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PSYCHE

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T. D. A. Cockerell.
Australian Bees in the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy.
Psyche 37:141-154, 1930.

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Australian Bees
AUSTRALIAN BEES IN THE MUSEUM OF
COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY.
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Having undertaken to prepare a manual of Australian bees for the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, I have been obliged to examine the undetermined material existing. in various museums, in America and Australia. This task proves heavier than was anticipated, owing to the large number of specimens and species submitted. The Australian bee-fauna is extremely rich, as might be ex- pected from the nature of the flora, and when I have done the best I can, there will still remain hundreds of species to be discovered and described.
Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola
Babinda, April 8; Halifax, June 1.
Collected by F. X.
Williams. Not native in Australia. In the Australasian Beekeeper, XXVII, Oct. 15, 1925, p. 68, Mr. T. Raymend published a supposed native Australian species, A. senig- maticus (on p. 69 called A. trigona), said to occur in Victoria and S. Australia. Apparently no specimens are extant, and nothing is known except the comb. Lestis bornbylans (Fabr.)
2 9, Cooktown, Queensland (E. A. C. Olive). Mesotrichia bryorum (Fabr.)
2 , Halifax, July 11 (Williams).
Crocisa lamprosoma Boisduval
Halifax, June (Williams) .
Pn&f 37:141-154 11930). http:ffpsyche.nilclub.ora/37/37- H I html



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142 Psyche [June
Crocisa omissa Cockerel1
Seven from Halifax, May 9-June 20 (Williams). 1 9 Sydney, Feb. 28 (Williams).
Crocisa rotundata Friese
One from Melbourne (Hy. Edwards).
Anthophora cingulata (Fabr.)
9 , Halifax (Williams): 9 , Cairns (Williams) ; 8 , "Palm Island to Cooktown" (A. G. Mayer) A. emendata Sm. is a synonym.
Anthophora chlorocyanea Cockerell
1 8, I 9, S. Australia (H. Edwards). In the female the scape is all black; in the male none of the ventral segments is emarginate, but the scape has a light mark. Anthophora zonata (L.)
In 1921 I treated the common variable species of Queens- land as A. pulchra Sm., which is its name if separated from A. zonata; but it now seems impracticable to recognize two species. In the males the face may be light yellow or white. 4 9 , 4 8 , Halifax (Williams) ; 2 9 , 1 8 , Mossman (Williams) ; 1 Q , 2 8 , Babinda (Williams) . Anthophora salteri Cockerell
1
9, with light face-markings white. Sydney, N. S. W., Feb. 28-March 8, 1919 (Williams).
Hyleoides concinnus (Fabr. )
Sydney, N. S. W. ( Williams).
Coelioxys albolineata Cockerell
3 9 , Halifax, and 1 9, Cairns (Williams). Coelioxys a1 bolineata var. darwiniensis Cocker ell 1 9, Halifax, June (Williams). The femora are bright red.




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19301 Australian Bees 143
Megachile mystacea (Fabr. )
3 ? , 2 8, Halifax (Williams) ; 1
$ , Brisbane, March 24
(Williams) .
Megachile ustzilatiformis Cockerel1
2 8, Halifax, June 1-17, and June 20-July 9. (Williams). Megachile hilli Cockerel1
2 9, Halifax, June 1-17 and July 11-20 (Williams). When describing M. hilli, I wrote: "I had to consider whether this could be the female of M. ustulatiformis, and, while this is possible, it appears improbable." The present specimens, collected in the same locality, lend support to the view that these are sexes of one species. Megachile pictiv e~~tris Smith1
1 9, Babinda, April 18 (Williams).
Megachile cincturata Cockerell
2 ? , Cairns, April 1-12 (Williams).
Megachile ignes~ens Cockerell
1 2, Halifax, June 1-17 (Williams). This had been la-. belled pictiventris, but is easily separated by the abdominal hair-bands.
Megachile lucidiventris Smith
1
9 , Sydney, N. S. W. (Williams). This is very like M. suppresipennis Ckll., but easily separated by the denticulate lower margin of clypeus.
1Reviewing my material of M. fictiventris, I find I have confused with it a different 9, taken by Turner at Mackay, Queensland, in January, 1900. It is distinctly more robust, and the beautifully metallic (green and purple) abdomen has white hair-bands, weak or failing in middle. The light hair of face is white (not at all yell~owish), and the abdomen, seen from above, shows no outstanding black hairs toward the apex; characters which separate it at once from M. igenescens. This beautiful species may be called Megachile rowlandi n. sp., after Rowland Turner.




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Psyche
Megachile viridinitens n. sp.
9.
Length about or nearly 15 rnm.; a parallel-sided black species, metathorax and base of abdomen densely covered with white hair, ventral scape entirely black, hair of legs black, wings dark fuscous except basally. The ap- pearance is exactly that of M. fumipennis Smith, and I had hastily assumed it to be identical until I noticed the follow- ing differences: middle of lower margin of clypeus with two little shining tubercles; hair of face entirely black; no white hair on prothorax (except fringing tubercles) and no converging lines of white hair on anterior part of mesothorax ; mesothorax finely punctured, the posterior middle minutely rugosopunctate ; abdominal segments 1 to 4 strongly green, the callosities sublaterally shining, with sparse, strong punctures. Cairns, Queensland ( W. M. Wheeler).
Mega.chile chrysopyga Smith
1 8, 3 9, Sydney, N. S. W. (Williams) ; Melbourne (H. Edwards).
Megachile quinquelineata Cockerell
Mr. F. X. Williams took females at Halifax, July 11-20; Cairns, April 1-12; Babinda, April 18; Mossman, April 24. Megachile ciliatipes Cockerel1
Mr. Williams took males at Halifax, July 11, and Ba- binda, April 16 and 18. It seems very likely that this is the male of M. quinqzielineata, but I find that it is practi- cally identical with the male of Androgynella detersa (Ckll.). The female A. detersa has no ventral scape; it cannot be a mutant from M. q~imquelinea~ta directly, be- cause the last tergite is covered with pale hair, whereas in M. quinquelineata this is not the case.
Megachile gilbertiella Cockerel1
1 9, Halifax, July 11-20 (Williams).
This specimen has
the red of fifth tergite confined to the apical margin.



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19301 Australian Bees 145
Megachile rhodogastra Cockerell
8 .
Length about 10 mm. ; black, parallel-sided, rather robust; face with much creamy-white hair, cheeks with long pure white hair; antennae long, black, the flagellum very faintly reddish beneath ; mandibles black ; clypeus very densely punctured, without a smooth line ; mesothorax dullish, extremely densely and finely punctured ; scutellum closely punctured; hair of thorax white, but some black on scutellum, as also on vertex; tegulse very dark rufous; wings brownish, especially stained along the veins ; first recurrent nervure twice as remote from base of second cubital cell as second from apex; legs black, tibiae swollen, anterior coxse not spined, anterior tarsi simple, middle tarsi with long grey hair behind, hind tarsi with very bright red hair on inner side; apical part of abdomen with tegument red.
3 3, Halifax, May 9-15, and June 1-17 (Wil1,iams). The above descriptive notes are from one of the specimens which seemed to be different, having the hind tarsi with bright ferruginous hair, and lacking the thick black fringe posteriorly. After close study, I conclude that there is only one variable species, but the matter deserves further study in the field.
Megachile cetera Cockerel1
1 Q , Halifax, June (Williams).
Nomia tomentif era Friese
8 Q , 1 8, Babinda, April 8-16 (Williams) ; 1 ? , Ku- randa, April 16 ( Williams) .
Nomia darwinorzim Cockerel]
6 $ , 2 Q , Halifax, May 9-15, June 1-17 (Williams) ; 2 Q , Babinda, April 18 (Williams). This is precisely N. dar- winorurn, described from the male, collected by Turner at Port Darwin. The female agrees with the earlier de- scribed N. rubroviridis Ckll., from the northwest coast, except that the flagellum is variably reddened beneath, and the hair of the apical tergites is very dark fuscous, not



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146 Psyche [June
ochreous. I think N. darwinorum is surely not more than a race of N. rubroviridis, but it is desirable to see the male of the latter.
Nomia halictella Cockerel1
1 9, Mossman, April 24 (Williams) ; 1 S, Cairns, May 18 (Williams).
Nomia triangularis (Cockerell)
11 9 , 2 8 , Halifax, May and June ( Williams) ; 1 9 , Babinda, April 18 (Williams). The male was described by me as N. pseudoceratina. I described the female in 1905 as Nomia halictella var. triangularis; in addition to the differences cited, may be mentioned the darker tegulse and tarsi. I feel sure I now have the sexes correctly associated, and it is evident that the species is quite dis- tinct from N. halictella.
Nomia australica Smith
1 9, Melbourne (H. Edwards), has both clypeus and scape black.
1 8 , S. Australia (H. Edwards), has scape clear red, black at end, but another with same data has the scape darker only faintly reddened. 3 8, Melbourne (H. Edwards).
Nomia frenchi Cockerel1
1 8, Melbourne (H. Edwards) ; 2 8, S. Australia (H. Edwards).
Nomia gilberti Cockerel1
1 9 , Halifax, June or July ( Williams) . Nomia flavoviridis Cockerel1
1 8, Halifax, June; 40 8, 4 S, Babinda, April. All taken by Williams.




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Australian Bees
Nomia williamsi n. sp.
8 .
Length about 7.3 mm., anterior wing 5.4 mm. ; black with white hair; mandibles dark rufous apically, face rather broad, densely covered with white hair; scape en- tirely black (in N. argentifrons Sm. it is rufotestaceous in front) ; flagellum long, reaching scutellum, black above, dull red beneath; mesothorax and scutellum closely punc- tured; postscutellum with dense white (not at all fulvous) tomentum ; area of metathorax broadly triangular, densely rugosoplicate, dull; sides of metathorax dull, except a broad shining band just below sides of area; mesopleura dull, anteriorly with white tomentum; tegulae clear testaceous; wings hyaline, the apical region faintly clouded ; stigma
large, light orange fulvous, nervures pale testaceous ; legs reddish black, with the knees bright ferruginous, tibiae red at extreme apex, tarsi pale reddish, the basitarsi more whitish ; hind legs not modified ; abdomen moderately shin- ing, hind margins of first two tergites reddened; apices of segments with rather narrow bands of dense white hair, broadly interrupted on first two; venter simple, except for a large patch of pale fulvous-tinted tomentum. Halifax, June 1-17, 1919 (F. X. Williams). Very close to N. halictella Ckll., but smaller, with white instead of fulvous hair, and darker flagellum.
Nomia babindensis n. sp.
? . Length about 6 mm., anterior wing 4.4; robust, indigo blue, the abdomen mainly black, but blue on first tergite and in the apical depressions of the others, second tergite with a shining brown hind margin. Head broad,
face with very thin dull white hair, vertex with very long erect black hair; mandibles rufescent at apex; clypeus shin- ing, broadly black apically, bigiblous, with a median de- pression ; supraclypeal area with a shining median pale, slightly pinkish, band; front dull ; antennae dark; a little black hair on scutellum, but thorax above very bare; meso- thorax dullish, minutely punctured ; scutellum weakly bigib- bous; area of metathorax short, dull, very finely sculp- tured ; mesopleura shining blue in middle ; tegulse very dark



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148 Psyche [June
brown ; wings greyish hyaline, stigma small, dark brown ; second cubital cell nearly square; first recurrent nervure meeting second intercubitus ; legs brownish black, with pale hair; hind margins of tergites with short pale hair, not forming conspicuous bands.
Babinda, Queensland, April 8-16, 1919 (Williams). Readily known among the metallic species by the small size and blue color, with dark tegulas and mainly black abdomen.
Meroglossa chiropterina n. sp.
? . Length about 7.5 mm. ; robust, black, with the light markings of head and thorax bright chrome yellow, con- sisting of face, and broad lateral marks going nearly up to level of end of scape, tubercles and quadrate spot behind, axillae, scutellum and postscutellum ; clypeus with a shield- like elevation, much longer than broad, the sulcus on each side of it black; supraclypeal mark a narrow triangle in middle of supraclypeal area, or it may be absent, and the clypeal yellow may be strongly notched above in middle; mandibles, molar space and cheeks black; scape swollen, ferruginous, black above at apex ; flagellum black above, light ferruginous beneath; mesothorax dull and very densely punctured; tegulae black; wings hyaline, with dull ferruginous stigma and nervures; first recurrent nervure meeting first intercubitus ; legs black ; abdomen black, simple, closely punctured.
3 8 , Halifax, June 1-17, 1919 ( Williams) . In structure more like M. eucalypti Ckll., but by the black abdomen more like M. sculptissirna Ckll. These bees belong to the sub- genus Meroglossula Perkins. The specific name is derived from the resemblance of the face to that of a bat. Palasorhiza disrupta (Cockerell)
Five from Babinda, April 16; one from Halifax, May 9-15; all collected by Williams.
The Babinda specimens
vary in the markings of the postscutellum which may be all green, to yellow with a green central band.



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19301 Australian Bees 149
Two males from Sydney (Williams). One of these is intermediate between the type and var. robustus, having the ventral processes small.
Hylsezis cyaneomicans (Cockerell)
Females were collected by Williams as follows: 2, Ba- binda, April 18; 1, Cairns, May 18; 18, Halifax, June, July.
Hylseu,s rotundiceps (Smith)
Q , Sydney ( Williams).
Hylasus frederici (Cockerell)
Q , Southerland, N. S. W., Nov. 14 (W. M. Wheeler). Hylaszts eburnielhds (Cockerell)
9 , Sydney, Feb.-March ( Williams).
Hylseus brevior (Cockerell)
A male from Sydney, Feb. 28-March 8 (Williams). Eurgglossina perpusilla (Cockerell)
Two from Sydney, Feb. 28-Mch. 8 (Williams). Eurgglossina chalcosoma (Cockerell)
One from Sydney, Feb. 28-Mch. 8 (Wil1ia.m) has the mesothorax strongly suffused with purple, but certainly belongs to this species.
Trigona carbonaria Smith
Fourteen from Halifax, six from Babinda, one from Cairns, and one from "Cordelia Hill, 600 ft., Halifax," all collected by Williams.
These Queensland specimens mostly
have the flagellum clear red beneath, but do not have the



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150 Psyche [June
black hair scutellum which characterizes subsp. hockingsi Ckll., from the Cape York Peninsula.
Allodape simillima Smith
Eight from Halifax, June 17 (Williams).
,
Exoneura bicolor Smith
Q , Melbourne (H. Edwards).
Exoneura hamulata Cockerell
Females of this variable species from Australia (H. Edwards), Hornsby, N. S. W. (Wheeler) and Melbourne (H. Edwards).
Binghamiella antipodes (Smith)
4
9, 4 8, Sydney (Williams). 1
Q , Melbourne (H. Ed-
wards). For an interesting discussion of this species, see Raymend, Victorian Naturalist, Jan., 1929, p. 240, and a plate showing the structural features.
Paracolletes flavomaculatus Cockerell
Two females, Kuranda, Queensland (Wheeler). Paracolletes jimbriatinus Cockerell
Male, Melbourne (El. Edwards).
Paracolletes semipurpureus (Cockerell)
9, Southerland, N. S. W., Nov., 1914 (Wh,eeler). The
color of the abdomen varies ; in this specimen it is yellowish green.
Paracolletes haekeri Cockerell
, Sydney, Feb. 28-March 28 (Williams).




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19301 Australian Bees
Paracoll etgs carinatus (Smith)
9, Southerland, N. S. W., Nov., 1914 (Wheeler). Paracolletes carinatulus Cockerel]
8, Halifax, June, and Sydney, Feb. 28-March 8 (Wil- liams). These differ from the type in having the head and thorax bluish-green, the scutellum and metathorax quite blue. Noteworthy characters for the species are the polished green clypeus, dark antenn~
(slightly reddened
apically), pale thoracic pubescence and mainly red legs. Sphecodes prof ugus Cockerel1
3
Q , 4 8, Halifax, May and June, one male as late as July 11-20; I
9 , Cairns, April. All collected by Williams. The male has the antenna1 segments strongly nodose; the abdomen has the first three segments red, the others black. Nomioides perditellus Cockerel1
I 8 , Babinda, April 18. (Willia,ms) .
Parasphecodes arcif eras Cockerel1
2 8, Melbourne (H. Edwa.rds). This sex is new; it has the ventral tubercle on abdomen just as in the female. Clypeus with a central pit, and with its apical portion very broadly dull yellow, this color extending upward in median line as a pointed projection. Antennze long, reaching base of metathorax, black. First three abdominal segments dark chestnut red, the others black. Legs black. Halictus urbanus Smith
Q , Sydney, Feb. 28-March 8 (Williams).
Halictus murrayi Cockerel1
Q .
Small (anterior wing 3.4 mm.) , or rather larger ; thorax usually purple blue, varying to blue-green; tegulz refous ; legs black; abdomen shining black; area of meta-



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152 Psyche [June
thorax more or less distinctly plicatulate. This is not H.
urbanus var. stradbrokensis Ckll., which is larger, with dark tegul~, and area of metathorax regulose, not plicate. H. urbanus is a puzzling species, running into a number of ,local races, and H. murrayi is certainly very closely allied.
Queensland; 10 Q from Babinda, April 8-16, 1919 ( Wil- liams) ; and one from Halifax, June 17 (Williams). H. murrayi was described from the Northern Territory: it
now appears more widely distributed and
variable than
was supposed.
Halictus subcarus n. sp.
Q .
Length about 5 mm., anterior wing about 3.5 ; head rather broad, dark green with fine white pubescence on face and front; mandibles red except at base; clypeus shin- ing, the apical half black, with a few very large punctures; supraclypeal area and front dull; flagellum bright fer- ruginous beneath; mesothorax and scutellum bright prus- sian green, the former dull, the latter more shining, but not polished; metathorax dark green, the basal area with short but strong plicz, the margin of the area thickened, obtuse, blackish ; pleura dark green ; tegulz clear fulvous ; wings hyaline, stigma dark reddish, nervures pale reddish, outer recurrent and intercubitus colorless and almost obso- lete; second cubital cell higher than broad; femora black, with knees red; tibiz and tarsi bright ferruginous; hind ,
spur with two large long spines; abdomen olive green, with fine pale pubescence, hind margins of tergites reddened; venter with much white hair.
Under the microscope, the
mesothorax is seen to be minutely tessellate and finely punctured, and the front below the ocelli is longitudinally striate. The face is conspicuously narrower than in H. williamsi, and the clypeus is more produced. It is easily
known from H. floralis Sm. by the dull scutellum.



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