126 Mr. Smith's Essay on the Genera and 



9. Myrmica graminicola. 



Foemma. — Rufo-pallida, sparse pilosula ; capite et thorace supra 

 longitudinaliter striatulo ; alls totis albo-hyalinis : spinis meta- 

 thoracis parvisdentiformibus; nodis sublaevibus, primo elongato, 

 secundo globoso. 



Myrmica graminicola, Latr. Hist. Nat. Fourm., p. 255 ; Curtis, 

 Trans. Linn. Soc, xxi. 216, 11. 



Female. — Totally pale ferruginous: head elongate, subqua- 

 drate, strongly longitudinally rugose-striate ; the scape slightly 

 bent, tips of the mandibles fuscous; the thorax longitudinally 

 rugose ; the metathoracic spines short and acute ; the wings hya- 

 line, the nervures and stigma pale testaceous ; the first node of 

 the abdomen petiolate, not toothed beneath, the second node glo- 

 bose; the abdomen oblong ovate; the entire insect sprinkled with 

 pale glittering hairs, rather thickly so on the head and abdomen. 



Worker. — Length Ig lin. Rufo-testaceous : the head elon- 

 gate, strongly longitudinally rugose-striate; eyes black, round 

 and very minute; flagellum 11-jointed, gradually thickening from 

 base to apex, the apical joint conical and acute ; the head ante- 

 riorly, mandibles, antennae and legs, pale ferruginous ; thorax : 

 narrow, elongate, strongly longitudinally rugose-striate ; ante- 

 riorly rounded and widest, deeply strangulated at the junction 

 of the meta- and mesothorax ; the teeth on the metathorax short, 

 acute and dentiform. The first node petiolate, the second rather 

 wider than the first, globose, both are shining above ; abdomen 

 smooth and shining, pale testaceous at the base and apex. 



Male. — Dark fuscous : shining and sparingly pubescent, the 

 parts of the mouth and the tarsi pale ferruginous ; the flagellum 

 obscure reddish brown, the scape black ; the head and thorax 

 rugose ; the metathorax oblique, smooth and shining, subdentate ; 

 the wings entirely dark fuscous, with the nervures black. 



I have not seen the male of this species ; the above description 

 is compiled from Latreille. I have twice taken the female flying; 

 once at Paddington, in the month of September, and a second 

 example near London, but do not recollect the precise locality. 

 A third winged female was captured by the late Mr. Wing, on 

 the 4th of December, at Vauxhall. The scarcity of some species 

 of Myrmicidce is to be attributed to their peculiar economy, 

 and also to their societies being few in number. As an example 

 of the first, I refer the student to the remarks under M.fugax. 



