PHIDOLE. 233 



slightly divergent posteriorly; antennal grooves as lougas the scape; 

 the latter reaching somewhat less than two-thirds of the distance 

 between its insertion and the top of the head ; eyes comparatively 

 small, placed in tiie antei'ior half of the head, on the sides. Thorax : 

 the pronotum convex in front, laterally bituberculate ; mesonotum 

 with a transverse carina, the meso-metanotal suture deeply and 

 widely impressed, the sculpture on the pro- and mesonotum trans- 

 verse ; metanotum broad, passing to tlie apex with a rounded 

 curve, the basal portion posteriorly with two lateral clavate spines 

 or processes. Anterior node of the pedicel viewed from the 

 front somewhat square, deeply emarginate above, the lower and 

 anterior lateral and the u])per lateral angles dentate, beneath with 

 a semitransparent laminate appendix : posterior node transverse, 

 convex above, laterally bituberculate, about twice as broad as long ; 

 abdomen from above very broadh* oval, nearly circular. 



g . Similar in colour and pilosity to the Ij. ; the sculpture much 

 finer and more delicate, rugulose and opaque. Head broadly oval, 

 convex, mandibles minutely dentate along the masticatory margin ; 

 scape of the antennne extending for about one-fourth of its length 

 beyond the top of the head ; thorax in shape a miniature of that of 

 the "2/ , but the metanotal spines short, erect, acute at apex, not 

 clavate. Pedicel with the 1st node scarcely emarginate above, but 

 with an appendix beneath ; 2nd node seen from above convex, 

 upper side almost circular ; abdomen elongate, oval. 



2 . Resembles the % , but the head is only a little broader than 

 the thorax, broader than long and markedly broader posteriorly 

 than in front. Head somewhat coarsely, mesonotum and the 

 base of the abdomen more finely longitudinally striate ; pronotum 

 (which is depressed beneath the mesonotum) and the 2nd node 

 of the pedicel transversely striate ; scutellum, the apical two- 

 thirds of the 1st and the whole of the rest of the abdominal 

 segments smooth and shining. Pilosity as in the 1/ . Metanotal 

 spines short and acute. 



" J . Head broader than long, feebly con\'ex behind the eyes. 

 Mandibles trideutate. Scape shorter than the 2nd joint of the 

 flagellum. Nodes of pedicel short and thick, \\ ithout any appendix. 

 Wnigs brownish .... nervnres and stigma brown. Head and 

 thorax opaque, finely sculptured and pubescent. Pubescence dense, 

 with only a few erect hairs. Deep brown ; legs and antennae 

 yellowish." (Forel.) 



Length, 1/ 5"5-(J"5 ; ^ 3-3'o ; 5 'i'5-^ '■, 6 5 mm. 



Hah. Barrackpore {liothneij); Western India, the Nilgiris 

 {Wroughton) to Cochin {Rothney) ; Ceylon {I'erburg); Assam 

 {Smt/thies) ; Burma, Pegu Yoma {JJauxwcU). The Cochin, Assam 

 and Burmese specimens have the metanotal spines obtuse but not 

 clavate, and the 2nd node of the pedicel three times as broad as 

 long. This variet}- has been separated as var. aspatha by Dr. Porel. 

 The Ceylon form (var. gerbttfi/i, Forel) has the head strongly 

 medially impressed and the 1st node of the pedicel very slightly 

 emarginate above. 



