NEW SPECIES OF AUSTRALIAN ANTS 23 



rounded into the declivity. The epinotal declivity straight or feebly convex, 

 twice as long as the dorsum. Node from above is straight, or feebly convex, 

 transverse. In profile thorn-like, anterior face convex, posterior face straight, 

 flattened on top. Legs slender. 



Collected by J. Clark. Mundaring, W.A. 



Type in the National Museum of Vie. 



21. Prolasius depressiceps, Emery. (Plate I, figs. 24-25). 



Melophorus, Emery, Boll. Lab. Zool. Portici, 8, p. 186, fig. 5a, 1914. Genera 



Insect, fasc. 183, p. 12, 1925. 

 Prolasius, Wheeler, Psyche, 42, p. 71, 1935. 



Redeseribed from ants from Katoomba, N.S.W. 

 Worker : 



Length: 3-3 5mm. 



Reddish dark brown, legs slightly lighter, mandibles orange. 



Hah- yellow, long, erect, confined to clypens and gaster. Pubescence whitish 

 very fine, adpressed, confined to legs and antenna). 



Smooth and shining; antenna' xevy finely punctate, paster finely shagreened. 

 Head slightly longer than broad, sides convex, occipital border convex, corners 

 broadly rounded. Mandibles triangular, furnished with live strong, sharp 

 teeth behind the apex. Clypeus rounded in front and carinale. Frontal area 

 broadly triangular. Frontal carina' barely as Long as the distance between them 

 and parallel. Eyes large, placed about the middle of the sides. Ocelli small 

 but distinct. Scapes extend beyond the occipital border by half their length. 

 First segment of the funiculus slightly longer than the second, rest nearly twice 

 as long as broad, the apical segment as long as the two preceding taken 

 together. Thorax twice as long as broad. Pronotum slightly longer than 

 broad, sides strongly convex. Mesonotum one and a half times longer than 

 broad, broader behind than in front, sides straight. Epinotum as broad 

 as long, broader behind than in front, sides feebly convex. In profile pronotum 

 and mesonotum form an even convexity, with a slight dip at the promesonotal 

 suture. Dorsum of the epinotum strongly convex, and slightly elevated 

 behind, joining the slightly concave and slightly longer declivity with a notice- 

 able angle (right angle). 



The node scale-like, convex transversely. In profile bluntly pointed with the 

 anterior face strongly convex, the posterior face straight, about half as high 

 as the epinotum. Legs slender. 



Original Habitat : Katoomba, N.S.W. 



22. Prolasius depressiceps var. sinrilis, new variety. 



This ant differs very slightly from the type. The node is very much higher 

 than is the node of /'. depressiceps. It is also very like /'. mtidissimus, 

 but the dorsum of the epinotum does not in any way overhang the declivity 

 to form the very distinct angle described by Andre. 



Collected by W. M. Wheeler, 193 1 . Mt. Kosciusko, N.S.W. 



Type in the National Museum of Vic. 



23. Prolasius nitidissiaius, Andre. (Plate 1, figs. 28-29.) 



Formica nitielissimus, Andre, Rev. d'Ent. Caen, p. 255, 189G, $ 

 Melophorus nilidissimus, Emery, Boll. Lab. Zool. Sc Agric, Portici viii. 

 p. 18G, fig. 5b, 1914. $ 

 Melophorus vitidissimus, Emery, Genera Insect, fasc. 183, p. 12, 1925. 



