1 8 HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA. 



of having an apterous male. Another wonder in ant life, 

 ■which has not yet been recorded as occurring in Britain, 

 is the relationship existing between Tctramoriitin cfpspitum, 

 and a most curious ant, Aner gates atratidus, the c? of which 

 is apterous^ pale, and almost larva-like, and the ? winged 

 with a more or less flat body, which has a great depression 

 down the middle as if it had been squashed, but which 

 becomes extended, like that of the Mexican honey-pot ant, 

 when full of eggs. This extraordinary pair have no workers 

 of their own, and depend on Tetramorium to supply their 

 needs. Tetramorium is common enough in this country, 

 and possibly Anergafes may some day turn up here also. 



The duration of life in the ? and 5 of Lasiiis viger 

 according to Lubbock has been known to extend to six or 

 seven years. 



TABLE OF FAMILIES. 



(4) 1. Petiole with a single transverse scale or node. 



(3) 2. Alidnmen not constricted between the second 

 and third segments, J and 9 without a 

 sting, or with only a rudimentary one . Foemicid.e. 



(2) 3. Alidomen constricted between the second 

 and third segments, but not sufficiently to 

 modify the second segment into a node. 

 $ and $ with a well developed sting . Ponekip^. 



(1) 4. Petiole with two nodes Mybmicid.b. 



FORMICIDJE. 



Of this family we have only four British genera, one of 

 which, Prenolepis, has only occurred here in a single 5 

 example. The chief characteristics of this family are the fl;it 

 elevated scale on the petiole, which however, in the genera 

 Prenolepis and Tapinoma is decumbent, and in Tapiiioma 

 is not actually distinguishable from the petiole itself, and 

 the absence of a developed sting in the ? and ^ . In 

 Formica the ^ and ? are about equal in size, in Lasius the 

 ? is much larger than the (J. The species of the various 

 genera are very closely allied, and several of the forms which 

 used to be considered as species are now treated as races. 



