ANTS FROM MESOPOTAMIA AND NORTH-WEST PERSIA. UGS. 
[Monomorium (Paraholcomyrmex) destructor, Jerd., var. pallidus, 
Donisthorpe (Ent. Rec., xxx. 10, p. 166, 1918).| 
Sy) lu: 2-Ohmm: 
Monomorphic. Entirely pale yellow, in some specimens the apical half of 
first segment of gaster and the following segments very slightly darker: 
A few stiff hairs on clypeus, head, pronotum, nodes and gaster; antennz hairy 
‘but without exserted hairs. Short scanty adherent hairs scattered over head 
and legs. 
Mandibles 4-dentate. Anterior border of clypeus straight, the central portion 
concave and bounded on each side by a well-defined carina. Head elongate-oval, 
posterior border almost straight. Hyes just in advance of middle of sides. The 
scapes extend barely beyond occipital border. Club of funiculus 3-jointed, all the 
joints much longer than thick ; the second is much longer than the first, and the 
apical joint is longer than the two following taken together. The rest of the joints 
are approximately equal except the first. 
Thorax with a fairly deep incision; the angle between base and declivity of 
epinotum rounded ; dorsum of epinotum flat, not longitudinally impressed. Stalk 
of petiole rather short; first node hardly higher than second, broad at base; the 
second broader, rounded. 
Mandibles striate along the flattened outer border, smooth and _ shining 
towards apex. Clypeus smooth and shining. Head entirely smooth and shining, 
with a few minute piligerous points, pronotum also smooth and shining; rest of 
thorax and epinotum closely thimble-punctured, pedicel less so. Gaster entirely 
smooth and shing. 
@ (Hitherto undescribed). L. 4:5 mm. 
Yellow, but a deeper shade than the ¢ : a narrow V-shaped mark on scutum, 
a patch on each side of mesonotum, the wing insertions and borders of ocelli 
brown ; a band, broadening at the sides, along the apical border of first segment 
of gaster, and the whole of the remaining segments of gaster dark brown; extreme 
apical borders of segments yellow. Pilosity as in 3, but longer. Head longer 
than broad, but shorter proportionately than in 8; occipital border shallowly 
excavated ; scapes somewhat shorter proportionately; eyes large, slightly in 
advance of middle of sides. Dorsum of thorax almost horizontal; epinotum 
descends abruptly with hardly any division between base and declivity. 
First node narrower in profile than in %. Gaster large, oval. Head with a 
superficial longitudinal striation ; thorax shining, with a few small punctures, 
epinotum and pedicel asin %; gaster shining. 
3%, Amara (Buxton) 1918; N.E. of Baghdad (Evans) 1918, witha 
single deiilated °. 
Recorded in 1918 by Donisthorpe* as a colour variety of M. 
(Paraholcomyrmex) destructor, Jerd. The characters of the subgenus 
Paraholcomyrmex, however, as defined by Emery (Bull. Soc. ent. Fr., 
p- 191, 1915) are: ¥% 8 somewhat dimorphic, first and second joints 
of club of antenne visibly equal. Pallidum has the first joint of club 
considerably shorter and narrower than the second, and its § 8 are 
monomorphic; it will therefore rank as a species belonging to the sub- 
genus Monomorium (s.str.). 
* Specimens were sent by me to Mons. Emery as I was unable to make it 
agree with any known species and he returned them to me asa pale form of M. 
destructor. J therefore described it as a new variety of that species. I entirely 
agree with Mr. Crawley that it is a new species.—H.St.J.D. 
EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 
Fig. 1. Thorax and pedicel of Monomorium (s.str.) buxtoni, sp.n. 
. 30 2 oe 90 ns, pallidum, Donisthorpe. 
,, 2a. Funiculus of antenna of =f 
R Thorax and pedicel of Messor platycerus, sp.n. 
,, 3a. End of scape and first 3 joints of funiculus of same. 
Errata.—Pl. V., figs. 2 and 2a, mariae, sp. nov. should read pallidum, Donisthorpe. 
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