106 A REVISION OF THE GENUS PROMYRMECIA EMERY (FORMICIDAE) 
greatly reduced in front; constriction deep. First segment of gaster one-seventh 
broader than long, broader behind than in front. Legs long and slender. 
Habitat—Western Australia: Perth (type locality, Chase); Fremantle; Rott- 
nest Island (L. Glauert) ; Albany; Denmark (J. Clark). 
Promyrmecia nigra Forel 
Plate XV, figs. 62-63 
Myrmecia picta Smith var. nigra Forel, Fauna Sudwest Austral., i, p. 267, 
1907, ¥. 
Myrmecia (Myrmecia) picta Smith var. nigra Emery, Genera Insect., fasc. 
118, p: 21, 1911. 
Myrmecia (Promyrmecia) infima Forel var. nigra Wheeler, Colony-founding 
among Ants, p. 63, 1933, 8. 
Worker. Length 7-9:5 mm. 
Black, apical half of mandibles brown, basal half reddish-yellow; antennae and 
legs brown, apical half of funiculus and the tarsi reddish. The colour of the thorax 
and node varies considerably amongst the individuals of each nest. The majority 
of specimens have the pronotum, epinotum and node more or less marked with 
red, whilst on many examples these segments are entirely red; the postpetiole and 
gaster always black. 
Apical half of mandibles with five large, deep punctures, basal half finely 
punctate. Head finely striate-rugose longitudinally, interstices densely reticulate. 
Pronotum more coarsely striate-rugose, transversely arched; mesonotum finely 
striate-rugose longitudinally and very densely reticulate; epinotum more coarsely 
rugose transversely ; node irregularly rugose ; postpetiole and gaster microscopically 
punctate. 
Hair yellow, long, slender and erect, abundant throughout, shorter and suberect 
on legs. Pubescence white, very fine and adpressed, abundant throughout, longer 
on postpetiole and gaster but not hiding sculpture. 
Head as long as broad, sides and occipital border feebly convex, angles broadly 
rounded. Mandibles shorter than head by fully their width at base; external border 
feebly concave, inner border convex, furnished with ten large, sharp, erect teeth, 
the second, fourth and ninth smallest. Scapes not extending to occipital border 
by fully their thickness; second segment of funiculus one-eighth longer than first. 
Thorax two and one-half times longer than broad; pronotum one-fourth broader 
than long, mesonotum as long as broad, circular, strongly convex above, meso- 
epinotal constriction deep and narrow; epinotum one-fifth longer than broad; in 
profile mesonotum higher than pronotum and epinotum, highest at middle, excision 
deep; dorsum of epinotum convex, almost twice as long as declivity into which 
it is broadly rounded. Node one-sixth broader than long, broadest behind, feebly 
convex in all directions; in profile higher than long, anterior face high, sloping 
backward and rounded into dorsum, posterior face short, convex continuous with 
dorsum, ventral spine long, slender and sharp, as long as broad at base. Post- 
petiole almost one and three-quarter times broader than long, hemispherical in 
front; constriction deep and wide. First segment of gaster broader than long, 
broadest behind. Legs long and slender. 
Female, Length 9-5-11 mm. 
Colour as on the worker. Sculpture coarser. Pilosity and pubescence longer 
and more abundant. Differs from the worker in being larger and more robust and 
possessing wing. 
Male. Unknown. 
