542 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



posterior and straight lateral borders. Eyes large, their long diameter 

 nearly equal to the distance between their anterior border and the 

 anterior border of the head. Clypeus strongly carinate, its anterior 

 border entire and projecting, feebly angular or rounded. Antennae 

 rather slender, scapes scarcely thickened at their tips; first funicular 

 joint a little shorter than joints 2 and 3 together, which are subequal; 

 joints 2-4 more slender but not longer than the penultimate joints. 

 Thorax rather slender, pro- and mesonotum moderately convex, 

 mesoepinotal constriction moderately deep; epinotum in profile 

 with subequal base and declivity, both rather straight in profile and 

 forming a rounded but distinct obtuse angle with each other. Petiole 

 narrow, not very thick at the base, its anterior surface somewhat 

 convex, the posterior more flattened, the border rather sharp, seen 

 from behind rounded and entire or feebly notched in the middle. 

 Gaster small. Legs rather slender. 



Mandibles and clypeus very finely longitudinally striated, the former 

 subopaque, the latter and the remainder of the body very shining, 

 the head, thorax, and gaster distinctly smoother than in neogagates, 

 the shagreening of the surface being extremely delicate. 



Hairs and pubescence yellowish, very sparse, the former erect 

 and pointed, present on the clypeus, front, vertex and gula, fore coxae 

 and gaster, absent on the thorax and petiole. The pubescence on the 

 gaster is distinct but very sparse, much shorter and denser on the 

 epinotum, legs, and scapes; scarcely perceptible on the head. 



Thorax, petiole, legs, and antennae brownish yellow; head, tips 

 of antennal funiculi and gaster dark brown; anterior half of head, 

 including clypeus and mandibles paler and more reddish. Pro- and 

 mesonotum often clouded with fuscous above. 



Type locality. — Colorado: Florissant, 8,100 ft. (Wheeler). 



Colorado: Ute, Cheyenne Canyon near Colorado Springs (Wheeler). 



New Mexico: Las Vegas (Wheeler). 



This species is readily distinguished from neogagates and small 

 workers of subpolita by its much larger eyes, smoother and more shin- 

 ing surface, the sparseness of the hairs on the head and gaster, and their 

 absence on the thorax. The last character, however, is not invariable, 

 for one series of specimens from Cheyenne Canyon has a very few hairs 

 on the mesonotum and posterior border of the epinotum. The speci- 

 mens from Las Vegas are darker and colored more like neogagates. 

 F. limata forms small colonies which nest under stones or in crater- 

 nests on dry, stony slopes fully exposed to the sun. 



