( 603 ) 



XIX, Descriptions of neiv species of CvjY>iocevidx,belon(ji- 

 ing to the genera Cryptocems, Meranoplus, and 

 Cataulacus. By Frederick Smith. 



[Read 4tla October, 1870.] 



Having published three papers on this remarkable group 

 of insects in the Transactions of the Society, I offer a 

 fourth, in Avhich twelve new species are described, of one 

 of which I fortunately have obtained all the sexes, figures 

 of which are given in the plate that illustrates the paper. 



In previous publications I have altogether described 

 thirty-six species, those described in the present paper 

 making the total number forty-eight. r- ^ ^ ^' 



In a former paper I gave some account of the habits ot 

 these insects. For that information I was partly indebted 

 to the account pubUshed by Professor Lund, who describes 

 the manner in which they capture their prey; this, he tells 

 us, is similar to that of Hunting Spiders,— by springing 

 upon it. For the more interesting details, however, I was 

 indebted to Mr. H. W. Bates, who, when resident m 

 Brazil, observed these insects with great attention. He 

 informed me that Cnjptoceriis constructed its burrows m 

 decaying trees, its colonies not being numerous; consisting, 

 in the nests examined, of about a dozen females, a few 

 males, and the workers, numbering about the same as the 



TP HI RIGS 



Of tlie habits of the genera 3fera7ioplus and Cataulacus 

 no information had at that time been obtained. I have 

 now the satisfaction of giving some account of the habit 

 of a species of Meranoplus, M. intrudens, observed by 

 Mr. Jolui Monkhouse Hutchinson, resident in the Weenen 

 district of Natal, South Africa. This species makes use 

 of the thorns of a species of acacia, in which it consti-ucts 

 its formicarium ; the thorns are from four to five inches 

 in length, and, at the distance of about half an inch from 

 the pointed end, a small round hole is made by the ants, 

 which serves as ingress and egress to and from the nest. 

 The thorns contain a kind of spongy pith, m Avhich the 

 channels and chambers of the nest are constructed. A 

 remarkable fact in connexion with this insect is, that 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. 1876. -PART IV. (dEC.) R R 2 



