Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/272

268 The larvæ and pupæ do not differ materially from those of other bees. When the former assumes the pupa it is placed in its cell with the head downwards—a very wise precaution, for thus it is prevented, when it has attained its perfect state, and is eager to emerge into day, from making its way out upwards, and disturbing the tenants of the superincumbent cells, who being of later date each than its neighbour below stairs, are not yet quite ready to go into public."

XYLOCOPA TEREDO. XXI. Fig. 1, Male,—Fig. 2, Female. Xylocopa Teredo, Linn. Trans. XIV. p. 314. a knowledge of the habits and sexual distinctions of this species we are indebted to the assiduous and indefatigable Lansdowne Guilding, whose account was published in the fourteenth volume of the Linnæan Society's Transactions. It does not differ much in its economy from the species last described. It takes up its abode in dead trunks of trees, piercing into the interior in a horizontal direction, and then forming longitudinal excavations. Its little nests are very numerous, and placed without any order. Beginning at the bottom, the female fills each little cell with pollen, mixed with honey, and deposits an egg in it. The larva which proceeds from this egg is apodal, naked, and whitish, much attenuated towards the head, which is very small, and of an ochreous yellow colour; the mandibles rust-red, the spiracles likewise red. The pupa is ochre-yellow, the thorax anteriorly armed with two spines. The dissimilarity of the sexes is so great, as to