i8g2.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



145 



Homoeosoma nimbella, — Very local but not rare at Muchalls 

 (Mr. Home). 



Phycis carbonarie 1 la (Pempelia fiisca). — Common among 

 heath, easily smoked out by day, comes to ragwort flowers at night. 



Phycis abietella.— Widely distributed but always scarce, 

 comes to ragwort flowers, the larvae may be found feeding in fir 

 shoots in spring. 



Melia scociella. — Not uncommon but rather local. 



(To be continued.) 



THE HYMENOPTERA - ACULEATA 

 OF LANCASHIRE & CHESHIRE, 



BY WILLOUGHBY GARDNER, F.R.G.S. 



(Continued from pa^e 121.) 



PROSOPIS. 



The females of this genus excavate little tunnels in the stems of 

 the bramble, w41d rose, dock, &c., w^hich they plaster inside, forming 

 cells, as in Colletes. These insects are not usually gregarious ; they 

 are very partial to the flower of mignonette. 

 Prosopis, Fab. 



communis, Nyl. — annulatn, Kirb. — Hough End Clough, near 



Manchester, J.R.H. 

 signata, Panz. — Banks of the Mersey, near Manchester, J.R.H. 

 hyalinata, Sm. — annillatus, Nyl. Thoms. — Cheshire coast, B.C. 

 confusa, Nyl. — puncttdatissima, Sm. S ■ — Rock Ferry, J.T.G. 

 pictipes, Nyl. — vavipes, Sm. — Recorded from the BoUin valley, 



near Manchester, J.R.H. 



SPHECODES. 



These insects burrow in sandbanks ; they are usually gregarious 

 and sometimes form colonies in same bank with Halictus and Colletes. 

 Sphecodes, Latr. 



gibbus, Linn. — Banks of the Mersey, near Manchester, J.R.H.; 



Rock Ferry, J.T.G. ; fairly distributed, B.C. 

 subquadratus, Sm. — Very local; taken at burrows in a field near 

 Chester, E.C.T. 



pilifrons, Thoms.- -rufiventris, Sm. — Southport and Hazelgrove, 

 B.C.; Wallasey, about burrows oi Colletes cunicularia, R.N. 



