247 



conspicuously obliquely strigose, apex with a small fovea, over- 

 hanging which is the pygidium armed with two short acute 

 teeth. Metasternum convex along middle, with a conspicuous 

 process overhanging base of abdomen. Front and hind tibiae 

 dilated about apex, the middle ones each terminated by a 

 strong hook; middle tarsi unusually short. Length, 2 mm. 



9 . Differs in having the abdomen more dilated pos- 

 teriorly, its under-surface scarcely depressed below level of 

 metasternum, almost evenly convex, not foveate at apex, not 

 encroached upon by pygidium (which is unarmed), meta- 

 sternum not ridged along middle, unarmed at apex and more 

 sparsely clothed, and middle tibiae similar to the others at 

 apex.- 



Hob. — Queensland : Stewart River, from nests of a species 

 of Iridomyrmex, in appearance somewhat like delectus (W. 

 D. Dodd). Type, I, 8536. 



Readily distinguished from all previously described 

 species by the remarkable metasternum and abdomen of the 

 male; the colour is also considerably darker (at first glance 

 the head and prothorax appear to be almost black). The 

 setae on each side of the abdomen vary from two to four in 

 number, and are almost spine-like, the dense patch of clothing 

 on each side of the base is divided into two by the elevated 

 margin ; there is a stiff seta projecting from the mouth of the 

 male, and a smaller, but still fairly distinct one, from that 

 of the female. From some directions the end of the meta- 

 sternum appears to have a conical tubercle, but this is really 

 the upper part of an oblique (scarcely vertical) carina, whose 

 lower end (as viewed from the side) appears to be separated 

 from the abdomen by a notch. 



Articerus lophosternus, n. sp. 



cS . Dark castaneous-red ; head, prothorax, and antennae 

 still darker. Moderately clothed with rusty pubescence, 

 becoming longer and more golden on elytra, upper-surface of 

 abdomen glabrous except for a conspicuous oblique golden 

 fascicle on each side of base, and for a few stiff setae at the 

 sides and apex, a distinct line of clothing along middle of 

 sterna, hind femora also conspicuously clothed. 



Head short, wide, and deep, with a short longitudinal 

 impression in middle; punctures dense and rather coarse. 

 Antennae moderately long, strongly curved, cylindrical in 

 section, rather thin about base, beyond the middle rather 

 strongly inflated to the truncated apex. Prothorax about 

 as wide as long, front angles rounded off, the others almost 

 rectangular; with a deep and rather narrow impression on 

 basal half; punctures much as on head. Elytra rather 



