1903] 



WHEELER : — TEXAN FORMICIDAE 



97 



frontal carinae. Mesopleurae, epinotum, ventral and lateral surfaces of the petiole and 

 postpetiole subopaque, reticulate punctate. 



Pilositj similar to that of the soldier but less abundant. 



Black or very dark reddish brown. Mandibles, anterior portion of head, pro- and 

 mesopleurae reddish yellow. Antennae and legs reddish yellow, scape and femora darker. 



Described from numerous specimens taken in the Paisano Pass, Brewster 

 County, by myself, and in the Chisos Mts. by Judge O. W. Williams. The single 

 nest found in the Paisano Pass was between huge immovable boulders embedded 

 in the soil, so that I could secure only the workers, but Judge Williams obtained 

 great numbers both of the soldiers and workers from a large nest under a stone 

 near the foot of the Chisos. 



Ph. titanis differs from all the other species of Pheidole known to occur in 

 the United States in its great size. It belongs to the group of species comprising 

 Ph. hyatti Emery and Ph. crassicornis Emery. The soldier of Ph. titanis resembles 

 the soldiers of both of these species in the relatively small size and sculpturing 

 of the head, and the flattened antennal scape, but differs in the peculiar, short, and 

 indistinct antennal club and the deep median excision of the anterior clypeal border. 



4. Pheidole texana, sp. nov. 



Soldier. Leiigth 4-5 mm. 



Head rather small, but larger than the gaster, a little longer than broad, excluding the 

 mandibles, cordiform, distinctly broader behind than in front, with deeply excised posterior 

 border, rounded posterior angles, and a rather broad median furrow extending from the 

 frontal area to the occiput. Frontal area triangular, 

 about as broad as long. Clypeus short, its anterior 

 border flattened and rather deeply notched in the middle. 

 Frontal carinae short, prominent. Eyes moderate, well 

 in front of the middle of the sides of the head. Mandi- 

 bles large, convex with flattened blades, which are finely 

 denticulate basally, with two prominent terminal teeth. 

 Antennal scape broadened and flattened, distinctly con- 

 cave on its anterior surface, hardly reaching to half tiie 

 distance between the eye and the posterior corner of the 

 head, funiculus with all its joints longer than broad, the 

 last three joints forming a well-developed club. Thorax 

 not very robust, pronotal angles rounded, pronotum rather 

 flattened above ; mesonotum angular, projecting upward, 

 concave in the middle when seen from behind ; separated 



by a distinct suture from the pronotum and by a more distinct constriction from the epino- 

 tum. The latter has its basal surface and declivity both in the same plane, gradually slop- 

 ng backwards and distinctly concave ; spines well developed, blunt, longer than broad at 



Fk; 4. Pheidole texana, sp. nov. 

 of soldier. 



Head 



