56 
Psyche 
[March 
ANTHEMOESSA ABRUPTA. 
By Charles Robertson, 
Carlinville, Illinois. 
On the habits, parasites and inquilines see Frison (1). Some 
local observations are added here. 
Phenology. — Flies 84 days, My 7 — J1 29, d' 51 days, My 
7 — Jn 26, $ 81 days, My 10 — J1 29. The male beigns 3 days, 
and ends 33 days, before the female; 7 . 4 less and 15 . 2 more than 
the average of the “5 other long-tongued bees,” and 5.9 less and 
12.9 more than the general average in 14 . 
Anthophora ursina begins 29 days earlier, Clisodon terminalis 
begins 18 days later and Amegilla walshii 60 days later. Pheno- 
logically at their most active time these are rather non-competa- 
tive. 
At St Louis Rau ( 4 ) noted this bee from My 28 to J1 21, 55 
days, 29 less than the local flight. In about 33 years of local field 
work, J1 1884-My 1916, I found the male visiting 26 species of 
flowers. The fact that the flight of the male never ranged over 
51 days seems to show that the weather has little to do with it. 
Comparison with Melitoma. — Rau says that when the life 
cycle of this bee had run its course, Entechnia taurea made its 
appearance. At Carlinville Melitoma taurea appears 48 days 
later and ends 70 days later, but it overlaps with A. ahrupta for 
33.9% of its flight. It flies 106 days, c?95, Jn 24 - S 26, $ 103, 
Jn 27 -O 7. At St Louis Rau gives 94 days, c?44, J1 31 S 12, 
$ 94, J1 16-0 17, the female beginning 19 days later and ending 
10 days later than at Carlinville. 
Rau says: “The males of this species do not seem to emerge 
before the females; or at least they do not die earlier.” At 
Carlinville the male begins 3 days, and ends 1 1 days, earlier than 
the female, 7.4 and 14.8 less than the average of the “5 other 
long-tongued bees” and 5.9 and 17. 1 less than the general aver- 
age in 14 . 
Generic selection. — The 5 local Anthophoridse form a good 
example. Anthophora ursina is probably related to A. pilipes 
