460 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Host. Unknown; probably one of the subalpine varieties of F. 

 Jusca. 



Type locality. — Colorado: Woodland Park, Ute Pass, 8,500 ft. 

 (Wheeled). 



Colorado: Buena Vista, Boulder, Wild Horse, Salida, Florissant 

 (Wheeler). 



New Mexico: Embudo (T. D. A. Cockerell). 



The female of this species is readily distinguished from the female of 

 criniventris and ciliata by its pilosity and from the females of all the 

 other species described above by its color and the erect hairs on the 

 antennal scapes. This last character also enables one to separate 

 the worker from the very similar workers of all the foregoing species 

 of the rufa group. 



There can be little doubt that this ant is a temporary parasite on 

 some form of F. fusca. The nests which I saw in the localities re- 

 corded above during the summer of 1903 and 1906 were not abundant 

 but were very populous. They were established in open, sunny places, 

 under stones, the edges of which were heavily banked with vegetable 

 detritus. 



48. F. OREAS Wheeler var. comptula, var. nov. 



Worker. Length 3-7 mm. 



Differing from the worker of the tjq^ical oreas in color and pilosity. 

 The red portions of the body are darker and less yellowish, the gaster 

 blacker, the legs dark brown, or nearly black, with red articulations. 

 In small workers the vertex, upper surface of thorax and petiole are 

 rather heavily infuscated. The erect hairs on all parts of the body, 

 especially on the head, are somewhat more abundant; the hairs on the 

 gaster though very numerous are only half as long as in oreas, and as 

 the pubescence is shorter and sparser on this region, it appears blacker 

 and less glaucous. 



Female (dealated). 7.5-8 mm. 



Differing from the female of the typical oreas in having the white 

 hairs covering the body, scapes, and legs conspicuously more abundant 

 and somewhat coarser. On the legs and scapes the hairs are more 

 erect, and they are very dense on the epinotum, petiole, and upper 

 surface of the gaster. 



Described from two females and ten workers taken by Mr. Wm. M. 

 Mann from a large colony at Pullman, Washington. Mr. Mann has 

 also taken workers and females of this variety at Elkhorn, Montana. 



