154 w - M - WHEELER AND J. F. McCLENDON. 



this genus to subgeneric rank under Lasins, where it is still 

 used to include those species which have 3- instead of 6-jointed 

 maxillary palpi. Mayr redescribed ('66, p. 889) the /9-female 

 from a defective specimen from Wisconsin, and says that he was 

 at first tempted to place it in a new genus on account of its re- 

 markable appearance. That he refrained from doing this is evi- 

 dence of his keen taxonomic insight. Later writers, like Emery 

 ('93> P- 63$), have included the /3-female in the table of Lasius 

 species as distinguishable from all other females by having "the 

 hind tarsus shorter than the much flattened tibia." The dis- 

 covery of the tt-female, which has the hind tarsus longer and the 

 tibia much less dilated, makes it more difficult to recognize the 

 species. This has induced us to make a closer study of L. latipes 

 and of the allied claviger in all the sexual phases. 



Comparison shows that the a-female is almost intermediate be- 

 tween the p'-female and the female of claviger. This is clearly 

 shown in the figures, in the table of measurements on p. 153, 

 drawn up by the junior author, and in the two-column statement 

 of the principal differences between the - and /3-females, as com- 

 pared with the female of L. claviger as a standard : 



-female of Lasius latipes. ,^-female of Lasius latipes. 



1. Dark brown, like L. clavi- I. Fulvous red, in one nest 

 g:r 9. (No. 5) dark brown like the 



-female. 



2. A little more pilose and 2. Much more pilose and 

 pubescent than L. claviger $. pubescent. 



3. A little larger. 3. Considerably larger and 



longer. 



4. Thorax longer in proper- 4. Thorax much longer in 

 tion to the gaster. proportion to the gaster. 



5. Mesonotum and scutel- 5. Mesonotum and scutel- 

 lum as in claviger $. lum flatter. 



6. Petiole thicker, higher and 6. Petiole considerably thick- 

 more rounded above than in er, higher and more rounded 

 claviger 9. above. 



7. Mandibles similar to those 7. Mandibles with fewer 

 of claviger $ . teeth than in claviger ? (Fig. 3 C). 



