MANN: LNT8 <>!• THE I'l.n islands. 431 



feeble. Bpinotal spines triangular and acute, Bhorter than their distance apart 

 :it base. Petiolar node subcuneiform, narrowly rounded above. Postpetiole 

 Blight l\ broader I ban pel iole. 



Shining. Cheeka longitudinall) Btriate; head regularly and sparsely 

 punctate; epinotum punctate as in soldier. The real smooth. 



Pilosity Long, erect and rather sparsely distributed on head, body, and 

 appendages. 



Brow nish yellow. Bead and gaster a little darker than the rest. 



/•'/ male. Length 1 mm. 



Head :i little broader than long; occipital border broadly and very shallowly 

 concave. Bpinotal Bpines triangular, nol acute, their width a1 base greater 



than their Length. Petiole shorter than in Boldier, and less excised above. 



Head Longitudinally striate. Bpinotal base and the posterior slope of 

 petiolar node punctate, the remainder smooth and Bhining. 



Pilosity and color as in soldier except that the inesot horax is dark like the 

 gaster. Wings hyaline with veins pale brownish yellow. 



Yiti Levu: Nausori. Vanua Levu: Suene, Lasema, Wainunu. 

 Taviuni: Somo Somo. Lau: Munia, Tuvuca. Vanua Mbalavu: 

 Loma Loma. 



A common widespread species, nesting beneath stones. It belongs 

 to the.//"/' ns group and is characterized by the short epinotal spines, 

 the prominently produced sides of the pronotum, and the flat mesono- 

 tum. 



23. Pheidole vatu, sp. nov. Fig. 13b. 



Soldier. Length 2.75-3 mm. 



Head one fourth longer than broad, slightly narrowed in front, anterior 

 two thirds of sides straight, occipital angles moderately rounded, occipital 

 angles deeply and narrowly excised at middle, vertex strongly, transversely 

 ini] aessed. Mandibles stout, their blades very indistinctly and obtusely 

 dentate at base and with two stout teeth apically, and sparse, minute teeth 

 between. Clypeus flat, rather strongly concave at middle of anterior border. 

 Antennal scapes extending a little less than half the distance to occipital 

 corners; first funicular joint longer than the three following joints together, 

 joints 2-8 slightly broader than long; terminal joint longer than the two pre- 

 ceding joints together. Eyes small and convex, situated in front of anterior 

 third of sides. Thorax a little more than half as broad as head. Promesono- 

 tum in profile strongly convex. Sides of pronotum produced and obtusely 

 angulate. Promesonotal impression distinct. Epinotum with subequal base 

 and declivity, the spines slender, straight, divergent, a little shorter than their 

 distance apart at base. Petiolar node three times as broad as long, excised at 



