263 



301. Phidole indica, Mayr, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xxviii (1878), 

 pp. 676-679, 1/ ; Forel, Rev. Suisse Zool. x (1902), pp. 184, 11, 

 & 198, rf ; id. Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. xiv (1902), pp. 538 & 546. 



I/. Dark castaneous brown, shining, the flagellum of the 

 antennae, the metathorax, legs and pedicel of a somewhat lighter 

 shade ; head, thorax and abdomen with fairly abundant pale red 

 erect hairs, and a thin sparse minute whitish pubescence seen 

 only in certain lights, and most distinct on the flagellum of the 

 antennae and the tibiae and tarsi of the legs. Head slightly 

 narrower posteriorly than in front; the occiput deeply emar- 

 ginate, with a distinct depression on the vertex, the posterior 

 lateral angles conical and rounded above ; the whole head somewhat 

 coarsely longitudinally striate, the striae curving transversely 

 outwards on the posterior lateral angles ; mandibles smooth and 

 shining, the masticatory margin with two blunt teeth at apex, the 

 upper portion of margin indistinctly crenulate ; clypeus with its 

 medial portion smooth and shining, slightly convex ; scape of 

 the antennae reaching a little more than halfway up from its 

 insertion to the top of the head and fitted into a longitudinal 

 groove. Thorax irregularly transversely striate ; pronotum 

 rounded, convex; mesonotum with a transverse Bridge slightly 

 bigibbous ; metanotum longitudinally sulcate, the 'lateral spines 

 short and thick at base. Anterior node of the pedicel without an 

 appendix or prolongation beneath, posterior node slightly trans- 

 verse, about twice as broad above as the anterior node ; abdomen 

 a little longer than broad. 



. Yellowish or reddish brown, smooth and shining, head and 

 abdomen darker ; pilosity as in the I/ , pubescence almost entirely 

 wanting; head oval, the occiput rounded; thorax anteriorly 

 smooth and polished, a little narrower than the head ; mesonotum, 

 metanotum and node of the pedicel delicately sculptured, opaque; 

 abdomen smooth and shining. 



$ . Resembles the I/ , but is fuscous brown, with the mandibles, 

 antennas, sides of the thorax posteriorly and the legs reddish 

 brown. The head is a little broader than long, sculptured as 

 in the I/; the mesonotum and sides of the metanotum longi- 

 tudinally striate and rugose ; the nodes of the pedicel transversely 

 striate. 



rf . Head smaller proportionately than in the ? , thorax massive ; . 

 scape of the antennae short, about equal in length to the basal 

 two joints of the flagellum. Head and thorax more or less 

 sculptured and opaque. Dark brown ; wings yellowish hyaline, 

 nervures yellow. 



Length, I/ 4-5-5-5 ; $ 2-5 ; $ 8-5 ; J 5 mm. 



Hob. Throughout Continental India, Burma, and Ceylon. 



Var. coonoorensis, Forel, has the sculpture on the head and 

 especiallv on the occiput more pronounced, the strhe being more 

 abundant and distinct, and the prouotum somewhat tuberculate. 



