536 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Subgenus PROFORMICA Ruzsky. 



117. F. (P.) neogagates neogagates Emery. 



F.fusca var. gagates Mayr, Verh. Zool. bot. ver. Wien, 1886, 36, p. 426, S . 



F. gagates var. subpoKta Dalla Torre, Catalog. Hymen., 1893, 7, p. 199. 



F. fusca subpolita var. neogagates Emery, Zool. jahrb. Syst., 1893, 7, p. 661, 



^96"; Wheeler, Bull. Amer. mus. nat. hist., 1904, 20, p. 306; Occas. 



papers Bost. soc. nat. hist., 1906, 7, no. 7, p. 21; Forel, Ann. Soc. ent. Belg., 



1904, 48, p. 153. 

 F.fusca subpolita Wheeler, Bull. Amer. mus. nat. hist., 1906, 22, p. 345. 



Worker. Length 2.5-5.5 mm. 



Head even in the largest workers longer than broad, distinctly 

 narrower in front than behind, with very feebly convex cheeks and 

 posterior border and broadly rounded posterior angles. Eyes rather 

 small, but convex, their long axes decidedly shorter than the distance 

 between their anterior border and the anterior corners of the head. 

 Clypeus sharply carinate, its anterior border angularly produced in 

 the middle. Antennae rather slender, scapes but slightly enlarged 

 towards their tips; first funicular joint as long as the two succeeding 

 joints together; these two joints subequal and each slightly shorter 

 than the penultimate joints. Maxillary palpi moderately long. 

 Frontal carinae not abbreviated, scarcely diverging behind. Thorax 

 slender, pro- and mesonotum moderately convex, mesoepinotal constric- 

 tion moderately deep, epinotum with subequal base and declivity, 

 usually rounded, without distinct base and declivity but in some 

 specimens more angular. Petiole narrow, with convex anterior and 

 flat posterior surface and rather blunt border, which is entire and 

 rounded when seen from behind. Gaster small; legs slender. 



Surface of body smooth and shining, very finely and superficially 

 shagreened. Mandibles and clypeus very finely and densely, longi- 

 tudinally striated. In the largest workers the anterior half of the 

 head and the thorax may be subopaque. Frontal area smooth and 

 usually shining. 



Hairs white, delicate, erect, rather blunt, abundant and moderately 

 long, present on the upper surface of the head, the gula, whole upper 

 surface of thorax, petiole, and gaster. Pubescence white, very sparse 

 but long and distinct on the gaster and legs, and often also on the head 

 and thorax; very fine and dense on the antennal scapes. 



Black or very dark brown, the thorax and petiole often more or less 

 piceous or reddish brown, with paler sutures; the head and gaster 

 usually with bronzy reflections; mandibles, antennae, legs, and some- 

 times also the cheeks and clypeus red; femora sometimes infuscated 

 in the middle. 



Female. Length 6-8 mm. 



