Insects. 595 



rest entire ; beneath, the second segment has frequently a yellow spot 

 in the centre, the following with yellow fascia) more or less entire. 



The male of this species is figured in Panzer; the female is the 

 Apis flavo-picta of Kirby. This insect appears in the autumn about 

 August, and is not uncommon in some localities on the flowers of 

 the ragwort. 



Sp. 8. Nomada Solidagints, Panzer. 

 Apis Solidagints, Kirby' s Mon. 



Female, (length 2 J to 4 lines). Black : head, a tridentate patch on 

 the clypeus; the labium and mandibles yellow, the latter rufous at their 

 tips ; the scape and second and third joints of the antennae rufous, 

 three or four following rufous beneath : thorax, the collar, tubercles, a 

 lunate spot below them, the tegulae, and a transverse spot on the scu- 

 tellum, yellow : the legs rufous, a stain behind on the posterior femo- 

 ra : abdomen, the first segment immaculate, second and third with 

 lateral acute maculae, the fourth with a narrow fascia, and the fifth 

 entirely yellow ; beneath, the second, third and fourth, have fasciae 

 more or less interrupted. 



Var. 1. Head, thorax, and legs as above : abdomen pale or dark 

 rufous, similarly maculated as above ; beneath, the third, fourth and 

 fifth segments are more or less black at their base in the centre. 



Var. 2, (3^ lines). Coloured as in var. 1 : the nose and mandibles 

 darker, reddish-yellow ; the first segment has indistinct maculae, and 

 the fasciae on the abdomen are more interrupted. 



Male, (3 to 4j lines). Black : face clothed with silvery hair ; a 

 tridentate shape on the clypeus ; the labrum and mandibles yellow, 

 the latter rufous at their tips ; the scape in front yellow, and the se- 

 cond joint rufous in front : thorax, the collar, tubercles, a lunate 

 patch beneath them, the tegulae, and two united spots on the scu- 

 tellum, yellow ; the anterior coxae yellow in front, the intermediate 

 rufo-piceous, with a minute, lateral, yellow spot, and a round yellow 

 spot before them, the posterior yellow in front ; all the femora black 

 at the base ; the tibiae and tarsi yellow, splashed with rufous : abdo- 

 men, first segment immaculate, third and fourth with acute maculae, 

 the rest with entire yellow fasciae ; beneath, the second and following- 

 segments with yellow fasciae, first and second sometimes interrupted. 



Of the varieties of the female the first is the Apis picta, and the 

 second the Apis rufo-picta of Kirby. 



This is perhaps the most abundant species in the genus. In July 

 and August they may be taken by hundreds, on the fiVwers of the 



