British Bees / An Introduction into the Studies of the Natural History and Economy of the Bees Indigenous to the British Isles

by William Edward Shuckard

Our own species occur throughout France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, and one of them has also been sent from Oran. The genus is small, and may have been overlooked in other countries, although its appearance is sufficiently distinct and marked to have caught the eye. It is as lithe and active as a Malay, as black as a negro, and as hairy as a gorilla, looking like a little ursine sweep.

The genus Eucera, of which we have but one representative, although considerably more than fifty species are known, has not so wide a range as might be expected from their numbers. Our own is found throughout Europe and in Algeria. Other species occur in Russia, the Morea, Albania, Dalmatia, and Egypt. In Asia some are found in Syria, and at Bagdad; and from the New World they have been sent from Cayenne and the United States.

The genus Anthophora, to which the genus Saropoda is very closely allied,—so closely, indeed, that by the celebrated hymenopterologist Le Pelletier de St. Fargeau the species of both are incorporated together,—has, even as now restricted, a world-wide dissemination, and numbers nearly a hundred and fifty species. Several of our own occur throughout France and Italy and the whole of northern Europe, and even among the Esquimaux in the arctic regions, showing that a bridal bouquet may be gathered even there; for where bees are flowers must abound.

The genus in other species shows itself in the south of Europe, viz. in Spain, Sicily, the Morea, and Dalmatia; by way of Syria and Arabia Felix it passes down to Egypt and occurs in Nubia and also in Algeria. It dots the western coast of Africa at Senegal and Guinea, and has been discovered in the Canaries, and again makes its appearance at the Cape of Good Hope, rounding it to Natal. It travels round the peninsula of India, being found at Bombay, in Bengal, and in the island of Ceylon, and passes onward by way of Hongkong to northern China, where, dipping to the Philippines, it next occurs in Australia. In the New World it is found on its western side at Chili, and traverses that continent to Paraguay and Pará, and has been sent from the West India Islands of Cuba, St. Domingo, and Guadaloupe. From Mexico, where we next find it, it passes to Indiana, and occurs throughout the United States, and thus completes its progress round the world. About one hundred and thirty are known.

The genus Saropoda is closely allied to Anthophora, as closely as Heriades is to Chelostoma, and is very limited in numbers, ten only being known, and but one of which is native with us. The genus occurs throughout France and Germany, and has been sent from Russia, Egypt, South Africa, and Australia, thus having a very wide range notwithstanding the paucity of its species.

The very pretty genus Ceratina, although numbering but few species,—fewer than thirty,—and although not found in Australasia, is widely scattered throughout the Old and the New Worlds. Our own species inhabits as far north as Russia. Other species occur throughout France, and in the south of Europe, and show themselves in the Morea, and in Albania. North, South, and Western Africa possess the genus, it being found in Algeria and at the Cape of Good Hope, and in the intervening district of Senegal. It has been brought from Ceylon and Bengal, and also from the north of India. It reaches China by way of Java and Hongkong: and in the New World has been found in the Brazils and Cayenne, in the Southern, and throughout the United States in the Northern continent.

The genus Nomada is the first of the genuine parasitical bees, and about the habits of which no doubt can be entertained; certainly not the same as attaches both to Hylæus and Sphecodes, among the Andrenidæ. The parasitical habits of Nomada are evident and unmistakable. This is the handsomest genus, in variety of colour and elegance of form, of all our native bees, but the species are never conspicuous for size. They have much of the appearance of wasps, and are often mistaken for them even by entomologists, who have not paid attention to bees. Many of our native species seem limited to our own islands: others of our species occur in France and Germany, and through Denmark in direct line to Lapland, turning down into Russia, and have been caught as far south as Albania. One of our species, or so like as to want distinguishing characteristics, is found in Canada. Did ours migrate there? and how? The genus is of wide distribution, but occurs only north of the Equator, where it spreads from Portugal to the Philippine Islands. It is found in Siberia and Northern China, whence through the Philippines it passes to Tranquebar, then up to Northern India, and thence by Bagdad to the Morea and Albania, and dips down to Northern Africa at Tunis, and on to Oran and Tangiers, and completes its circuit in Portugal. It is doubtless parasitical upon many more genera and species than we find it infest in this country, although all that the several species pair off with here are not fully designated, especially among the Andrenæ, and smaller Halicti. The number of species, British and foreign, known to collectors approximate to a hundred.

The genus Melecta is another handsome parasitical insect. This is always a dark beauty, and is very limited in species, for, as far as they may be estimated from the contents of collections, its numbers do not reach twenty. Our own species occur throughout the whole of Europe, north and south. Others are found in Sicily, Albania, the Morea, and show themselves at Bagdad. The genus has been sent from the Canaries, and crosses the tropics into Chili, but does not seem to have occurred elsewhere in either North or South America, although one of the genera (Eucera) on which, with us, it is parasitical, is found in the latter country, and the other genus (Anthophora), which it also infests, is found throughout the world, excepting in Australasia. In all those countries, the closely-allied exotic genus Crocisa, which is very numerous in species, may supply its place.

The elegant genus Epeolus occurs in our own species throughout northern Europe, as high as Lapland, and is found also at the southern extremity of the continent of the Old World, at the Cape of Good Hope. It has been brought from Sicily, and other species come from Siberia. The genus in America passes down from the United States, by way of Mexico, to the Brazils, where it crosses the southern continent, having been transmitted from Chili. It is very limited in the number of its species, considering its wide diffusion, for not more than twenty are registered. It is almost identical in distribution with the genus Colletes, upon which it is with us parasitical. The species are never so large as those of the preceding genus, Melecta.

The genus Stelis is limited both in number of species and distribution, although the spots whence it has come are wide apart. Our own species are found throughout France and northern Europe, as far as Finland. Other species occur in North America, and the Brazils, but the whole number yet described is under ten.