6 FORMTCID.l. 



Genus ^NICTUS 



yEnictus, Sfnick. Ann. N. H. v (1^40), p. 26G, S- 

 Typhlatta, Smithy Jour. Linn. Soc. ii (1858), p. 79, ^ . 



Type, uE. (imhn/tius, ISliuck., jS'.W.P. India. 



liange. Africa, Asia, Australia. 



The S of this genus very much resembles the S of I)onjh(s, 

 but it is always smaller, and the one-jointed pedicel is never very 

 convex, generally concave or flat above. Head small, transverse, 

 flat ; eyes and ocelli very large and prominent ; mandibles some- 

 times long, sickle-shaped and cylindrical, sometimes broad and 

 flat; scape of the antennae, femora, and tibia- of the legs sometimes 

 cylindrical, sometimes flat and even, greatly widened and foliaceous; 

 pedicel one-jointed, carinate beneath. "Wings hyaline and generally 

 more or less iridescent, nervures and stigma fulvous yellow to 

 dark brown. Abdomen long, cylindrical, generally slightly clavate 

 and curved downwards. 



^ . Blind, destitute of eyes or ocelli ; antenna; lU-jointed. 

 Thorax with the pro-mesonotal suture obsolete : the meso-meta- 

 uotal suture distinct, the thorax above at this point being often 

 widely emarginate. Pedicel two-jointed, as in the subfamily 

 Myrmichuv. The g , so far as is known, is never dimorphous or 

 polymorphous, as in the genus Eciton, which replaces ^n ictus in 

 the New World. $ unknown. 



The workers of ^victtts hunt in columns of three or four 

 abreast, marching with great regularity. Mr. Wroughton (Jour. 

 Bomb. N. H. Soc. vii (1892), pp. 177, 178) has given an inter- 

 esting account of their habits. 



Like the c? of Dor>jlus, the J of this genus is greatly attracted 

 by light, and is frequently taken in houses in the evening. The 

 <S and ^ of only one species {./E. luroiu/Jtfonl, Forel) have been 

 taken associated together. 



Key to the Species. 



A. Scape of the antemife cylindrical. 



a. Mandibles with a tooth on inner side close 



to the base ^. ctrya, p. 8. 



b. Mandibles not toothed. 



n' , Postei'ior border of hypopygiuni medially 



emarojnate yT£. ylemJoici, p. 8. 



b' . Posterior border of hypopygiuni entire. 

 cr. Pygidiinn round, convex, without any 



longitudinal impression yT!. jvcsticoodi, p. 10. 



b^. Pygidiiun with a longitudinal im- 

 pression. 

 n^. Pedicel above concave, the sides 



sharply raised, not broadly rounded. yE". ambiywot, p. 9. 

 b^. Pedicel above with a rather narrow 

 longitudinal groove, the sides 

 broadly rounded above JE. piibescens, p. 10. 



B. Scape of the antennse more or less com- 



pressed, flat. 

 a. Of large size. Length 12-1>3 mm JE. yrandis, p. 11. 



