436 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology, 



86. Pheidole (Pheidolc) biconstricta subsp. burtoni, subsp. nov. 



Plate 3, fig. 24. 



Soldier. Length 6 mm. 



Head, excluding mandibles, a little longer than broad, much nar- 

 rowed in front, with convex sides, narrowly rounded occipital corners 

 and deeply and narrowly excised posterior border. Mandibles thick, 

 the blade with five short, very blunt teeth and a large subapical tooth. 

 Clypeus rather flat, feebly carinate; anterior border strongly excised 

 at middle. Frontal area large, triangular, impressed. Frontal cari- 

 nae a third as long as antennal scapes. Antennal scapes broadly 

 rounded at base, somewhat thickened apically, extending less than 

 half the distance from the eyes to posterior corners of head. Club 

 as long as the remainder of funiculus ; funicular joints 2-7 as long as 

 broad. Eyes small, convex, located at sides of anterior third of head. 

 Pronotum similar to that of P. biconstricta, but the corners are some- 

 what more angulate. Mesonotum slightly convex above, with feeble 

 transverse impression posteriorly. Base of epinotum much less im- 

 pressed than in P. biconstricta. Petiolar node and postpetiole 

 broader than long; the latter conical at sides. 



Subopaque, except the occipital corners, mandibles, and clypeus, 

 which are shining. Mandibles strongly striate at base and regularly 

 punctate throughout. Head coarsely shagreened, coarsely longi- 

 tudinally rugose between the frontal carinae. Vertex and occiput 

 wnth foveolate punctures. Thorax and abdomen shagreened, the 

 gaster more shallowly than the rest. Legs finely punctate. Each 

 of the foveolate punctures on the head bears a short, stiff, recumbent 

 hair. Body, antennae, and legs throughout with long, stiff pile. 



Head, posterior portion of pronotum, and epinotum piceous; mandi- 

 bles and clypeus red, the rest castaneous, the gaster distinctly lighter 

 than the other parts. 



Described from a single soldier taken at Porto Velho. The sculpture 

 of the head is very different from the other forms of P. biconstricta 

 and the transverse mesothoracic impression is broader and more 

 shallow. 



87. Pheidole {Pheidole) fallax Mayr subsp. emiliae Forel. 

 Several soldiers and workers were taken at Alanaos. 



