104 MB. smith's desceiptions of hymenopteeous insects 



apical margins of the third and fourth segments and the fifth entirely 

 obscure ferruginous ; the insect thinly covered with a silvery glittering 

 pubescent pile, which is very bright on the femora and sides of the 

 thorax. 

 Hab, Bachian. 



4. PoNERA STRIATA. P. seueo-nigra ; capite, thoraee, abdominisque 

 basi profunde striatis ; nodo spinis duabus acutis armato. 



Worker. Length 6 lines. Black, with a bluish-green tinge ; the head 

 closely, deeply, and evenly, striated longitudinally ; the mandibles 

 shining black, their apex rufo-piceous, with their inner margins fur- 

 nished with a row of short acute teeth. The prothorax with a circular 

 striation, that on the metathorax being oblique ; the tarsi and articula- 

 tions of the legs rufo-piceous. The abdomen densely covered with a fine 

 silky glittering white pubescence; the basal segment with an even 

 curved transverse striation ; the apical margins of the third svnd fourth 

 segments, and the fifth entirely, ferruginous ; the node of the peduncle 

 with transverse grooved striae, and armed behind with two acute spines ; 

 the insect has a scattered erect thin pale pubescence. 

 Hab. Bachian. 



This species has a strong general resemblance to P. geometrica from 

 Singapore, but is very distinct ; in the latter species the grooving on the 

 prothorax is transverse and straight ; that on the metathorax is circular, 

 and has its centre in the middle of its disk, and the head is much naiTower 

 behind the eyes, which is not the case in the present species. 



5. PoNERA SIMILLIMA. P. nigra; capite elongato aciculato ; abdo- 

 mine laevi nitido. 



Worker. Length 3 lines. Black ; head and thorax subopake, the 

 abdomen smooth and shining; the head oblong and longitudinally 

 aciculate ; the anterior margin of the clypeus, the mandibles, flagellum, 

 tarsi, and articulations of the legs, rufo-testaceous. The thorax sub- 

 rugose, with the oblique truncation of the metathorax transversely 

 striated. The abdomen very smooth and shining with the apex ob- 

 scurely rufo-piceous ; the node of the peduncle quadrate. 



Hab. Bachian. 



This species very closely resembles P. laviceps, from Borneo. 



6. PoNERA CUPREA. P. nigra, cupreo variegata; capite, thoraee, ab- 

 dominisque basi profunde striatis, nodo spinis duabus acutis armato. 



Worker. Length 5 lines. Black, with an obscure coppery tinge ; the 

 mandibles and legs obscurely ferruginous ; the extreme ajiex of the 

 flagellum pale rufo-testaceous. The head deeply striated, longi- 

 tudinally, the clypeus and mandibles very finely so ; the head nar- 

 rowed behind the eyes. The thorax transversely striated, above the 

 sides obliquely so ; the legs slightly pubescent. Abdoiuen : the basal 

 segment transversely striated, the striae curved forwards ; the node of 



