T. D. A. Cockerell.
III. Bees Collected by Dr. W. M. Wheeler at Flowers of Triplaris.
Psyche 35(3):170-172, 1928.

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170 Psyche [September
pressions. Posterior spiracle rugulose basally and rather strongly carinate.
Red Tank, Canal Zone, Panama. March 28, 1923. Type and allotype-Cat. No. 26478, U. S. N. M. Described from two females and two males, reared by Dr. Wheeler from pupae collected in nests of Crematogaster (Ortho- crema) brevispinosa Mayr. subsp. tumulifera Forel in Cordia al- liodora Ruiz and Pavon.
The long and slender puparia, without reticulations and with their heavily fossulate anterior spiracles are very different from any other Microdon pup% I have seen. The adults are remarkable for their slender form, elongate front, the large ocellar tubercle and the laterally excised scu- tellum. The pile is unusually coarse, especially at the front of head and on the thorax, and is mostly a rich golden yellow. The coloration, as described for the female, may not be fully mature. Dr. Wheeler tells me that all the specimens were yellow at the time of emergence and darkened gradually. 111. BEES COLLECTED BY DR. W. M. WHEELER AT FLOWERS OF TRIPLARIS.
University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
The bees collect,ed by Dr. Wheeler at Triplaris americana flowers in the Panama Canal Zone include seven species, which may be readily separated as follows:
Eyes hairy; three submarginal cells. ....................... .1 Eyes not hairy, two submarginal cells, or the second evanescent. 2 1. Abdomen mainly dark (Fort Clayton, Feb. 28, two workers at Triplaris). ................... Apis mellifera Linnseus. Abdomen with basal portion fulvous (Balboa, March 27, one worker at Triplaris). . Apis melli/era var. Ziqusiica Spinola,



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19281 Some Cordia and Triplaris Insects 171 2.
Two submarginal cells, bounded by strong dark veins; an- terior tarsi (male) with a hollowed boat-shaped structure $
( 9 would have ventral scopa). ........................ Megachile poculifera Cockerell'
Second submarginal cell bordered by pale or evanescent ............
veins; no such modification of anterior tarsi .3.
3. Comparatively large robust bees; abdomen banded with orange; head black. ............................... .4. Small bees; abdomen not banded with orange or head red. 5., ..
4.
First abdominal segment with a c~nt~inuous orange band. Melipona fulvipes triplaridis Cockerell. ............. First abdominal segment with two orange spots Melipona orbignyi phenax Cockerell.
......... 5.
Head red, mainly black on vertex; scutellum red, Trigona pecforalis panamensis Cockerell. Head black. ....................................... .6. 6. Clypeus with two reddish bars on disc; scape largely dark; larger species. (Three workers at Triplaris, Balboa, .. March 26). ............... Triqona cupira F. Smith.. Clypeus without reddish bars on disc; scape red; smaller .. species (Eight workers at Triplaris, Balboa, March 26). Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Lepeletier) Melipona fulvipes triplaridis Cockerell, 1925. Worker. A little larger than usual, with the orange ab- dominal bands broader. Triangular supraclypeal mark, line down middle of clypeus, stripe at each lower corner of clypeus and narrow band along orbits ext'encling about half-way up front, all cream-color; scutellurn entirely black except a yellow transverse line at apex; wings longer and more dusky femora and tibiae black; middle basitarsi black, and hind ones except apical corner; apex of abdomen with much whit*e hair. Two workers; at Triplaris, Balboa, March 26-27. A distinct race of the wide-spread M. fulvipes Gu&in, com- mon in Central America and the West Indies.



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Psyche
Melipona orbignyi phenax Cockerell.
Found by A. H. Jennings at Las Cascadas, C. Z. Dr. Wheeler obtained three males and four workers at Triplaris, Balboa, March 26-27. He also took seven workers at Ancon; five are labelled "on Cordia." The worker has a dark clypeus as in typical orbignyi. Typical M. orbignyi Gubrin comes from the southern parts of tropical South America. Trigona pectoralis Dalla Torre, race panamensis Cockerell. Four workers at Triplaris; Balboa, March 26-27. The spe- cimens belong to the race or subspecies panamensis, having the hind tibise fringed with dark hair. The U. 8. National Museum has typical T. pectoralis from Mexico, D. F. Megachile poculif era Cockerell.
Two males at Triplaris, Balboa, March 27. A characteristic
feature of this species is the tooth on under side of middle femur in the male. In the Brazilian M. curvipes F. Smith, it is the hind femur that carries the tooth.
M. poculifera is evidently widely distributed; four males are before me, collected at Guaymas, Mexico in April (E. P. Van Duzee). The original type was labelled Mexico (Baker 1785). Baker's note-book appears to have been lost, but it is fortunately known (see original description of Prosopis crenulata Ckll., 1905) that 1785 signifies that it was collected by H. H. Hyde at Me- dellin, State of Vera Cruz, Mexico.
The Triplaris referred to above is T. americana, and the {Cordia is C. alliodora.




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