MYRMICA SIMILLIMA. 31 



fascia on the first segment, the apical margins of the two fol- 

 lowing with narrow fuscous margins; sometimes a slight fus- 

 cous stain on each side of the mesothorax, and also the hinder 

 margin of the scutellum fuscous ; the wings colourless ; the 

 head and thorax delicately striated ; the metathorax with two 

 acute spines. 



Worker. Length 1 line. — Pale reddish yellow; the head and 

 abdomen fuscous, the latter at the extreme base and apex pale. 



Male. Length 1J line. — Dark fuscous, nearly black ; the man- 

 dibles, antennae and legs pale rufo-testaceous ; the thorax, 

 nodes of the petiole, and the abdomen smooth and shining. 



The unifasciata of British collections is not that which conti- 

 nental Hymenopterists consider to be LatreihVs species ; in one 

 respect it does not quite agree : the female has, in fact, three 

 bands on the abdomen, and the worker has the abdomen nearly 

 entirely fuscous, only the base and apex pale ; it cannot be said 

 to have " une bande noire transverse sur le bord posterieure du 

 premier segment." The unifasciata has the club of the antennae 

 fuscous, and a narrow fuscous band on the apical margin of the 

 first segment. I have not seen a British specimen. 



10. Myrmica (Leptothorax) simillima. 



Operaria. — Rufo-pallida ; abdomine fuscescente, basi pallido ; 

 capite longitudinaliter striatim ruguloso; metathorace spinis 

 parvis acutis dentiformibus, 



Mvrmica simillima, Nyl. Form. Fr. et d' Alger, p. 94. 



Smith, Brit. Hym. 118 ; Cat. Hym. his. pt. 6. Form. 119 

 Brit. Form. p. 129. 

 Leptothorax affinis, Mayr, Form. Justr.-p. 170. 7 ? 



Worker. Length f line. — Head, thorax, and nodes of the pe- 

 duncle rufo-testaceous ; the mandibles, flagellum and legs pale 

 flavo-testaceous. Abdomen rufo-fuscous, shining, and pale at 

 the base and apex. Thorax rugose-striate, the anterior margin 

 transverse, the angles acute ; the thorax continuous, not stran- 

 gulated between the meso- and metathorax, the spines short 

 and acute ; the metathorax truncate ; the nodes of the petiole 

 tinely rugose. The insect is thinly sprinkled with short erect 

 pale hairs, most apparent at the apex of the abdomen. 



This species was sent to me by Mr. Dale, who took it at Glan- 

 ville's Wootton, Dorset. I believe it was found in a green- 

 house. I have received it since from Exeter, taken in a similar 



