wheeler: ants of the genus formica. 455 



ners, feebly excavated posterior margin, and slightly convex sides. 

 Eyes large. Mandibles 8-toothed. Clypeus carinate, with broadly 

 rounded, entire anterior border, not projecting in the middle. Frontal 

 area subsemicircular, broader than long. Antennal scapes straight 

 at the base, slightly enlarging distally; funicular joints 1-4 somewhat 

 more slender than the remaining joints. Palpi short. Thorax as 

 usual in the rufa group of Formica, epinotum angular in profile, with 

 subequal base and declivity, the former horizontal and slightly convex, 

 the latter sloping and slightly concave. - Petiole as high as the epino- 

 tum, in profile attenuated above, with rather sharp border; seen from 

 behind rounded or more often produced upward in the middle in the 

 form of a blunt point; anterior surface convex, posterior surface flat. 

 Gaster rather large, legs of the usual configuration. 



Subopaque, slightly glossy; corners of head somewhat shining; 

 whole body finely and densely shagreened; frontal area, bases of 

 mandibles and corners of clypeus glabrous; mandibles finely and 

 densely striated. 



Hairs yellow, short and suberect, sparse on the head, thorax, and 

 petiole, more abundant and obtuse on the gaster, absent on the anten- 

 nal scapes, present on the gula and in a single row on the flexor sur- 

 faces of the femora and tibiae, scattered on the fore coxae, long on the 

 venter, and tip of gaster. Eyes hairless. Pubescence long, grayish, 

 sparse on the head, thorax, and petiole, dense on the gaster, where it 

 completely conceals the surface; somewhat conspicuous on the legs. 



Yellowish red ; gaster blackish brown, except a large spot at the base 

 and the anal region, which are reddish or yellowish. Mandibles, 

 corners of clypeus, antennae, and legs reddish brown ; bases of scapes 

 often paler; pro- and mesonotum each with a fuscous spot, pale or 

 absent in the largest, somewhat larger and darker in the smallest 

 workers; apical half of petiolar node more or less infuscated. Small 

 workers also with brown or black spots on the clypeus, front, occiput, 

 and epinotum and with the coxae more or less infuscated. Mandibu- 

 lar teeth black. 



Female. Length 7.5-8 mm. 



Resembling the female ciliata in form. Whole body much more 

 shining than that of the worker as the shagreening of its surface is 

 much more delicate ; scutellum and metanotum glabrous. Pubescence 

 like that of the worker, but longer; pilosity grayish, resembling that 

 of the female ciliata but less dense, and the very long hairs on the gaster 

 are slender, less appressed, rather straight, and not recurved at their 

 tips. Color of the body dull brownish yellow, gaster blackish brown, 

 except its base and anal region. Mandibles, funiculi, comers of cly- 

 peus, anterior borders of cheeks, posterior border of pronotum, a large 

 anteromedian and two parapsidal blotches on the mesonotum, dull 

 brown; scutellum and metanotum chestnut-brown. Wings long 

 (9 mm.), uniformly infuscated, with brown veins and darker stigma. 



