Paes ZC. 
32 WHEELER — TWO NEW ANTS Vol. VI 
regarding ridicula as an extreme subspecies of absurda. I have 
compared the new form with a paratype of absurda, kindly given me 
by Prof. Emery, and with numerous specimens of the same species 
which I took some years ago in the neighborhood of Cartago, Costa 
Rica. The nests of these ants were under flat stones in rather 
moist, clayey soil, and contained numerous garnered seeds of her- 
baceous plants, showing that absurda is a harvester. The habits of 
Ph. ridicula are undoubtedly the same. 
Cryptocerus (Cyathocephalus) rohweri sp. nov. 
Soldier (fig. 2, a). Length 6 mm. 
Closely related to C. wheeleri Forel. Head as broad as long, with rec- 
tangular posterior corners, and surmounted, as in other members of the 
subgenus, by a broadly subcordate, saucer-shaped structure, with emargi- 
nated anterior margin and rather flat floor, feebly convex in the middle. 
Thorax through the pronotum as broad as the head, a little longer than 
broad, the pronotum with acute, subdentate anterior corners and a pro- 
nounced transverse ridge or crest, indistinctly interrupted in the middle, 
the lateral borders crenate, converging behind and not angularly pro- 
duced in front of the mesonotum. Promesonotal suture distinct. Sides 
of mesonotum rounded and convex, but not angulated. Mesoépinotal 
suture distinct. Epinotal spines longer than broad at the base, rather 
acute; epinotal declivity rather abrupt, longer than the base and feebly 
concave. Petiole a little broader than long, each side near the middle with 
a straight, acute, backwardly and outwardly directed spine. Postpetiole 
distinctly broader than the petiole, about twice as broad as long, laterally 
and anteriorly with a pair of straight spines as long as those on the petiole 
and with a similar direction. Gaster oblong-elliptical, with concave ante- 
rior border and without dilated anterolateral ridges or margins. 
Opaque; mandibles densely punctate-rugulose; head, thorax and pedicel 
densely punctate or granulated, the concavity of the cephalic saucer some- 
what shining and with the fine punctures less dense, covered with round 
foveole, except on the sides and declivity of the epinotum and parts of the 
mesopleure. These foveole, which are distinctly shining, are smaller and 
denser on the petiole and postpetiole, larger and uniformly distributed on 
the upper surface of the head and thorax. Gaster very opaque, densely 
granulated, at the base also finely, longitudinally rugulose and with a few 
elongate, shallow foveole. Venter also longitudinally rugulose on its 
