456 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



impression strong. Base of epinotum concave, strongly margined at sides 

 and in front; spines strong, as long as the base and much longer than the 

 declivity, straight, divergent; inferior spines elongate and slightly curving 

 upward. Petiolar node longer than peduncle, anterior face abrupt, dorsal 

 surface long and sloping; from above, subquadrate, longer than broad, 

 gibbous in front at middle and depressed behind, the depression crescent- 

 shaped and strongly margined behind. Postpetiole broader than petiole, a 

 little broader than long and narrowed posteriorly. 



Fig. 20. — Rogeria (Irogera) rugosa Mann. Worker. Lateral view of thorax and petiole. 



Head and thorax feebly, gaster strongly shining. Mandibles shining, finely 

 punctate and, at basal half with delicate striae. Front and vertex with strong, 

 irregular, longitudinal striae, the surface between the striae rugulose; striae of 

 sides, scrobes, and occiput irregular, subconcentric. Pro- and mesonotum 

 rugulose, with irregular, interrupted, longitudinal striae. Epinotum finely 

 and superficially rugulose and shining. Petiole and postpetiole irregularly and 

 coarsely costate, the costae on the postpetiole reticulate and enclosing foveo- 

 late ints. Gaster with fine and regular punctation. 



Long and fine erect hairs abundant on body, especially the gaster. Hairs 

 on appendages shorter and semierect. 



Black, mandibles red, appendages yellowish brown. 



Viti Levu: Nadarivatu. 



Near striaicUa but larger and more coarsely sculptured, without 

 well-defined antennal scrobes and with the inferior epinotal spines 

 long and pointed, in striatella these are short and more rounded api- 

 cally. Type.— M. C. Z. 8,707. 



The colonies are small and live beneath stones or in the ground. 

 The workers are very slow-moving. 



Key to Melanesian Species of Rogeria. 



1. Epinotal spines weak, shorter than their distance apart at base. Meso- 

 epinotal suture feebly impressed 2 



Epinotal spines large, longer than their distance apart at base. Mesoepino- 

 tal impression deep and wide ■ 5 



