184 formiciDjE, 



spines ralher long and very acute. First node subcubical. longer 

 than broad, convex above, wliere it is scarcely broader posteriorly than 

 in front, with a petiole anteriorly nearly as long as itself. tSecond 

 Dode rounded, slightly broader than long and broader than the lirst 

 node. Pilosity very fine, short, moderately abundant on tbe body, 

 very oblique ou tbe tibiae and tarsi. Head coarsely striate, ^^ ith 

 reticulations between tbe striae, finely reticulated at bottom and 

 subopaque in front. Thorax coarsely but sn])eriicially reticulate, 

 with tbe stria? on the middle of the mesonotum and the sides smooth. 

 Sloping face of tbe metanotum between the two carina) connecting 

 tbe bases of the metanotal and metasternal spines, finely reticulate, 

 also tbe sides of the nodes. The rest smooth and shining. 

 Reddish ferruginous ; legs, antennae and spines yellow ish. 

 Abdonien of a brownish yellow." {Forel.) 



Lengthy ^ 2-4 mm. 



Hah. TraAancore. Described from a single specimen. 



214. Tetraniorium guineense, Fah: (Formica) Ent. Syst. ii (1793), 

 p. 3")7. 



^ . Head, thorax and pedicel dull ferruginous red ; abdomen 

 brown, paling at the extreme base and on the 2nd and following 

 segments, tbe apical margins of the abdominal segments yellowish; 

 mandibles, antennae and legs reddish yellow ; head longitudinally 

 striate, with some fine reticulations between the striae ; thorax 

 and nodes of the pedicel somewhat coarsely reticulate and rugose ; 

 abdomen smooth, polished and shining, with vestiges of minute 

 longitudinal striae at the extreme base : pilosity pale yellow, fine 

 and fairly abuiidant, especially on tbe front of tlie head, oblique 

 and very short ou the scape of tbe antenna? and the tibia?. Head 

 without the mandibles rectangular, half as long again as broad ; 

 mandibles as in T. scahrum but slightly narrower, smooth, slightly 

 minutely punctured but not striate ; clypeus longitudinally 

 bicariuate in the middle, broad and somewhat convex ; autennal 

 carina? wide apart and produced slightly divergently back nearly to 

 the top of the head, bordering a well-marked anteunal groove, 

 which is sculptured within like the rest of the head ; antennae 

 stouter than but similar to those in T. scahrum ; eyes placed in the 

 middle of the sides of the head. Thorax broader anteriorly than 

 in T. scahrnm, the sides vertical, margined above : pro-niesonotal 

 suture obsolete, but in all specimens I have seen the pronotum is 

 crossed by a distinct fine transverse carina ; meso-metanotal suture 

 moderately distinct above the thorax, incised at the sides at the 

 suture ; basal portion of metanotum narrow, short, the posterior 

 lateral angles furnished with moderately long, stout, oblique spines 

 which are divergent and curved outwards at the apex. Pedicel 

 rather sliort, with large nodes ; the 1st node anteriorly petiolate, its 

 face somewhat curved inwards, posteriorly roundly sloped ; 2nd 

 node y^Qen from above transverselv globose, a little broader than 



