180 BRITISH ANTS. 



20 282 (1908) 36 : 21 258 (1909) 37 ; Morley Morey's Guide NH. Isle of Wight 

 303 (1909) 38 ; Donisthorpe Entom. 44 390 (1911) 39 : Ent. Rec. 24 6 (1912) 40 ; 

 Emery Genera Insect. 137 40 (1912) 41 ; Crawley and Donisthorpe Int. Ent. 

 Cong. Oxford 1912 2 23 (1913) 42 ; Donisthorpe Ent. Rec. 25 63 (1913) 43 : 

 26 39 (1914) 44 . 



^ Black, mandibles, and often the antennae and legs dark brown, tarsi 

 and articulations of the joints of the legs yellowish. The whole body covered 

 with white pubescence, very finely punctured, somewhat shining. Long. 

 2-6-4-2 mm. (2-2-3-8 mm teste Forel.) 



$ Very like the ^ ; slightly more pubescent and punctured. Wings 

 somewhat fuscous. Long. 4-5-5-8 mm. (4-5-5 mm. teste Forel.) 



c Colour, puncturatioii, and wings as in the $. Long. 3-4-5 mm. 



Ovum : White, round oval. 



Larva : Yellowish white, narrow and pointed anteriorly and posteriorly, 

 with the segments clearly defined. The ventral surface is sharply angled 

 from the first abdominal segment to the pointed apex ; the dorsal surface is 

 broadly rounded, the prothoracic segment more prominent. The smaller 

 larvae are almost glabrous, but under a high power short bristles can be seen, 

 chiefly on the ventral surface. The larger larvae are quite glabrous, shining, 

 and more " sausage " shaped. 



Pupa : Yellow, transversely striate, wax-like. 



Original description of Formica erratica Latreille [Ess. Hist. 

 Fourmis France 44 (1798)] : 



24. F. errante. erratica. 



O.t.p. Noire, glabre, luisante. Extremites des cuisses et des jambes, tarses, 

 pales. Male. Tete et corcelet d'un noir clair. Base des antennes, pattes, 

 pales. Ailes obscures. Femelle. Noire, veloutee. Jambes et tarses testaceSk 

 Nervures jaunatres a la base des ailes anterieures." 



Habitat. 



Tapinoma erraticum is found in Central and Southern Europe, on 

 the snores of the Mediterranean, in the Caucasus, and Central Asia. 

 Three varieties and two subspecies occur. 



In Britain it is almost confined to the south of England, but has 

 been recorded from Scotland, as F. Smith writes that Dale took 

 workers in Scotland in 1846 6 the insect he describes is certainly 

 T. erraticum and Service speaks of it as a very scarce species in 

 Dumfries 31 . It is very remarkable that there are no records of its 

 capture further north in England than Surrey. 



Cornwall, W. : Scilly Isles (Dale) 30 ; Land's End (F. Smith) 12 . 



Devon, S. : Bovey Heathfield (Parfitt) 21 ; Bovey (Bignell) 2 * ; 

 Bovey Tracey (Hamm). 



Dorset : Lulworth ( Farren- White) 29 ; Wareham (Dale) 30 ; Stud- 

 land (Morice) 35 ; Chapman's Pool (E. A. Butler) 35 ; Ringstead and 

 West Knighton Heath (Haines). 



Isle Of Wight : Parkhurst Forest (E. A. Butler} 3 *. 



Hants, S. : Bournemouth (Dale) 6 ; New Forest (Hamm) 35 ; 

 Hants, N. : Harford Bridge Flats (E. A. Butler}. 



Sussex, W. : Harting (Beaumont} 32 . 



