NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN ANTS 15 



5. Prolasius convexa, new species. (Plate I, figs. 6-7). 

 Worker : 



Length: 3-4-3- 6mm. 



Bright ferruginous throughout, but antenna?, legs and mandibles lighter. 

 Smooth and shining. 



Hair yellow, long, erect, confined to the clypeus and gaster. Pubescence 

 yellow, fine, adpressed almost confined to legs and funiculus. 



Head as broad as long — almost circular — with the sides and the occipital 

 border very strongly convex, and the corners broadly rounded. Mandibles 

 triangular, furnished with six strong teeth. Clypeus rounded in front, not 

 carinated. Frontal area triangular transversely. Frontal carinse short, diverg- 

 ing slightly. Scapes extend beyond the occipital border by almost half their 

 length. First segment of the funiculus longer than the two following together, 

 third very short, fourth to tenth longer than broad, apical segment almost as 

 long as the two preceding together. Eyes large convex, placed at the middle 

 of the sides. Ocelli small. 



Thorax twice as long as broad. Pronotum as long as broad with sides strongly 

 convex. Mesonotum one third longer than broad, anterior two thirds of sides 

 slightly convex, and wider apart than posterior third, whose sides are straight. 

 Epinotum twice as broad as long, sides feebly convex, broader behind than in 

 front. In profile the pronotum and mesonotum form an even convexity, with a 

 deep indentation at the promesonotal suture. Epinotal dorsum straight or very 

 feebly convex, inclined upwards behind. Declivity straight, at right angles 

 to the dorsum, and a quarter longer than the dorsum. Node transversely 

 convex. In profile thorn like, almost twice as high as broad, with anterior face 

 convex, and posterior face almost straight. Legs slender. 



Collected by P. J. Darlington. Dorrigo, N.S.W. 



Type in the National Museum of Vic. 



6. Prolasius clarki, new species. (Plate I, figs. 26-27). 

 Worker : 



Length 2 5-3mm. 



Ferruginous with antenna 1 and legs lighter; in some specimens the colour 

 is mottled dark ferruginous with the pronotum and mesonotum lighter. 

 Smooth and shining. 



Hair yellow, short, erect, apparent only on the clypeus and gaster. Pubes- 

 cence yellow, very fine, adpressed, abundant throughout but not hiding the 

 sculpture. 



Head very slightly longer than broad, with the sides convex, and the occipital 

 border concave. Mandibles triangular, furnished with six fairly even teeth, 

 Clypeus produced to a blunt point in front, not carinate. Frontal area trans- 

 versely triangular. Frontal carinas short and parallel. Scapes extend beyond 

 the occipital border by almost a quarter of their length. First segment of the 

 funiculus almost as long as the three following taken together, rest longer 

 than broad, the apical segment as long as the two preceding together. Eyes 

 small, placed slightly behind the middle of the sides. Ocelli small. 



Thorax twice as long as broad. Pronotum slightly longer than broad, with 

 sides strongly convex. Mesonotum one and a half times as long as broad, with 

 the sides almost straight. Epinotum slightly broader than long, with the 

 sides straight. In profile pronotum and mesonotum form an even convexity. 

 The epinotum is straight and elevated behind, while the declivity is straight or 



