MANN: ANTS OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 425 



broadest behind, strong;!}' narrowed in front, with a pedunculate anterior 

 portion about twice as long as broad, posterior corners rounded; in profile, 

 longer than high, anterior face sloping, top rounded, posterior surface flat, 

 gaster long and slender. 



Very shining. Mandibles with sparse, coarse punctures. Chfjeus, cheeks, 

 and anterior part of front denseh- and irregularly striate, interspersed with 

 coarse punctures. Remainder of head and the body with regular coarse 

 widely separated piligerous punctures, coarsest on the head. Rather short 

 suberect hairs moderatelj- abundant on head and body, a few scattered re- 

 cumbent hairs on gaster, pubescence lacking. Appendages with stiff, sub- 

 erect hairs. 



Jet black; api)endages dark reddish brown to black, antennae and tarsi 

 lighter than the rest. 



Fig. 10. — Leptogenys (Lobopelta) vitiensis Mann. Worker. Lateral view of thorax and 

 petiole. 



Viti Le\'u: Xadarivatu. 



With the exception of L. hiiloc, which is quite abundant, the species 

 of Lobopelta are rare in Fiji and I encountered only one colony each of 

 fu(/a.v, naviia, humUiata, and vitiensis. The latter four forms, though 

 quite distinct from each other, belong to a group that includes also 

 conigera ISIayr and its variety adJerzi Forel from Australia, acutangxda 

 Emerv from New Caledonia and chinensis Mavr, all of which have the 

 petiole elongate. L. vitiensis is most nearly related to acutangida, 

 but differs in having the posterior corners of the petiolar node rounded 

 instead of angulate, and in its being much more attenuate when 

 viewed from above. 



The apical portion of the mandibles are distinctly shorter than in 

 conigera and in all of the specimens before are edentate. 



All of the Fijian species excepting foveopunctaia have one type of 

 punctation, the head is covered with strong almost foveolate punc- 

 tures, the bottoms of which are rugulose. The front of the head 

 outward from the carinae is rugulose and sometimes striate. The 



