NOTES ON EPEOLUS 
(HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA, APIDAE) 
BY 
J. P. VAN LITH 
Rotterdam 
A. The Epeolus tarsalis group 
In this paper special attention has been given to the forms of Epeohts Latr. 
which belong to the sibiricus-groap of Bischof f (1930), then consisting of the 
species Sibiriens Rad., tarsalis Mor. and praeustus Per. 
Bischoff was the first to draw attention to the peculiar shape of the frontal 
area in this group. The longitudinal carina between the eyes is enlarged laterally 
and these enlargements partly cover the insertions of the antennae. He also 
remarked that the only male he then knew — a tarsalis Mor. from Sarepta — had 
no long hairs just before the margin of the last sternites. 
Pittioni (1945) called this "die Gruppe des Epeolus tarsalis Mor." and as 
tarsalis was described fourteen years earlier than sibiricus his term seems to be 
more correct. 
Since the discovery of Epeolus rozenburgensis in Holland in 1948 no further 
material of the tarsalis group seems to have been collected in other parts of 
western Europe. The specimens of this group are still very scarce and the fact 
that of some forms only one sex is known sofar, does not facilitate comparative 
studies. In his interesting paper Pittioni (1945) described what he considered 
to be the male of praeustus Perez and the female of tarsalis Mor. Unfortunately 
he had not had the opportunity to examine the type of praeustus, but based his 
description of praeustus on a female from Tyrol which Friese (1895) had 
compared with the type and declared to be similar. However, this Tyrol specimen 
is much finer and much more sparsely punctured than the type from the Pyrenees. 
During the IXth International Congress for Entomology of Amsterdam Dr. 
Berland of the Paris Museum had the kindness to show me the only female 
praeustus left in the collection of PéREZ. At that time I had already returned the 
specimens of the Vienna Museum, and therefore could not compare them with 
those, but I was able to ascertain that the puncturation of the type was only 
slightly less close than that of rozenburgensis. I am indebted to Dr. Auber, who 
is the present curator of the Paris collections of Hymenoptera, for recently making 
for me a drawing of the puncturation of the temples of the type of praeustus. This 
drawing confirmed my opinion that the specimens from Tyrol — male as well as 
female — represent a form which is clearly different from the type of PéREZ 
from the Pyrenees. 
Through intermediary of Mr. Y. Hirashima, Fukuoka (Japan), Prof. K. 
Tsuneki, Fukui (Japan), and of Mr. P. M. F. Verhoeff, Den Dolder (Nether- 
31 
32 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, afl. 1 — 2, 1956 
lands), I have now been able to study some very interesting specimens of the 
tarsalis group, originating from East Asia and Southeast Europe, which may throw 
some light on the relationship of the various forms. 
A male from Japan, which Prof. Tsuneki sent me, has a frontal area which is 
only slightly different from that of the other forms of the tarsalis group, but it 
differs in some other very important respects. Firstly there are long, backward 
curved hairs on the fourth and fifth sternites. Secondly the genital apparatus is 
different from that of the other forms, the appendices of the aedeagus being much 
shorter. A female from Japan, which does not originate from exactly the same 
locality but which undoubtedly belongs to the same species, has an almost com- 
plete white band on the anterior edge of the first tergite. 
So this is a form which in view of the shape of the frontal area must be allied 
to the other species of this group but which shows yet some important differences. 
From the key just published by Hirashima (1955) it appears that this bee must 
be identical with melectijormis Yasumatsu, which was confirmed by the examinat- 
ion of a couple which Mr. Hirashima was so kind to send to me. 
The other forms of the group which we knew sofar, are difficult to 
distinguish. As is evident from the analytical tables the material from each 
locality shows only slight differences as compared with that from other, localities. 
I have to thank Dr. M. Beier of the Vienna Museum for kindly sending me 
for examination all the specimens of the tarsalis group which are in the collections 
of that Museum and which have been studied previously by Pittioni (1945). 
I had already seen part of this material in 1948. 
Pittioni (1945, p. 146) remarked that the tarsalis group could be considered 
either as a subgenus or as a species divided into subspecies. After the study of 
melectijormis, which is a distinctly separate species, there is now more reason, 
on comparative taxonomical grounds, to suppose that all or nearly all of these 
very closely related forms {tarsalis. praeustus and rozenburgensis) are subspecies 
(geographical races) only of tarsalis. The latter was described by Morawitz in 
1873 and originates from Derbent in Transcaucasia. Presumably even Sibiriens is 
not more than a subspecies of tarsalis. However, with the very scarce material 
which we have at our disposal at the present moment it is not yet possible to say 
definitely whether the forms of Pittioni's tarsalis group are reproductively iso- 
lated or not. For a long time I have therefore been hesitating to sink praeustus and 
rozenburgensis to the subspecific rank. Finally, for practical reasons, I have 
considered it advisable not to wait until we know more about their reproductive 
isolation, if any, and their distribution, but to re-arrange the forms which we now 
know as follows. 
Epeolus sibiricus Rad. 
Ep. sibiricus Radoszkowski 1887, Hor. soc. ent. Ross., vol. 21, p. 295 ( $ $ ). 
Ep. sibiricus Bischoff 1930, Deutsche Ent. Zeitschr., Heft 1, p. 5 ( Ç ). 
Ep. sibiricus Pittioni 1945. Zeitschr. Wiener Ent. Ges., vol. 30, p. 132 ( $ £ ). 
I have not seen this species. According to Bischoff it is distinguishable by the 
extension of the red colour of the thorax and the reduction of the white markings 
J. P. van Lith : Nates on Ëpeolus 
33 
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on the abdomen. The puncturation on the foreside of the posterior femora is coarse 
and close. 
The types originate from Wladiwostok. The identity of the host has not yet 
been established with certainty, but Pittioni supposes this to be Colletés collaris 
Dours — or a closely related form — which has also been taken at Wladiwostok. 
Epeolus tarsalis tarsalis Mor. 
Ep. tarsalis Morawitz 1873, Hor. soc. ent. Ross., vol. 10, p. 182 ( $ , Derbent). 
Ep. tarsalis Friese 1895, Die Bienen Europas I, p. 190 ( $ partim). 
Ep. tarsalis Bischoff 1930, Deutsche Ent. Zeitschr., Heft 1, p. 6 ( $ , Sarepta). 
Ep. tarsalis Pittioni 1945, Zeitschr. Wiener Ent. Ges., vol. 30, p. 133 (partim). 
A male from Derbent (Transcaucasia) in the Vienna Museum is labelled 
"Epeolus tarsalis $ F. Moraw. var." in the same handwriting as the locality label. 
The puncturation of the temples, front and foreside of the posterior femora is 
close, like that of rozenburgensis from Holland. The puncturation of the second 
sternite is somewhat less close than in rozenburgensis, also on the margin. The 
puncturation of the tegulae is somewhat finer than in the other forms of this 
group. 
A male from Middle Korea (Shoyo-Zan, 10. IX. 1943) is still more closely 
punctured on the temples and on the foreside of the posterior femora and also 
on the second sternite and the margin thereof. The yellowish-grey pubescence of 
the head and thorax seems to be somewhat more dense than in the other forms. 
The long hairs on the basis of the last sternites are golden. 
A male from Japan (Mt. Yufu, Aso-Kyushu, 2.X.1932), leg. K. Tsuneki, 
differs from the preceding two males in having a fairly widespread puncturation 
of the temples. The last sternites (4, 5 and 6), especially the margins thereof, 
are yellowish and the long hairs on the basis of the sixth sternite are very light 
golden. The puncturation of the tegulae is as coarse as in rozenburgensis, with 
shining interstices on the anterior half. 
I wonder whether this is the male which Hirashima has described as himu- 
kanus (1950, p. 40). As Hirashima's male has no apical fringes of curved hairs 
on the sternites it is very likely that his species is indeed a subspecies of tarsalis 
Mor. 
Bischoff (1930) records a male from Sarepta with large and shining interstices 
on the foreside of the posterior femora (as compared with sibiricus). Perhaps this 
is also a separate subspecies. 
Epeolus tarsalis subsp. 
A female from Moravia (Moravia Mer., Hovorany, 5. IX. 1941, leg. Zavadil, 
coll. Verhoeff) has an entirely black scutellum. There is a broadly interrupted 
white line on part of the margin of the fourth tergite and a very vague spot on 
each side thereof. This might be the opposite sex of the tarsalis tarsalis Morawitz. 
It will be better, however, to defer a definite conclusion until we have more 
material from this locality. 
36 
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T. P. van LiTH : Notes on Epeolus 37 
Epeolus tarsalis praeustus Perez 
Ep. praeustus Pérez, 1883, Act. soc. Linn. Bord., vol. 37, p. 324 ( 9 Eaux-Bonnes, Py- 
renees). 
Ep. praeustus Friese, 1895, Die Bienen Europas I, p. 194 ( 9 , partim). 
Ep. praeustus Pittioni, 1945, Zeitschr. Wiener Ent. Ges., vol. 30, p. 138 (partim). 
Of the three females taken at Eaux-Bonnes only one female is left in the Paris 
Museum. This is more closely punctured on the foreside of the posterior femora 
than tirolensis and the tarsalis subsp. from Mongolia and Austria. The punctur- 
ation is somewhat less close, however, than in rozenburgensis and resembles that 
of the female from Moravia. The tubercles of the scutellum are somewhat reddish. 
There are four white markings on the fourth tergite. The puncturation of the 
temples is somewhat less close than in the Moravian female. 
The host is Colletés frigid us Perez. 
Epeolus tarsalis rozenburgensis van Lith 
Ep. rozenburgensis van Lith, 1949, Tijdschr. Entom., vol. 91, P- 105. 
The female is different from the other females which have closely punctured 
femora in having only two white spots on the fourth tergite. The scutellum is 
entirely or nearly entirely red whilst the axillae are black or partly black and only 
seldom entirely red. The puncturation of the second sternite is more close than in 
the other forms. 
The male of rozenburgensis is the only male I know sofar which has the long 
hairs on the basis of the last sternites dark brown. In the other males — in the 
tarsalis tarsalis from Derbent they are not visible — these hairs are golden. The 
tegulae are more coarsely punctured than in the tarsalis tarsalis from Derbent. 
All specimens have been taken at Hook of Holland in August-September during 
the years 1948-1952 in or near a colony of Colletés succincta halophila Verhoeff. 
Epeolus tarsalis subsp. 
Ep. tarsalis Friese 1895, Die Bienen Europas I, p. 190 ( $ ). 
Ep. tarsalis Pittioni 1945, Zeitschr. Wiener Ent. Ges., vol. '30, p. 133 (partim). 
The couple from Northern Mongolia and perhaps also the males from Weiden 
(Neusiedlersee, Austria) and the female from Bisamberg (near Vienna, Austria) 
Figs. 1 — 10. Puncturation of the lower half of the foreside of the posterior femora; rest of 
the puncturation omitted. 1, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., 9 , Northern Mongolia. 2, idem, $ . 
3, Epeolus tarsalis rozenburgensis van Lith, 2 , Holland ("De Beer", Rozenburg). 4, idem, 
$ . 5, Epeolus tarsalis tirolensis subsp., nov., 9 , Tyrol. 6. idem, $ . 7, Epeolus tarsalis 
subsp., 2 , Moravia (Hovorany). 8, Epeolus tarsalis tarsalis Mor., $ , Transcaucasia (Der- 
bent). 9, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., $ , Middle Korea. 10, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., $ , Japan. 
Figs. 11 — 18. Puncturation on two places behind the eyes of: 11, Epeolus tarsalis rozen- 
burgensis van Lith ( $ and 9 ) and Epeolus tarsalis tarsalis Mor. $ . 12, Epeolus tarsalis 
tirolensis subsp. nov., $ . 13, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., $ and 9 , Northern Mongolia. 
14, Epeolus tarsalis tirolensis subsp. nov., 9 . 15, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., 9 , Moravia. 
16, Epeolus tarsalis praeustus Perez, 9 , Pyrenees (copied from a drawing received from 
Aiiber). 17, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., $ , Middle Korea. 18, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., $, 
Japan. 
38 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, afl. 1 — 2, 1956 
are a form, or perhaps two forms, intermediate between rozenburgensis and 
tirolensis. 
In the Mongolian female the legs are orange-red including the trochanters. 
Shoulders, tegulae, scutellum and axillae are red. The female from Bisamberg is 
less red-coloured; the shoulders are reddish only, not fully red and of the scutel- 
lum the tubercles only are reddish. The Mongolian female has two white spots 
on the margin of the fourth tergite, whereas the Bisamberg female has four spots, 
the outer two being small. 
Northern Mongolia, 1892, leg. Leder, $ and 9 , coll. Naturhistorisches Mu- 
seum, Vienna; Weiden (Neusiedlersee) 1. IX. 193 5, S , leg. Pittioni, coll. British 
Museum, London, Sept. 1940, $ , coll. Bischoff; Bisamberg (Vienna) 30. VIII. 
1936, 9 , leg. L. Strauss, coll. British Museum, London. 
It is not unlikely that the Mongolian and Austrian forms represent two dif- 
ferent subspecies but before naming these forms we better await more material 
from these regions. 
Epeolus tarsalis tirolensis subspec. nov. 
Ep. praeustus Friese, 1895, Die Bienen Europas I, p. 194 ( 9 ■ partim). 
Ep. tarsalis Friese, 1895, I.e., p. 190 ( $ , partim). 
Ep. praeustus Friese 1926, Die Insekten Mitteleuropas, p. 110 ( 9 ). 
Ep. praeustus Bischoff, 1930, Deutsche Entom. Zeitschr., p. 6 ( 9 , Innsbruck). 
Ep. praeustus Pittioni, 1945, Zeitschr. Wiener Ent. Ges., vol. 30, p. 138 ( $ and 9 , 
partim). 
This subspecies is characterized by the very widespread puncturation of temples, 
front, foreside of posterior femora, and of the second sternite, in both sexes. 
Pittioni has given an extensive description of the male in 1945. The scutellum of 
the female is almost black. 
Holotype: 9 , St. Pauls (Tyrol), leg. Schletterer (according to Friese, 
1895), coll. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. 
Allotype: $ , Tyrol, leg. Schletterer, coll. Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna. 
I hope that in future studies of more extensive material will be possible which 
will ascertain whether the above mentioned characteristics are constant. 
Male genitalia 
Pittioni gives drawings of the genital armature of tarsalis tirolensis (praeustus 
det. Pittioni) and of the tarsalis subsp. from Weiden am Neusiedlersee in 
Austria, which drawings are copied in this paper (figs. 20 and 21, respectively). 
In figs. 19 and 22 the genitalia of the Korean tarsalis and of rozenburgensis are 
depicted. These genital armatures all agree with regard to the length of the 
appendices of the aedeagus which appendices nearly reach the end of 
the aedeagus or even equal the same in length (tarsalis subsp. from Weiden). 
All parts of the genitalia are curved downward. The two parts which constitute 
the aedeagus are united on the ventral side and the enlarged and rounded lateral 
parts of the basal half are mostly bent to each other so that they just touch. The 
J. P. van Lith : Notes on Epeolus 39 
distal half is much narrower and has the shape of a gutter which is open on the 
dorsal side. The end is flat again, except in the tarsalis from Korea. In tarsalis 
iirolensis and in tarsalis rozenburgensis the end is excavated. These parts, however, 
are very membraneous and flexible and it is therefore advisable not to attach too 
much value to the shape thereof. As a result of this membraneous nature the 
aedeagus can be either almost entirely folded or nearly unfolded. The latter 
situation seems to be the case in Pittioni's sketch of praeustus (tarsalis tirolensis). 
I have not been able to detect any conspicuous difference in the shape of the 
seventh and eighth sternites. 
The genital armature of melectiformis (fig. 23) on the whole is very similar to 
that of the other forms of the group, with the exception of the very short ap- 
pendices of the aedeagus, which make it easily distinguishable. 
B. Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu 
From the short description given by Yasumatsu in 1938 it was not clear that 
this species is so closely related to tarsalis, judging from the shape of the frontal 
carina. 
In 1955 Hirashima published a key in which he described the facial process 
as "large, prominent, remarkably projecting laterally" and also the other charact- 
eristics given by him for melectiformis correspond very well with those of the two 
specimens which I had received from Tsuneki. This similarity was confirmed 
later by the examination of the couple which Mr. Hirashima kindly sent me. 
A detailed description of the two first mentioned specimens is given for the use 
in later studies and for comparison with tarsalis. 
In both sexes the frontal area is raised and enlarged on both sides so that it 
partly covers the implantation of the antennae. Contrary to the previously mention- 
ed allied forms this frontal area is somewhat excavated and therefore, when seen 
from above, the foreside of the longitudinal carina only reaches about as far as 
the forward bent tips of the enlargements. 
Colour black; tarsi and ends of jaws reddish. The female has a narrowly 
interrupted white band on the anterior edge of the first tergite. 
The male has long, curved hairs near the apex of the fourth and fifth sternites. 
The lateral processes of the aedeagus are considerably shorter than in the other 
species of this group. 
Female. Labrum shining, very closely, coarsely and irregularly punctured, no 
smooth area near the basis. Two teeth of moderate size at a distance from the 
apex of about one quarter of the length of the labrum. A small tooth in the 
centre of the apex of the labrum. 
Clypeus closely punctured, with narrow and shining apical margin. A long- 
itudinal suture divides the clypeus in two parts each of which is somewhat con- 
vex, especially on the basal half. Front closely punctured with only a few narrow, 
shining lines near the ocelli. Between the oculi and ocelli a few shining interstices 
which are about as broad as the punctures. Vertex behind the eyes closely punct- 
ured. Temples very closely punctured, punctures often in rows, with 
narrow interstices which sometimes are nearly as broad as a puncture, but as a 
IO 
Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, all. l — 2, 1956 
Figs. 19 — 23. Male genitalia. 19, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., Korea. 20, Epeolus tarsalis tiro- 
lensis subsp. nov., Tyrol (copied from Pittioni, 1945). 21, Epeolus tarsalis subsp., Austria 
(Weiden) (copied from Pittioni, 19-15). 22, Epeolus tarsalis rozenburgensis van Lith. 
23, Epeolus melectiformis Yasumatsu. 
J. P. van Lira : Notes on Epeolm 41 
rule less than half as broad. Third segment of the antennae longer than the 
following and nearly as long as the last segment. 
Thorax coarsely punctured, especially on the anterior half, with a number of 
shining interstices which on the whole are as broad as the punctures. Tegulae 
closely and finely punctured, except the outer margin, which is very finely striated. 
Scutellum very coarsely and irregularly punctured, also on the sharp-triangular 
axillae. Postscutellum more closely, finely and regularly punctured. Area cordealis 
of the propodaeum dull, very fine - alutaceous, on the lateral parts nearly smooth. 
Around the area cordealis a shining area; the rest of the propodaeum closely 
punctured. Metapleurae coarsely and closely punctured. 
Tergites with relatively fine punctures, the somewhat depressed posterior part 
still finer, with a narrow and shining apical margin. The blunt apex of the 
pygidium is somewhat excavated and the outer margin is raised. 
The second sternite coarsely punctured, in the central part the interstices are 
somewhat larger than the punctures, punctures on the apical margin only half as 
large, near the edge still finer. Apical margin of the second and third sternite 
considerably depressed, in the middle about twice as broad as laterally. Fourth and 
fifth sternites very finely punctured. Processes of the sixth sternite with six teeth 
on the ventral margin at regular distances from each other; on the dorsal margin 
with three or four teeth which are somewhat smaller and also a few indistinct 
teeth. 
Mesosternum very coarsely and irregularly punctured. Posterior coxae shining, 
coarsely punctured, on the posterior half interstices up to twice as large as the 
punctures. Foreside of the posterior femora coarsely punctured, on the basal half a 
few shining interstices as large as the punctures, margin finer punctured. 
Colour black, tarsi and upper jaws reddish, apex of margin of second and third 
tergites transparent, horny-brownish. 
Round the outside of the implantation of the antennae half a circle of decumbent 
white hairs. Rest of the head with short and greyish pubescence. Pronotum with 
a yellowish-white band. On the thorax from the foreside two indistinct and short, 
longitudinal, yellowish-white stripes. Margin of mesonotum, mesopleurae, shoul- 
ders, lower part of scutellum and postscutellum also with yellowish-white hairs. 
Rest of thorax and scutellum with very short and black hairs. Pubescence in the 
upper corners of the propodaeum silvery. Behind the wings a tuft of long and 
yellowish-brown hairs. Foreside of the posterior coxae with a very dense and 
silvery pubescence. Back of the posterior femora with a row of long and somewhat 
curved brown hairs. Back of posterior tibiae and inside of all tarsi with short and 
erect red hairs. Outside of middle tibiae with a row of short and red bristles. Rest 
of the legs with short grey pubescence. Wings with dark margin, veins brownish 
black. 
Anterior edge of the first tergite with a white band which is narrowly inter- 
rupted; posterior margin with a broad white band, interruption in the middle as 
broad as the band. Posterior margin of the second, third and fourth tergites 
laterally with two white spots, those of the second tergite on both sides vaguely 
connected by some light hairs which are partly brown. Rest of the tergites with 
black and squamose pubescence. Fifth tergite with a lozenge-shaped patch of silver)' 
42 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, afl. 1 — 2, 1956 
pubescence, laterally a vague spot of white squamose hairs. Pygidium with short 
brown bristles pointing backward. 
Margin of the second and third sternites laterally with vague white spots. 
Fourth sternite with vague and white apical band. Margin of fifth sternite not 
visible. Rest of the sternites clothed with blackish pubescence. 
Male. Labrum shining, coarsely and closely punctured; in the centre of the basis 
a small rectangular area. Apex with small tooth in the centre. Two teeth on the 
labrum as in female. 
Clypeus and frontal area as in female, but no distinct suture. Front shining, 
coarsely punctured with small interstices which are smaller than the punctures: 
near the eyes the interstices are somewhat larger. Between oculi and ocelli there 
are very large interstices with a few very fine punctures. Vertex behind ocelli very 
closely punctured. Temples very coarsely and closely punctured, interstices smaller 
than punctures. Third segment of antennae longer than following segments. 
Thorax, scutellum, and tegulae as in female. Postscutellum and propodaeLim 
not visible. Metapleurae as in female. 
Tergites somewhat more coarsely punctured than in female, the depressed 
margin with finer punctures. Sides of the seventh tergite convergent, especially 
the basis thereof; apex rounded with a very slight emargination. 
In the centre of the second sternite the interstices are somewhat larger than the 
punctures; margin depressed as in female. Fourth sternite deeply, fifth sternite 
less deeply emarginated. The latter is also considerably depressed on the posterior 
half. Third, fourth and fifth sternites with a broad and smooth apical margin. 
Mesosternum, posterior coxae and fore-side of posterior femora as in female; distal 
part of the latter not much finer punctured. Genitalia, see fig. 23. 
Colour black, tarsi, the ends of the upper jaws and outer margin of tegulae 
reddish, the shining apices of the margins of the sternites are brownish transparent. 
Clypeus with a very dense and decumbent white pubescence, especially around 
the implantation of the antennae. On the rest of the head short and grey erect 
pubescence. Yellowish white band on pronotum, a less dense greyish pubescence 
on the anterior half of the mesonotum with two vague longitudinal stripes; margin 
of mesonotum and of shoulders and also the mesopleurae with greyish pubescence. 
Rest of the thorax and the scutellum with short and dark erect hairs. Behind the 
basis of the wings a tuft of long hairs as in female. Foreside of the posterior coxae 
with a very dense and decumbent silvery pubescence. Outside of the middle tibiae 
with a longitudinal row of short golden bristles. Posterior side of hind tibiae and 
inside of the tarsi with erect red hairs. Rest of the legs with grey hairs. 
Anterior part of first tergite with white band, apex of first and second tergites 
with broadly interrupted white band; some of the outer squamose hairs are 
brownish. Third and fourth tergites laterally with two white spots; the two on 
each side of the fourth tergite are connected. Fifth and sixth tergites with a 
narrowly interrupted apical band. Rest of the tergites with black squamose 
pubescence. 
Second and third sternites with white apical bands, that of the second is inter- 
rupted (worn?). Fourth and fifth sternites with a row of long and curved brown 
hairs before the shining margin. Basis of the fifth tergite with long light brown 
J. P. van Ljth : Notes on Epeol/n 43 
hairs. The basis of the other sternites is not visible. Sixth sternite with short 
reddish-brown hairs. 
9, 26.VIII.1954, Fukui Pref., Japan, leg. K. Tsuneki. 
S, 23.VIII.1954, Mt. Haku, Japan, leg. K. Tsuneki. 
C. Taxonomical notes on Epeohts tarsalis rozenburgensis 
Having studied a number of tarsalis rozenburgensis collected during five con- 
secutive years in or near the same colony of Collectes succincta halophila Verhoeff, 
I should like to make a few remarks on the variability of this subspecies. 
In the original description of rozenburgensis (1949) a peculiar mistake was 
made in using the term tibiae instead of femora when the puncturation of the 
latter was discussed. 
In addition to the original description it should also be mentioned that the 
long dark hairs on the basal part of the fifth and sixth sternites are also present 
on the third and fourth sternites. As a rule, however, they are not visible in dried 
specimens. 
I was not able to find much variation in the density of the puncturation of the 
femora of the second sternite and of the head. The most conspicuous variation in 
this population was in the coloration of the axillae and, to a lesser degree, also of 
the scutellum. In 19 out of 28 females the scutellum was entirely red, in the other 
nine specimens a narrow margin only on the anterior side of the scutellum was 
dark. 
In 22 of the females the axillae were entirely black, in five of them the axillae 
were half red and of one female only the axillae were nearly entirely red. 
Coloration of scutellum and axillae of 28 females 
The tegulae were red, in ten females they were somewhat darkened. 
The posterior margin of the white markings on the tergites of the female 
has a golden brownish tinge, not only of the bands on the first two tergites, as 
described in the three types, but also of the white spots on the third and fourth 
segments. The later in the season the insects have been taken, the more these 
golden brown hairs have a tendency to grow pale (dried specimens will soon 
fatten, but can easily be cleaned by a 24 hours bath in acetone). 
As one might expect, there was some variation in the size of the bees, but it is 
remarkable that there was a certain decline in the average size of the males as well 
as of the females. Although I had a relatively large number of both sexes at my 
disposal, it was not sufficient for obtaining reliable averages. Anyhow, in the 
years 1950 and 1951, when most of the specimens were taken, the decline was 
very striking. 
AA Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, afl. 1 — 2, 1956 
The available data are arranged in the following table: 
The male and the largest female of 1948 measured respectively ten and eleven 
millimetres, but as the abdomens were pulled out during preparation, I have 
reduced their measured lengths by one millimetre. 
D. Biological notes on Epeolus tandis rozenburgensis 
In 1934 I discovered a large colony of a subspecies of Colletés succinola L. on 
„De Beer", a nature reserve near Hook of Holland. In 1943 P. M. F. Verhoeff 
published a more detailed description of this subspecies and called it halophila. 
In 1937 the colony was very large. The nests were distributed over a surface of 
about 500 square metres with a density on some places of about 80 nests per 
square meter. 
During the war the site was not accessible. When I could resume my study in 
1946 it appeared that a big dike had been constructed round the island which had 
thoroughly changed the landscape and it was only in 1948 that the colony or what 
was left of is was refound. 
The first specimens of Epeolus tarsalis rozenburgensis were discovered in 1948 
J. P. van Liti i : Nut es on Epeolus 
45 
and their number seemed to grow steadily until 1950, when the greater part of 
the halophila colony had moved to a spot which was situated at a distance of 
about 50 metres from the previous site. 
In 1952 only a few hdophila were seen and there were much less Epeolus than 
in the years before. It had already struck me in 1951 that so many males of 
Epeolus were undersized. 
In 1953 and 1954 the nests of the host had fully disappeared and there was 
not any Epeolus to be found although some Colletés females were still visiting the 
flowers of Aster tripolium and undoubtedly some nests must have been in the 
neighbourhood. In 1955 I have not been able to find any hdophila or rozen- 
burgensis at all. 
I could not find an explanation for the fact that the Colletés colony disappeared 
so suddenly, but I am sure that the steadily increasing density of the vegetation 
after the construction of the dike must have been detrimental to the nesting pos- 
sibilities of Colletés whilst the growing number of rozenburgensis must also have 
undermined the forces of the Colletés colony. 
In this connection the publication of F. K. Stöckhert (1950) should be 
mentioned. In this paper the author discusses the increasing number of Crocisa 
scutellaris F. in a colony of Anthophora Borealis Mor. during a period of about 
forty years, which resulted in the extinction of the host as well as of the cuckoo 
bee. 
In their behaviour the Epeolus tarsali s rozenburgensis made a very lazy im- 
pression. They could easily be picked from the flowers, which was partly due to 
the cold and strong wind which was sometimes blowing during sunny weather. 
I never saw them at a long distance from the colony except in one case when I 
took a female rozenburgensis on the flowers of Aster tripolium L., where the 
females of halophila collected their food south of the dike. Most of the other 
specimens were taken on the flowers of Cirsium arvense Scop., but they also 
visited Senecio jacobaea L., a Sonchus sp. and low yellow composites. Once only 
I found a male on the flower of a Pulicaria sp. 
The bees were most abundant during the last days of August and the first week 
of September. The following table gives the dates of captures. As will be under- 
stood this table can only give a very incomplete idea of their appearance, the 
excursions being restricted to the week-ends. 
(6 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, deel 99, ail. 1 — 2, 1936 
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