MANN: wis OF THE FIJI ISLANDS. 



425 



broadesl behind, Btrongly narrowed in front, with b pedunculate anterior 

 portion about twice as long as broad, posterior corners rounded; in profile, 

 longer than high, anterior face Bloping, top rounded, posterior surface flat, 

 gaster long and Blender. 



Very shining. Mandibles with sparse, coarse punctures. Clypeus, cheeks, 

 and anterior part of fronl densely and irregularly striate, interspersed with 

 coarse punctures. Remainder of head and the body with regular coarse 

 widely separated piligerous punctures, coarsesl <>n the head. Rather short, 

 Buberect hairs moderately abundant on head and body, a few scattered re- 

 cumbent hairs on gaster, pubescence lacking. Appendages with stiff, sub- 

 erect hairs. 



.let black; appendages dark reddish brown to black, antennae and tarsi 

 lighter than the resl . 



Fig. 10. — Leptogenys (Lobopelta) vitiensis Mann, 

 petiole. 



Worker. Lateral view of thorax and 



Yiti Levu: Nadarivatu. 



With the exception of L. letilae, which is quite abundant, the species 

 of Lobopelta are rare in Fiji and I encountered only one colony each of 

 fugax, navua, humiliata, and vitiensis. The latter four forms, though 

 quite distinct from each other, belong to a group that includes also 

 conigera Mayr and its variety adlerzi Forel from Australia, acutangula 

 Emery from New Caledonia and chinensis Mayr, all of which have the 

 petiole elongate. L. vitiensis is most nearly related to acutangula, 

 but differs in having the posterior corners of the petiolar node rounded 

 instead of angulate, and in its being much more attenuate when 

 viewed from above. 



The apical portion of the mandibles are distinctly shorter than in 

 conigera and in all of the specimens before are edentate. 



All of the Fijian species excepting foveopunclata have one type of 

 punctation, the head is covered with strong almost foveolate punc- 

 tures, the bottoms of which are rugulose. The front of the head 

 outward from the carinae is rugulose and sometimes striate. The 



