GENUS MEGACHILE AND SOME EAIIE INSECTS.— HACKEE. 
137 
NOTES ON THE GENUS MEGACHILE AND 
SOME RARE INSECTS COLLECTED 
DURING 1913-14. 
By Henry Hacker, F.E.S. 
There are at present ninety-eight species of Megachilc described from 
Australia, of 'wbicli niiniher thirty-nine occur in Queensland. I have taken the 
following species, mostly in the vicinity of Brisbane, during the last two seasons. 
1. M. ustulata, Sm. — Females, Brisbane, Decembei-, January. This 
species takes i>osse.ssion of crannies and lioles in tiiul)er, wiiicli they line with a 
resinous substance. On 8th January several 31, vstulala were noticed entering 
crevices (unfortunately in an awkward place for observation) under the veranda 
of my hoTise. >Several bees wlihdi were about to enter these crevices were captured 
and were all found to be (-arrying masses of a resinous substance in tlurr man- 
dibles. Even wliile the l){'es were hying, the load in their mandibles, which had 
a Avhite wool-like appearance, could ])e distinctly seen. AVitli some difficulty a 
nest was dug out, iu fragments, and was seen to consist of a single cell composed 
of resin Avhich was quite soft in the centre but hard and brittle on the outside. 
This cell contained a larva about half-grown. 
2. M. mystacea, Fab. — Males, females, Brisbane, Xovember, January, 
February, March. This species has similar habits to the previous one in making 
resinous cells. The examples bred at the iMuseum had appropriated an old 
<unpty nest of Scelipliron Icelum. The clay cells of the wasp had been lined with 
resin and the old exit-holes had been neatly sealed up with the same material. 
The adult bees emerged singly from (‘acli cell on 27th November. 
3. M. rhodura, Ckll. — -Although the nest of tliis bee was not found, the 
insect is suspected of similar nesting habits to 3J. asiulata and 31. mi/sfacca. On 
3rd December a number were semi visiting a Eucalyiitus tree from vdiich the 
resin had oozed and formed several hard jiatclies on the trunk. The bees wmre 
fairly numerous on these patches, where they would remain for siweral minutes 
at a time. They were rather shy, and would not allow one to approach within 
two yards of them. At that distance one could distinctly see them moving their 
heads, and they appeared to be rasping the patch of resin with their mandibles. 
As both sexes were captured on these resin-yiatches, it Avovdd seem that in this 
species the male assists the female in constructing their cells. 
