(ECOPHYLLA. 31 1 



ocelli prominent ; eyes very large and prominent, giving great 

 width to the head ; antenna) 13-jointed, filiform ; the scape Ion" 

 thicken.ng slightly towards the apex, the basal joint of the 

 flagellum remarkably clavate. Thorax very massive, the meso- 

 notum broad and gibbous anteriorly, the pronotum sunk well 

 below its level in front ; scutellum large, laterally compressed, the 

 rest of the thorax and median segment sloping gradually to the 

 apex of the latter. Pedicel long, linear, scarcely thickened at all 

 -abdomen depressed, oval ; external genitalia large. 



351. (Ecophylla smaragdina, Fabr. (Formica) Si/st. Ent. 1775, 

 p. 828, $; Forel, Jour. Bomb. N. If. Soc. viii (1894), p. 400. 



maj. Eusty red, sometimes yellowish red, varying in depth 

 of tint according to locality : specimens from Travancore, Cochin, 

 Ceylon, and Tenasserim are of a brighter richer red than the 

 yellowish form found in the drier parts of India. Head and 

 thorax not pilose, abdomen with a few short erect hairs, chiefly 

 beneath and along the margins of the segments ; pubescence very 

 thin, fine and minute, rather whitish in colour; the head, thorax. 

 legs, node of pedicel and abdomen dull, subopaque. For the rest 

 the characters of the genus. 



min. Exactly similar, slightly smaller. 



$ . Characters of the genus. Normally of a beautiful emerald- 

 green, with a peculiar pellucid translucent appearance when alive. 

 Varieties are found of a pale yellow, with more or less of brownish 

 markings on the head and thorax, and nine out of every ten 

 specimens preserved in spirit, or dry, change their beautiful 

 emerald-green for a dingy yellow. 



c? . More or less similar in colour to the , sometimes dark 

 brown, very pilose, the hairs reddish brown and semierect ; 

 wings lacteous, hyaline, nervures yellowish brown. For the rest 

 the characters of the genus. 



Length, $ maj. 9'5-Jl ; g min. 7-8; $ 15-18; rf 6-7 mm. 



Hob. The whole of India, Burma and Ceylon within our limits, 

 except the desert and treeless tracts. The range of this species 

 extends through the Malayan subregion to Australia and New 

 Guinea. 



This is the notorious and vicious " Red Ant " of India ; it in- 

 habits trees and makes a nest of leaves. Its habits have been very 

 fully described by Messrs. Aitken *, Wroughton t, Rothney t, 

 and Green . Mr. E. E. Green records the remarkable habit 

 (E. smaraf/dina has of using its larva; to spin the silk with which 

 its nest of leaves is constructed. In Kanara and some other parts 

 of India, and throughout Burma and Siam, a paste made of this 

 species of ant pounded is eaten as a condiment with curry. 



* Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. vol. iv (1889), p. 151 ; & vol. v (1890), p. 422. 



t Op. cit. vol. vii (1893-94), p. 39. 



t Tnms. Ent. Soc. 1889, pp. 3T5 & 368-361. 



$ Proc. Ent. Soc. 1890, p. ix, and Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. xiii (19()0), p. 181. 



