104 A REVISION OF THE GENUS PROMYRMECIA EMERY (FORMICIDAE) 
Myrmecia (Myrmecia) picta Emery, Genera Insect., fasc. 118, p. 20, 1911; 
Viehmeyer, Ent. Mitteil., Berlin, xxiii, p. 222, 1924, 3. 
Myrmecia (Promyrmecia) urens Clark, Vict. Nat., xliv, p. 39, 1927; 
Wheeler, Colony-founding among Ants, p. 62, 1933; Clark, Mem. Nat. 
Mus. Vict., viii, pp. 13-14, 1934. 
Worker. Length 6-8 mm. 
Black, basal half of mandibles and labrum yellow, apical half reddish-yellow ; 
antennae, anterior tibiae and apical half of femora and all tarsi reddish or reddish- 
yellow, other tibiae and femora brown. The colour of the thorax and node varies 
considerably amongst the individuals in every nest. Large numbers have the 
dorsum of pronotum, epinotum and node red; head, postpetiole and gaster always 
black. 
Apical half of mandibles obliquely striate, basal half finely reticulate and with 
numerous large, shallow punctures. Head finely and longitudinally striate, striae 
widely spaced, interstices densely reticulate. Pronotum irregularly rugose, meso- 
notum with faint traces of obsolete rugae, epinotum irregularly rugose, with a 
more or less transverse direction, node irregularly rugose, all the thorax and node 
very densely reticulate. Postpetiole and gaster microscopically punctate. 
Hair yellow, long, erect and abundant, shorter and suberect on legs. Pubescence 
white, very fine and adpressed, longer and more abundant on postpetiole and gaster 
but not hiding the sculpture. 
Head as long as broad, broadest in front, sides and occipital border feebly convex, 
angles rounded. Mandibles fully their width at base shorter than head, external 
border concave, inner border convex, furnished with four large, sharp, erect teeth, 
each preceded by two smaller teeth, the fourth forms a slight angle, behind which 
are two small denticles. Scapes fully their width at apex shorter than head; first 
and second segments of funiculus equal length, third one-fifth shorter. Thorax 
two and one-half times longer than broad; pronotum one-third broader than long, 
dorsum feebly convex transversely, mesonotum as long as pronotum, circular, as 
long as broad, excision deep but not wide, epinotum one-third longer than broad, 
convex transversely; in profile pronotum evenly convex from apex to base, meso- 
notum strongly convex, much higher than pronotum and epinotum, highest at 
middle dropping behind, excision deep; epinotum convex from base to bottom of 
declivity. Node as long as broad, broadest behind the middle, convex in all direc- 
tions ; in profile slightly higher than long, anterior face straight, sloping backward, 
sharply rounded into dorsum, posterior face short, convex and continuous with 
dorsum, ventral spine slender and sharp. Postpetiole one-fourth broader than 
long, constriction deep. First segment of gaster broader than long, much broader 
behind than in front. Legs long and slender. 
Female. Length 8-9 mm. 
Colour, sculpture and pilosity as on the worker. Occipital angles more broadly 
rounded. Mandibles shorter, broader and the teeth stronger. Scapes slightly shorter. 
Node one-fourth broader than long. Postpetiole one-third broader than long. 
Wings hyaline. Ergatoid females are found commonly in nests. 
Habitat—New South Wales: Sydney (type locality) ; Como; Manilla; Pilliga 
Scrub; Lismore. 
Queensland : Fletcher ; Milmerran; Peak Downs. 
Victoria: Cann River; Bendigo; Lake Hattah; Portland. 
South Australia: Mt. Lofty; Port Lincoln. 
Tasmania: Launceston. 
