.">1(> JOltMICIDvi:. 



J5al. Acantholepis frauenfeldi, Mayr (Ilypoclinea), Verh. zool.-but. 

 I'rr. Wien, v (IHoo), p. o78, ^; lord, Jour. JJotnb. N. H. Soc. 

 viii (1894), pp. 411, 413, ?. 



5 . Head, lliorax, legs and node of the pedicel brownish yellow ; 

 abdomen very dark brown ; the head, except the mandibles and 

 antenna), of a darker sl)ade than the thorax. Pilosity and pubes- 

 cence almost entirely absent; head, thorax and abdomen .smooth 

 and shining, the last highly polished. Head viewed from the 

 front distinctly longer than broad, rounded above; mandibles 

 somewhat narrow, curved, with the apical tooth long and acute : 

 clypeus strongly convex, proportionately rather large, with a faint 

 transverse subapical furrow parallel to its anterior margin, the 

 suture between its ])Osterior margin and the frontal area distinct : 

 ej'es lateral, situated about the middle of the head. Thorax: the 

 pronotum from above ap])eai-s almost circular, the mesonotinn 

 strongly constiicted in front forming a cylindrical neck, \\idening 

 posteriorly ; the metanotal teeth thick and broad at base, obtuse ; 

 the meso-metauotal suture above deep and distinct. Node of the 

 pedicel seen from the back pentagonal, the upper border slightly 

 emarginate. with a not very distinct obtuse tooth at its lateral 

 angles ; abdomen oval, somewhat massive. 



2 . Head very small in proportion to the very massive thorax 

 and abdomen ; head, thorax and abdomen of a rich brown colour, 

 cov(U*ed with a dense silky golden pubescence, witii a few 

 obliquely erect scattered hairs on the abdomen. Yov the rest the 

 characters of the genus. 



Lenr/th, ^ 2-5-3; $ 5 mm. 



IJab. AVithin our limits spread irregularly in one form or another 

 through Continental India, confined chiefly to the hills but procured 

 by Mr. llothney at Barrackpore. Not recorded from Burma or 

 Ceylon. It extends to Southern Europe and Northern Africa. 



This is a variable species. Var. A. hijwriita, Smith, is the 

 common Indian form. It differs from the type in averaging 

 slightly larger (2-S-3'3 mm.), in being more robust and somewhat 

 darker in colour ; the upper border of the node of the pedicel is 

 more deeply emarginate. 



Var. ititef/ra, Forel, has the node of the pedicel unarmed, and is 

 nearly black with a few bi'ownish marks on the mandibles, antenna\ 

 thorax and legs. 



Var. xerlcea, Forel, is much larger (3-3*6 mm.) ; it is finely ami 

 evenly sculptured and has a fairly dense silky pubescence. 



:>oo. Acantholepis Capensis, Mcn/r, J'er/i. xooL-bot. Gcs. Wien, xii 

 (lS()i>), p. (;!)!», (;;; Ftirel. Jour. Bomb. V. JI. Svc. ^m. (1894), 

 pp. 41 1>, 414, 5 ; ix (lS9r,), p. 45f<. 



^ . Black and shining, the mandibles, anteunic and legs 

 brownish yellow. Head, thorax and abdomen, particularly the 

 last, with abiuidant yellowish er(>ct hairs. Head in front strongly 

 convex ; mandibles I'ather small, when closed nearly hidden under 



