osmia leucomelana, Smith, Zool. ii. 741 tf 2 > ^ ees Great Brit. 172. 



Nyland. Notis. ur Stilish, pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. i. 263 2 j ii° 

 105 J. 



Gerst. Stett. ent. Zeit. (1869) 352. 

 Osmia interrupta, Schench, Nass. Bien. 341 $ $ . 

 Osmia claviventris, Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 254 <$ 2 • 



Female. Length 3|-4§ lines. — Black and shining ; head as wide as 

 the thorax, closely punctured, the clypeus most strongly so, its an- 

 terior margin slightly emarginate in the middle ; a thin white pu- 

 bescence on the face and cheeks ; the nagellum of the antennas 

 nigro-piceous beneath. Thorax closely punctured, with a thin 

 white pubescence on the sides and beneath ; wings pale fusco- 

 hyaline, their apical margins faintly clouded ; the legs with glitter- 

 ing white pubescence, that on the basal joint of the tarsi beneath 

 yellowish; the apical joint of the tarsi and the spines at the apex 

 of the tibiae pale rufo-testaceous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, slightly 

 narrowed at the base and shining, and with fine distant shallow 

 punctures ; the three basal segments margined laterally with white 

 pubescence, the fourth usually having an entire fascia; clothed 

 beneath with cinereous pubescence. B.M. 



Male. Length 3-4 lines. — Brownish black, very closely punctured ; 

 the face with dense pale fulvous pubescence ; the nagellum fulvo- 

 piceous beneath, the base being black. Thorax thinly clothed 

 with pale fulvous pubescence ; wings subhyaline, the nervures dark 

 fusco -ferruginous ; the calcaria and apical joint of the tarsi pale 

 rufo-testaceous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, incurved, the apical mar- 

 gins of the segments with a thin fringe of short pale pubescence ; 

 the sixth segment with its extreme lateral apical margin produced 

 into an acute angle or tooth ; the seventh triangular, its apex acute, 

 and with a deep fossulet in the middle ; beneath, the apical margin 

 of the second segment elevated, and forming a large transverse 

 tubercle or plate. B.M. 



This is a rare or very local species which appears in June. I once 

 found it at Charlton, near Blackheath. At Hawley, near Blackwater, 

 Hants, I found it burrowing in dead bramble-sticks, from which 

 both sexes were bred. It has also been taken at Weybridge early 



