MANN: ANTS OF THE BRITISH SOLOMON ISLANDS. 293 



19. Cryptopone mayri, sp. nov. 



Worker. Length 2.5-2.75 mm. 



Head a little longer than broad, slightly narrowed in front, with moderately 

 convex sides, broadly rounded occipital corners and shallowly concave border. 

 Base of cl5qDeus carinate at middle, anterior border feebly rounded. Front 

 with an acute median carina. Mandibular blades with five stout triangular 

 teeth. Antennae stout, their scapes thickened distally, extending nearly 

 four fifths the distance to occipital corners; club distinctly longer than re- 

 mainder of funiculus, middle joints strongly transverse; terminal joint longer 

 than the two preceding joints together. Eyes absent. Prothorax slightly 

 convex above, submargined in front and at sides. Mesothorax flattened, 

 transverse. Promesonotal and mesoepinotal sutures distinctly impressed. 

 Base of epinotum flat, about as long as the declivity, which is flat and margined 

 above at sides. Petiolar node thick, two thirds as long as high, anterior sur- 

 face slightly concave, and narrowly margined at sides; upper surface broadly 

 rounded; posterior sm-face rather flat, evenly rounding into the dorsal surface. 

 Gaster long and slender. 



Mandibles shining, sparsely punctate. Head, prothorax, and antennae 

 densely punctate and opaque. Mesothorax, epinotmn, gaster, and legs 

 equally densely but more shallowly punctate and somewhat shining. 



Pruinose pubescence and sparse erect pile on head and body. 



Yellowish brown; head fuscous. 



Female. Length 3 mm. 



Similar to worker. Eyes large and flat, situated at a distance equal to half 

 their length from front of head. Ocelli small. Wings (length 3 mm.) strongly 

 infuscated. 



Ysabel: Fulakora (Type-locaUty). L"gi: Pawa. San Cristoval: 

 Wai-ai, Wainoni Bay, Pamua. 



Occurs in small colonies beneath stones. In the absence of eyes 

 C. mayri is distinct from the three described Papuasian species and 

 more closely related to iestacea Motsch. from Ceylon. It differs from 

 that species in having the head longer, with the sides much less con- 

 vex, judging from Emery's figure (Ann. Soc. ent. France, 1893, 62, 

 pi. 6, fig. 3). Type. — M. C. Z. 9,156. 



C. fusciceps Emer}', besides having distinct though minute eyes, is 

 smaller in size, but is otherwise similar in habitus to mayri, and evi- 

 dently resembles the following variety. 



