HENRY J. FRANKLIN. 121 



Types. — Described from four queen and four worker co- 

 types. Of these specimens, three queens and two workers 

 are deposited in the collection of the United States National 

 Museum and one queen and two workers in the collection of 

 the Massachusetts Agricultural College. The places of cap- 

 ture of the queens were as follows : Colombia and Chiriqui 

 (Boquete and Bogona). The workers came from the follow- 

 ing places : Brazil (Pernambuco), Peru (Callanga), Chiriqui 

 and Costa Rica (Carillo). 



St. Fargeau's specimens are lost, so it is impossible to tell 

 whether his violaceus was this species or kohli or brevivilhis. 



Pile of medium length and texture. Entirely black. Malar space of 

 a little more than average length Jllngs dark, with violaceous reflec- 

 tions. 



Queen. Head. — Rather elongate. Entirely dark. Malar space 

 somewhat shorter than its width at apex, about one-fourth as long 

 as eye. Clypeus sparsely punctate, with rather coarse punctures and 

 with numerous fine punctures also present. Third antennal segment 

 longer than fifth, the fifth longer than the fourth. 



Thorax. — Entirely black. A rather large naked area on middle of 

 dorsal disc, a considerable portion of this area being smooth and 

 shining. 



Abdo}nen.—'Ent\ve:\Y black. Hypopygium without a medium carina. 



IVings. — Very dark and with strong violaceous reflections. 



Legs. — Black. 



IVorker. — Like the queen. 



Male — The queen and worker of this species are apparently less 

 closely related to mexicanus than is the queen of brevivillus , and atratus 

 appears less closely related to mexicanus than is pullatus. These facts 

 suggest that pullatus may be the male of brevivillus, while atratus is 

 possibly the male of niger. 



Dimensions . — Length : queen, 20 mm. to 24 ram. ; worker, 11' mm. 

 to 17 mm. Spread of wings : queen, 48 mm. to 52 mm. ; worker, 29 

 mm. to 42 mm. 



Habitat. — British Honduras (Belize); Costa Rica (Carillo 

 and La Estrellade Cartago); Chiriqui (Bogona and Boquete); 

 Colombia; Venezuela (San Julian); Ecuador; Peru (Cal- 

 langa); Brazil (Bonito in the Province of Pernambuco and 

 St. Catharina) and Paraguay (Sapucay). 



This species is apparently most closely related to iJieditis, 

 mexicanus and brevivillus. I have been able to separate it 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC. , XXXIX. (16) 



