263
BEES FROM THE HIGH LANDS OF NEW SOUTH WALES AND VICTORIA.
By Tarlton Rayment.
(Plates xxiii. and xxiv.)
For several years small collections of bees have been coming to hand
from various localities in the mountainous portions of New South Wales..
The Apidae of these high lands have not hitherto received much attention,
consequently, it is of interest to receive not only new species, but also forms
varying at the higher altitudes from the types. The distribution of some
of the species is remarkable, since the Stenotritus is identical with one
described from Rottnest Island, W.A.
A surprising amount of material has been gathered by John Hardcastle,
White Swamp, Macpherson Range. Wilson's Peak, on the borderline of
Queensland, rises 4,500 ft. above sea level. He was fortunate enough to
discover the nidus, hitherto unknown, of Meroglossa and Allodapula, and
the complete life-histories of these, and several other bees, are awaiting
publication.
Another correspondent, Phillip Whiteley, Orange, Western Slopes, made
several ascents of Mount Canobolas, which is twelve miles from Orange,
and rises to 4,610 ft. He discovered the nidus of Euryglossimorpha, hitherto
unknown, and the biology of this bee is awaiting publication; the difficulty
is finding suitable media to accept such papers.
The other records have been made by either myself or the persons
whose names are included in the notes; a number came from the Gosford
district, which includes Woy Woy. Although I visited these places several
times I was not very successful in collecting owing to the dryness of the
season.
The work on the Australian bees is being assisted by a grant from the
Trustees of the* Commonwealth Science and Industry Endowment Fund.
Order Hymenoptera.
Suborder Heterophaga.
Division Colletiformes.
Superfamily Apoidae.
Family Hylaeidae.
Hylaeus arnoldi, sp. nov.
Female: Length, 10 mm. approx. Black, yellow markings.
Head transverse, oily-bright; face-marks limited to one minute yellow
spot at apex of supraclypeal area; frons with a fine carina reaching the
median ocellus, closely punctured; clypeus and supraclypeal area finely
aciculate, with a few scattered shallow punctures; vertex roundly developed,
closely punctured, a few white hairs; compound eyes black, reniform, con-
verging below; genae minutely lineate, with close puncturing; a distinct
malar space; labrum black, with a median circular elevation; mandibulae
short, stout, obscurely brown; glossa broad and short; antennae with black
scapes, flagellum amber beneath.
Prothorax black, more minutely punctured; tubercles large, convex,
chrome-yellow, a fringe of white hair, a crescentic dusky mark at apex;
mesothorax bright, minutely tessellate, with close coarse puncturing, and
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