PRENOLEPIS. 327 



emarginate at the mesonotuni ; metanotuni I'ouncled, the basal 

 portion passing into the apical portion with a gentle curve ; legs 

 remarkably long and slender. Node of the pedicel not so broad as 

 high, rounded above; abdomen anteriorly gibbous, oval, massive. 



2 ' Proportionately very much larger than the g , similar in 

 colour but slightly darker, the apical margins of the abdominal 

 segments markedly pale ; head, thorax and abdomen entirely 

 devoid of the erect hairs so conspicuous in the ^ , but covered with 

 a fairly abundant silky pale pubescence. Head subtriangular, 

 very convex, broader posteriorly than in front. Ocelli pi-esent and 

 distinct. Thoi-ax : the pronotum vertical, forming no part of the 

 dorsum ; mesonotum broad and convex ; scutellum slightly com- 

 pressed, mediall}^ longitudinally furrowed. Node of the pedicel 

 low and inconspicuous, completely overhung by the very large 

 massive abdomen. 



S . Similar to the g , but much paler in colour, A\ith the same 

 erect rather coarse pilosity. Head oval, eyes and ocelli very large 

 and prominent ; mandibles narrow and feeble ; clypeus as in the ^ . 

 Thorax and abdomen moderately massive, the latter elongate, oval, 

 convex above ; the external genitalia large and prominent. 



Lenrjth, ^ 2-5-3 ; $ 5'5 ; J 3 mm. 



Hab. Throughout our limits, and introduced and spread over all 

 tropical countries. This ant is not uncommon in hot-houses and 

 large conservatories even in Europe. 



372. Prenolepis melanogaster, Emcn/, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. xsxiv 

 (1894), p. 47G,^. 



^ . Head, thorax, legs and node of pedicel bright orange-brown, 

 abdomen jet-black ; the whole insect covered with abundant long, 

 erect, yellow hairs ; head and thorax feebly punctured, subopaque ; 

 abdomen polished and shining. Head without the mandibles 



Fig. 08. — Pre7iolept.-i mriaiioffas/er, ^ . a. Ileuil. 



broader than long, viewed from the front almost circular, the 

 cheeks strongly convex ; mandibles large, subtriangular, the 

 masticatory margin broad, very oblique, strongly dentate, the 

 apical tooth very long and curved : clypeus convex, broader than 

 high, its anterior margin almost straight, only slightly rounded and 



