232 FOEMICIDjE. 



occipital emargination not deep ; mandibles smooth, sparsely 

 punctured ; clypeus anteriorly transverse, medially vertically 

 carinate ; antennae short, the scape falling short of the top of the 

 head by about half its length ; antennal grooves shallow, not 

 distinct. Thorax somewhat short and robust, the prouotal tubercle 

 obtuse, the transverse mesonotal groove and ridge distinct ; the 

 metanotum short, flat and trapeziform above ; spines comparatively 

 long. Pedicel short : the 1st node squamiform, ernarginate above, 

 with a short appendix beneath ; 2nd node above transversely 

 fusiform, about twice as broad as long ; abdomen depressed, almost 

 circular. 



$ . Head above and abdomen dark brown ; the front of the head, 

 mandibles, antennae, thorax and legs yellow. Head oval, not very 

 arched posteriorly, with a distinct posterior margin ; antennae with 

 the scape extending by about a quarter of its length beyond the 

 top of the head. Thorax : the pronotuni convex and rounded above, 

 with minute lateral tubercles, the mesonotal transverse furrow 

 barely indicated, the metanotum long, bidentate posteriorly. 

 Pedicel : the 1st node small, squamiform ; 2nd proportionately 

 large, from above circular, rounded and convex above ; abdomen 

 broadly oval, highly polished and shining. 



Length, If. 4-4-5 ; $ 2 mm. 



Hob. "Western India, Poona (Wrouyhton). 



261. Phidole spathifera, Fore/, Rev. Sw'sse Zool. x (1902), pp. 168 & 

 ", I/ $ $ d; id. Jour. owb. N. H. Soc. xiv (1902), pp. 525 



11. Head, posterior node of the pedicel and abdomen dark 

 brown, almost black, the last with the apical margins of the seg- 

 ments yellowish ; flagellum of the antennae, t thorax, legs and 

 pedicel anteriorly chestnut-red ; the whole insect covered with 

 abundant short red hairs, and closely striate-reticulate, opaque. 



Fig. 80. Phidole spathifera, y.. a. Head. 



Head without the mandibles about as broad as long, rather widely 

 but not deeply emarginate posteriorly ; mandibles not dentate, 

 smooth along the masticatory margin*; clypeus medially narrowly 

 carinate, with the anterior margin bisinuate ; antennal carince short, 



