50 Psyche [April 



NEOMYRMA VERSUS OREOMYRMA. 



A CORRECTION. 



By William Morton Wheeler. 



In a recent paper (Revue Suisse de Zoologie, Vol. 22, iBft^i, 

 p. 275) Forel described an ant frorn Lake Tahoe, Nev. (6,275 feet) 

 under the name of Aphoenogaster calderoni and made it the type 

 of a new subgenus, Neomyrma. On reading the description I 

 suspected that he had redescribed an ant which I described 

 several years ago (Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, Vol. 17, 1909, p. 77) as 

 Myrmica bradleyi from Alta Meadow, Tulare County, Cal. (altitude 

 9,500 feet), but I could not believe that so experienced a myrme- 

 cologist would mistake a Myrmica for an Aphcenogaster. Mr. 

 W. M. Mann, who was presented with one of the cotype specimens 

 by Professor Forel, has loaned it to me for comparison with the 

 types of M. bradleyi. As I fail to find the slightest difference 

 between the two forms I must regard Forel's specific name as a 

 synonym. His subgeneric name, however, is not so easily dis- 

 posed of. In 1914 (Psyche, Vol. 22, pp. 118-122, 1 fig.), I revised 

 the American species of Myrmica allied to the European M. ruhida, 

 and for the group including this and the four American species 

 bradleyi Wh., mutica Emery, aldrichi Wh., and hunteri Wh., I 

 erected the subgenus Oreomyrma. It is clear, therefore, that 

 Oreomyrma and Neomyrma are synonymous. Since both were 

 published during the same year, it is necessary to determine which 

 has priority of publication. I find that the number of Psyche 

 containing the name Oreomyrma appeared in August, and as the 

 number of the Revue Suisse containing the description of Neomyrma 

 (in an appendix to a discussion of the genus Camponotus!) was 

 pubhshed in May, there can be no doubt that the latter must 

 replace the former name as a subgenus of Myrmica. It should 

 be noted, however, that the type of Forel's subgenus is Myrmica 

 bradleyi Wh., whereas that of Oreomyrma is Myrmica rubida 

 Latreille. 



