250 FOBMICIDJE, 



squaniiform, with a distiuct upper margin ; 2nd node globose ; 

 abdomen oval. 



LetKjth, % 7-5-8; ^ 2-5-3 mm. 



Ilab. Eecorded so far only from Ceylon {Yerhnnj 6,- Green). 



The great difference in size between the 1/ and ^ of this species 

 recalls the species of Ph(dolo(/iton. 



283. Phidole rhombinoda, Mai/r, Verh. zool.-bot. Gcs. Wieyi, xxviii 

 (1878), pp. 075 & 078, % ■ Ford, liev. Suisse Zool. x (1902), 

 pp. 178 & 195, 1/ 9 ; ul. Jour. Boinh. N. H. Sac. xiv (1902), 

 pp. 533 & 544. 



1/ . Very dark brown, shining, the head anteriorly and the 

 mandibles, sides of the thorax and of the pedicel chestnut-red, 

 scape of the antenntc and the legs brownish yellow. Head, thorax 

 and abdomen covered w ith scattered erect pale reddish hairs. Head 

 rectangular, as broad posteriorly as in front and a little longer 

 than broad, somewhat coarsely longitudinally striate, the stria) 

 rnnning into reticulations on the apex of the lateral lobes; 

 mandibles smooth, with some slight scattered punctures ; clypeus 

 emarginate in the middle, with a smooth shining medial portion 

 above the emargination ; anteniial carina) short, divergent; 

 antennal groove broad and shallow, punctured within ; scape of 

 the antetmic falling short of the top of the head by about half 

 its length. Thoi'ax transversely sculptured and striate, the pro- 

 notum convex anteriorly, laterally obtusely tuberculate, the trans- 

 verse mesonotal ridge and meso-metanotal suture very deep and. 

 distinct ; basal portion of the metanotum smooth and shining, 

 metaiiotal spines short, stoat, acute and erect. Pedicel broad in 

 front of the 1st node and laterally subdentate ; 1st node transverse, 

 not emarginate above, whh no appendix beneath ; 2nd node about 

 three times as broad as the 1st node, anteriorly convex, transversely 

 striate, posteriorly slightly constricted, and paler in colour ; abdo- 

 men from above broadly oval, nearly circular, obscurely striate at 

 base. 



^ . Head, thorax and pedicel light castaneous brown, antenna) 

 and legs a paler shade of the same, abdomen very dark brown, 

 almost black ; head, thorax and abdomen highly polished and 

 shining, the sides of the thorax and posteriorly, the basal portion 

 of the metanotum delicately rugulose ; pilosity as in the 1/ . 

 Head oval : antenna) long, the scape extending beyond the top 

 of the head by fully one-third of its length from insertion ; eyes 

 lateral, remarkably large, and placed about the middle of the head. 

 Thorax : the pronotum laterally tuberculate, the transverse ridge 

 and the meso-metanotal suture very deep and distinct as in the 1/ ; 

 metanotum laterally bidentate. Pedicel as in the 1/ ; the 2nd 

 node only proportionately somewhat bell-shaped ; abdomen broadly 

 oval. 



5 . Light reddish brown, the posterior margins of the abdominal 

 segments narrowly testaceous. Head, pro-, meso- and metanotum 

 and base of abdomen longitudinally striate, the scutellum and 



