BRAC'HYPONERA, 101 



Genus BRACHYPONERA. 



Pouera, pt., Sinith, Jour. Linii. Hoc. v (1861). p. 103, ^ . 

 Pachychondvk, ^t., Andre, liov. Ent. ix (1890), p. 316, $ . 

 Brachyponera, Emery (Euponera, Forel, Subireu. Bracliyponera), 

 Ann. Soc. Ent. Beltj. xlv (1901), p. 43. 



Type, B. senaarensis, Mayr, from Arabia. 



Range. Ethiopian and Indo-Malayan regions. 

 ^ . Closely resembles the ^ of the genus Ponera, Latr., but in 

 all the species the metanotum is strougly compressed and emar- 

 ginate at the meso-metanotal suture, from thence broadening to 

 the apex, the apical face very broad and shaped to allow of the 

 anterior face of the node of the pedicel closiuij; over it ; the meta- 

 notum viewed from the side is seen to be distinctly lower than 

 the anterior portion of the thorax. The sides of the head are 

 flattened and the mesonotum gibbous as in Mesoponera ; the eyes 

 proportionately considerably^ larger than in Ponera, and placed 

 higher up on the side of the head. 



2 . Very similar to the g : larger. The pronotum about half 

 the length of the mesonotum, forming part of the dorsum of the 

 thorax in front ; the scutellum gibbous, the metanotum similar to 

 that in the g , but much shorter ; the rest as in the g . 



c5' . The antennjfi remai-kably short, the thorax remarkably short 

 and massive ; the mandibles rudimentary ; node of the pedicel 

 laminate, wide ; a very slight constriction between the basal two 

 segments of the abdomen ; pygidium rather short and obtuse at 

 apex. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Joints of flagellum of autenuee, basal and apical 



excepted, as broad as long or broader. Length 

 under 4 mm. 

 a' . Scape of anteunai long, extending well beyond 



top of head , . . B. luteqies, p. 101. 



h'. Scape of antennte shorter, extending only to 



top of liead B. jerdoni, p. 102. 



b. Joints of flagellum of autennse distinctly longer 



than broad. Length over o mm B. niyrita, p. 102. 



122. Brachyponera luteipes,i»/rty/- (Ponera), Verh.zool.-bot.Ges. Wien, 

 xii (1862), p. 722, ^ 2 '• I'^orel (Ponera), Jbwr. Bomb. A'. K. Soc. 

 xiii (1900), pp. 324 & 326, ^ ^. 



5 . Jet-black, shining ; mandibles, flagellum of the antennae, 

 the legs and apex of the abdomen testaceous brown. Pilosity very 

 sparse, confined to a few erect pale hairs on the clypeus and 

 mandibles and on the apex of and beneath the abdomen. Head, 

 thorax and abdomen covered with a fine delicate silky whitish 

 very short pubescence, and very finely reticulate-punctate, but not 

 opaque. Head posteriorly slightly emarginate, the sides viewed 

 from the front arched outwards : mandibles finely punctured ; 

 clypeus anreriorly ^ith a In'oad medial lobe, the anterior margin of 

 which is arched ; anteuna? densely pubescent. Thorax rather 

 massive, the metanotum markedly below the level of the pro- and 



