wheeler: ants of the genus formica. 495 



with entire, rounded, projecting anterior border. Frontal carinae 

 moderately diverging behind. Antennae rather slender, the scapes 

 slightly thickened towards their tips, the basal joints of the funiculus 

 scarcely longer and but little more slender than the penultimate joints. 

 Maxillary palpi moderately long. Thorax narrow; pro- and mesono- 

 tum but slightly convex, rather depressed above; mesoepinotal con- 

 striction shallow; epinotum with subequal base and declivity, both 

 straight in profile, the former horizontal, the latter sloping, meeting 

 at a distinct but obtuse angle. Petiole narrow, cuneate in profile, 

 with convex anterior and flattened posterior surface, its border rather 

 sharp, entire and broadly rounded when seen from behind. Gaster 

 small, legs rather slender. 



Subopaque and ver^^ finely and sharply shagreened; mandibles 

 coarsely striatopunctate; clypeus finely longitudinally striate. Fron- 

 tal area subopaque, only the sutures surrounding it shining. 



Hairs and pubescence whitish, the former short, erect, very sparse, 

 confined to the upper surface of the head, thorax and gaster, coxae 

 and venter. Eyes hairless. Pubescence dense on the head, thorax, 

 and gaster, longest on the gaster, giving the surface a slightly pruinose, 

 but not a silky appearance. 



Black; mandibles, scapes, basal joints of funiculi, and legs deep red, 

 femora and tibiae, except the knees, often darker. 



Female. Length 7-10 mm. 



Smaller than the females of rufa, but the gaster proportionally 

 larger and more elliptical. Thorax broader than the head, which, 

 excluding the mandibles, is as broad as long. Petiole compressed 

 anteroposteriorly and broader than in the worker. Wings long. 



Sculpture, pilosity, and color much as in the worker, except that the 

 gaster is very smooth and shining, with much more dilute pubescence. 

 Wings nearly colorless or very slightly yellowish; stigma brown. 



Male. Length 8-10 mm. 



Body slender. Mandibles narrow, pointed, often, if not always, 

 denticulate. Head broad behind and considerably narrowed in front, 

 with large eyes, straight posterior border and cheeks and rounded pos- 

 terior corners. Clypeus convex, bluntly carinate. Thorax broader 

 than the head. Petiole transverse, somewhat compressed anteropos- 

 teriorly towards the superior border, which is blunt and, seen from 

 behind, with a broad and very shallow median excision. Gaster 

 rather long and narrow. Stipes but little longer than the volsellae 

 and sagittae. 



Head and thorax, including the mandibles and frontal area, sub- 

 opaque. Gaster distinctly shining. 



Hairs and pubescence much as in the worker, the former absent 

 on the upper surface of the gaster. "Eyes hairless. 



Black; gaster often more brownish; scapes and tips of mandibles 



