BEDSTRAW. [GaLloar..] BEE, the name common to all the species of a very numerous tribe of Insects of the order Hymenoptera.
In England alone about 250 species have been discovered. Kirby, in his beautiful monograph, 'Apum Anglim,' divides them into two great groups—Apia and Melitta, which differ principally in the pro boscis. In Apis the tongue (fig. 3, c), or central part of the proboscis, is generally long, and the proboscis itself has two joints, one near the base, and another about the middle ; that at the base directing it outwards, and that in the middle directing it inwards : when folded, the apex of the tongue points backwards. In Melitta the tongue (fly. 1, a) is short, and the proboscis has but one fold, which is near the base ; and when folded the apex of the tongue points forwards. These two groups are also subdivided by Kirby, and the character of each subdivision is given in detail; but he did not think proper to give names to these smaller groups. It has however since been thought necessary to consider the smaller groups as genera; and hence they have all been named, the greater portion of them by Latreille. When the smaller groups were considered genera, the greater ones became fami lies, and are named Apiche and A ndrce nidce by Dr. Leach.
The species of Andrcenidcr, which are very abundant during the spring months, frequent grassy banks ; the males are generally seen flying about hedges. The females usually construct their nests underground ; for which purpose they generally select a bank in a southern aspect : some species choose sandy situations, while others prefer a heavier soil. The female having fixed upon a convenient spot, excavates a cylin drical hole, from five or six inches to a foot in depth, and only just large enough to allow her to enter ; at the bottom it is slightly increased in width, and rendered smooth by being lined with a glutinous substance. The labour of forming these cells is consider able, for the soil is removed grain by grain, and deposited round the entrance of the hole, so that a little hillock is formed. The cell being completed, her next object is to furnish it with pollen ; this is collected from flowers, and carried on the tibiae of the hinder legs, which are thickly furnished with tolerably long hair, among which the pollen is carried until she arrives at the celL When a sufficient quantity of pollen is collected, and made into a kind of paste by the addition of a portion of honey, it is formed into a little ball, in which an egg is deposited ; the mouth of the cell is then carefully closed, to prevent the entrance of other insects. The egg 80011 hatches, and
becomes a larva, which feeds upon the pollen until it is all consumed; the larva then turns to a pupa, and the pupa to the perfect insect. is remarkable that the Andra-sic/cc seldom make their appearance after the spring months and early part of the summer, although the eggs laid at that time have undergone all their metamorphoses (in many instances) by the autumn. The newly-disclosed insect remains all the intermediate time in a torpid state. We believe that the species only live one year, for in the autumn we have found many of them on the ground dead, and the inner part of their body devoured : this is probably done by a spider which is found in the same situations.
The habits of the species of Apidce are more variable : many exca vate their cells in wood ; some, like the cuckoo, make use of the nests of other species ; others again do not excavate cells, but make use of any hole already formed, or of some other situation convenient for that purpose. Of this last description a species of the genus Anthi diune has afforded a remarkable instance. This bee is nearly the size of the Hive-Bee, but is broader in proportion, and is easily distinguished from all the hitherto-discovered British species, by having a series of bright yellow spots on each side of the abdomen. A female of this species has been known to build her nest in the lock of a garden gate. The nest consists of a number of cells formed of down collected from the Anemone sylvestris, and probably from other woolly-leaved plants, scraped off by the bee with its jaws.