SOLITARY BEES AND WASPS OF ESSEX. 87
between the Colne and the Stour, east of the Sudbury branch
railway between Bures and Marks Tey.
The Billericay records are from a list kindly supplied by
Lionel J. Walford, F.E.S., who resided and collected there some
years ago. The Hale End, Woodford and Epping Forest records
are my own, and the remainder are from various sources.
Order HYMENOPTERA. Sub-Order APOIDEA.
Section Anthophila (True Bees).
Sub-Section Obtusilingues (Blunt-tongued Bees).
Family I. HYLAEIDAE These excavate burrows in bramble-
stems principally, but sometimes utilise burrows abandoned by
other insects in walls or posts. The cells are formed of a
secretion which hardens into a thin transparent membrane.
The bees are small, mostly black, and strongly aromatic of
citron and other scents, and are attracted by the flowers of the
wild mignonettes (especially Reseda luteola), brambles and
Umbellifera. All the British species belong to the genus Hylaeus.
They are :—Spilota, Forst, Billericay (on bramble) ; not
common. Communis, Nyl., generally distributed. Genalis,
Thoms., Billericay (on bramble) ; very rare. Confusus, Nyl.,
Colchester district. Pratensis, Geoff., hyalinatus, Sm., pictipes,
Nyl, minutus, L., Billericay, Colchester district.
Family II. Colletidae. Burrow in the soil or in soft
walls, forming colonies, and make their cells of secretion like
those of Hylaeus ; females sting severely. All the British species
belong to the genus Colletes, viz. :—Glutinans Cuv. : the
commonest species ; frequents heath in heathy districts, but is
fond of Aster tripolium and sea-holly in the Colchester district ;
it is parasitised by Epeolus cruciger. Picistigma, Th., fodiens, K.,
on Compositae, Colchester district ; both parasitised by E.
variegatus. Daviesanus, Sm., Billericay, Colchester district.
Marginatus, Sm., on Compositae, Colchester district.
Sub-Section Acutilingues (Sharp-tongued Bees).
Family I. Andrenidae. Andrena : Burrow in the ground,
often in company, forming colonies sometimes of enormous extent
even to hundreds of yards in length. The bees fly very quietly.
Some colonies are very long-lived (one in Gloucestershire has
been known from 1876 to 1914, and probably still exists). The