' Species of Aculeate Hymenoptera. 33 



acute ; llie prothorax paler than the metathorax ; the femora and 

 the tibiae beneath slightly fuscous. Abdomen oblong, the petiole 

 clavate, the second node pear-shaped ; the abdomen shining, the 

 rest of the body sub-opake ; entirely destitute of hair. 



Very like Pseudomyrma nigrtcej^s, but without the spine on the 

 petiole beneath as in that species ; the petiole longer and more 

 slender ; the abdomen concolorous, whereas in P. nigriceps the 

 apical segments are black. 



The nest of this species was forwarded to me by Mr. Stretch ; 

 it consists of the large hollow thorns or spines of a species of 

 Acacia; the spines are three inches long, tapering to a point 

 from a broad base ; the ants gnaw a small hole towards the 

 point of the spine, the broad base then forms an admirable 

 domicile for their young brood ; there are no cells or divisions 

 of any kind for the reception of the eggs or larva ; the number of 

 pupae found in one nest was twenty-nine, and about twenty ma- 

 ture ants, all of these were workers; the pupse are not inch)sed in 

 cocoons ; these ants sting very violently. 



Sub-family I. MYRMICID^. 



Genus Myrmica, Latr. 

 1. Myrmica molesta, Say, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist. i. 293, 6. 



This species has been received from France, Germany, Austria, 

 Brazil (Rio), Australia and N. America. I have reason to believe 

 that it is a native of Brazil, and has been carried to most parts of 

 the world in merchandize, 



Hab. Brazil; N. America; S. America; Australia; Britain; 

 France and Madeira. 



Myrmica reticulata. 



Operaria. — Sordide rubra, abdomine nig.ro ; capite thoraceque 

 reticulato ; pedibus pallide rufo-testaceis. 



Worker. Length 2 lines. Rufo-ferruginous, shining ; the abdo- 

 men smooth, shining black, except at the extreme base and apex, 

 which are pale rufo-testaceous. The inner margin of the mandi- 

 y)les rufo-fuscous, and armed with a row of small acute teeth ; the 

 eyes black ; the head and thorax reticulated, the latter with two 

 acute spines at the apex ; the legs paler than the thorax, with the 

 articulations of a slightly darker tint ; the body sprinkled with 

 short, erect, pale, glittering hairs. 



VOL. I. THIRD SERIES, PART I. MARCH, 1SG2. B 



