304 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4TH Serr. 
4. Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger) 
Tetramorium? auropunctatum Roger, Berl. Ent. Zeitschr. 7, 
LSOSM pWS2 a cron 
Tetramorium auropunctatum Forel, Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. 
Nat. \(2)/20) 18840). 375) )3/>) Maya) Vier zoolu bor Ges: 
Wien, 37, 1887, p. 623; Dalla Torre, Catalog. Hymen. 7, 1893, 
palso: 
Ochetomyrmex auropunctatus Forel, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. 
SONLSSO} Ce ps DOE DX 
Tetramorium (Xiphomyrmesx ) auropunctatum Forel, Mitth. 
Schweiz. Ent. Ges. 7, 1887, p. 385. 
Wasmannia auropunctata Forel, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 
USB, ds dts) G2 e- 
Seven dealated females and numerous workers taken by Dr. 
Williams in November, 1905, and seven workers taken by the 
“Albatross” in 1899 (U.S. Nat. Mus.). The females are con- 
siderably darker than West Indian specimens but of about the 
same color as Brazilian and Colombian specimens in my collec- 
tion. This is the ant to which Snodgrass and Heller refer 
(supra p. 301) under the old name Tetramorium auropunctatum 
as occurring in great numbers on the leaves on Cocos Island 
and as making “traveling on the island exceedingly disagree- 
able.’ It is not the bite, however, but the sting which is so 
irritating. There is also a note on Dr. Williams’ label to the 
effect that his specimens were found on rocks and vines and had 
a “fiery sting.” This ant is well known in Porto Rico under 
the name of “albayarde”. Mr. R. H. Van Zwalenberg wrote 
me from Mayaguez: “In regard to Wasmannia auropunctata 
Roger I would say that as a rule this species is not pugnacious 
even when handled under ordinary collecting circumstances. 
It has a burning sting, however, though not so severe as that of 
Solenopsis geminata. The ferocity of the “albayarde” is pro- 
verbial among the natives ; when present during the coffee pick- 
ing it gets under the workers’ clothes and then gives a good 
account of itself.” This difference in behavior is easily ex- 
plained. When one opens the populous nests under stones or 
logs the minute workers are unable to penetrate the thick skin 
of one’s hands with their stings, but can easily thrust them 
into the thinner skin of the covered parts of the body. 
