11. MEOACHILE. 173 



The fringe on the apical margin of the fifth segment is usually 

 entire. 



Male. Length 3|-5 lines. — Head rather wider than the thorax, the 

 face clothed with pale fulvous pubescence, sometimes whitish on 

 the clypeus ; antennae filiform ; mandibles bidentate, the apical 

 tooth acute. The apex of the anterior femora rufo-navous beneath ; 

 the pubescence on the thorax beneath cinereous, above it is faintly 

 fulvous ; wings as in the female. Abdomen subelongate and obtuse 

 at the apex ; the margin of the apical segment entire and subden- 

 ticulate. 



Yar. /3. The margin of the apical segment slightly notched in the 

 middle. B.M. 



This species has probably the widest geographical range of any in 

 the entire family of the Apidse. It is found in all parts of the 

 United Kingdom, and is very widely diffused over the continent of 

 Europe, being found in Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and 

 Lapland. It is also found throughout Southern Europe. Specimens 

 have also been received from North America, Hudson's Bay, and 

 Canada that we have been unable to distinguish from it. It is very 

 common during the months of June, July, and August. 



2. Megachile ligniseca. 



M. pallide pubescens, abdomine oblongo-ovato, masculo ano emar- 

 ginato. 



Megachile ligniseca, Smith, Zool. ii. 694; Bees Great Brit. 176. 



Nyland. Notis. ur Sfflsh. pro Faun, et Flo. Fenn. ii. 102. 



Schenck, Nass. Bien. 329. 



Thorns. Hym. Scand. ii. 226. 

 Apis ligniseca, Kirby, Mon. Apum Angl. ii. 243 $ $ • 

 Apis centuncularis, Panz. Faun. Germ. 55. 12 §. 



Don. Brit. Ins. iv. tab. 120 $ . 



Female. Length 6-7 lines. — Black ; the face has a little pale pubes- 

 cence on each side of the clypeus, and fulvous at the insertion of 

 the antennae ; on the vertex it is fuscous ; on the cheeks, legs, thorax 

 beneath, on the two basal segments of the abdomen, and on the 

 metathorax it is cinereous ; on the disk of the thorax it is pale 

 fulvous ; the mandibles quadridentate, the two apical teeth subacute, 

 the inner one obtuse; the wings subhy aline, faintly clouded at 

 their apical margins ; the tarsi fulvous beneath, the claws ferru- 

 ginous. Abdomen oblong-ovate, the margins of the segments 

 deeply depressed ; at the base there is a little cinereous pubescence, 

 towards the apex it is sparing and black ; beneath densely clothed 

 with fulvous pubescence, that on the two apical segments is 

 black. B.M. 



Male. Length 5-6 lines. — The face clothed with bright pale yellow 

 pubescence ; at the insertion of the antennae it is of a deeper yellow, 

 and on the vertex black ; the antennae filiform, half the length of 



