78 Mr. F. Smith on some neiv Genera and Sj^crles 



2. Meranoplus subpilosus. (Plate IV. fig. 2.) 



M. niger ; thorace abdomineque longitudinaliter striatis ; thorace spinis 

 duabufi postice armato ; corpore pubescente. 



Worker. Length 2} lines. Black : the head subovate, narrowed an- 

 teriorty, delicately and rather distantly punctured, very finely and in- 

 distinctly aciculate, with a little strong abbreviated striatum at the 

 posterior margin of the vertex. The thorax deeply striated ; the trans- 

 verse impressed line at the base of the metathorax profound ; the meta- 

 thorax with two straight, stout, acute spines directed backwards. Ab- 

 domen ovate, finely striated ; the nodes of the peduncle with an irre- 

 gular coarse rugose longitudinal striatum ; the body, as well. as the legs, 

 with a scattered, glittering, pale pubescence. 



Captured by Mr. H. W. Bates at St. Paul, Brazil. In t!fe Collection 

 of the British Museum, &c. 



Genus Ceratobasis, n. g. 



Head oblong in the $ and £ ; eyes small and round, situated in a 

 groove at the sides of the head, into which the antennas are received 

 in repose ; the antennae subclavate ; the scape as long as the funiculus, 

 and grooved beneath for its reception; the funiculus twelve-jointed; 

 ocelli in a triangle on the vertex in the § , but wanting in the $ ; 

 mandibles incrassate, produced, with their inner edge serrated. The 

 thorax subovate in the $> , oblong and narrowed posteriorly in the $ ; 

 the superior wings with one margin.il cell, open at its apex ; one sub- 

 marginal cell ; the discoidal cells obsolete ; legs stout and of moderate 

 length ; the claws of the tarsi simple ; the metathorax with a tooth on 

 each side of the insertion of the abdomen. Abdomen ovate, pointed at 

 the apex, attached to the thorax by a petiole, which is binodose ; the 

 first node oblong-quadrate, the second subglobose. The body squa- 

 mulose. 



Note. — In my 'Catalogue of the JFbrmicidce,- I included this insect 

 amongst those which form the genus Meranoplus. The species was 

 received shortly before my work- went to press, but the winged female 

 has come to hand subsequently. The neuration of the wings is very 

 different from that of the genus Meranoplus; I have therefore removed 

 it from the genus in which I provisionally placed it. It is one of 

 the most singular insects in the whole family of the Formicidos. 



1. Ceratobasis singularis. (Plate IV. figs. 12, 13.) 



C. obscure fusco-brunnea, supra squamis pellucidis tecta; capite elon- 

 gato ; alis rufo-brunneis. 



Female. Length 3 lines. Reddish-brown, with the head, thorax 

 above, and apical half of the second segment of the abdomen very dark 

 brown ; thickly covered with white setae, the abdomen most sparingly 



