A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 2 9 



head is less closely punctured, and the pro- and mesonotum dorsally, 

 and abdomen, are almost impunctate. The epinotum has some 

 punctures, large and very shallow on the dorsum, but smaller and 

 deeper at the sides ; the sides of the petiole are rather strongly 

 punctured. Mandibles shining and punctate-striate, masticatory 

 margin concave, apex acute but not ending in a tooth. The eyes 

 are larger and flatter and placed farther forwards than in lamellosa- 

 rhodesiana, and the head is not very noticeably wider than the 

 pronotum. The epinotum is not unlike that of lamellosa, but the 

 dorsum is wider and flatter, and the declivity is distinctly and rather 

 sharply margined laterally and above, the margin above ending on 

 each side in a rounded angle, hardly large enough to be called 

 a tooth. The dorsum of the thorax is slightly angularly marked 

 off from the sides, i.e. sub-marginate. The declivity of the epinotum 

 is less sloping than in lamellosa. The node of the petiole, seen from 

 above, is twice as long as wide, slightly concave in the middle of 

 the sides, rising from front to back, rounded in front and truncate 

 behind ; the posterior face is moderately concave and feebly mar- 

 gined all round ; the ventral lamella is produced at the extreme base 

 into a blunt triangular tooth. 



Abdomen oblong, 1st segment inverted cup-shaped, slightly wider 

 than long ; 2nd segment longer than wide, longer but not wider 

 than the 1st, the constriction between the two segments feeble. 

 Legs not so long as in lamellosa. 



Shiloh, S. Rhodesia. (S.A.M., R.M., G.A. colls.) 

 I have met with this species on only one occasion. The nest, 

 situated on an open piece of ground, was surmounted by a mound 

 with the entrance at the apex, as in lamellosa, v. rhodesiana, but 

 unlike that species the mound of Arnoldi contains no large pebbles. 

 The surface of the mound was covered with the elytra and carcases 

 of hundreds of beetles, mostly Tenebrionidae. Workers were seen 

 carrying live beetles to the nest, the prey being held by its mandibles 

 in a position above and parallel to the body of the ant. Since a 

 careful examination of the rubbish-heap of this nest failed to show 

 the remain of other insects, it is probable that this species feeds 

 entirely on Coleoptera, differing in this respect from most of the 

 other members of the genus, which in Rhodesia, at any rate, are 

 eminently termitophagous. 



S P. Coopeei, n. sp. 



£ . 6 - 5 mm. Brownish black, mandibles, anterior half of head and 

 3rd-5th abdominal segments brownish red, antennae, coxae, and legs 



