46 Annals of the South African Museum. 



Genus MEGAPONERA, Mayr. 

 Verh. Zool. Bofc. Ges. Wien, vol. 12, p. 734, 1862. Emery, 

 Megaloponera, Ann. Mus. Stor. Nat. Genoa, vol. 9, p. 368, 

 1877. 

 Ponera (pars), Guerin, Gerstaecker, Roger. 

 Formica, Fabricius, Latreille. 



Characters. 



$ . Clypeus rounded anteriorly, with the anterior border and 

 middle portion raised, the latter convexly so, and produced back- 

 wards angularly between the frontal carinae. The latter are 

 slightly lobed in front, convergent in their middle portion and 

 diverge before ending at about the level of the eyes. Mandibles 

 triangular, the masticatory margin beset with alternating large and 

 small teetb. Eyes a little in front of the middle of the sides of the 

 head. Pronotum long, twice as long as the mesonotum ; the latter 

 margined all round by a tolerably distinct suture. Node of petiole 

 large, trapezoid in horizontal cross-section ; the ventral lamella is 

 produced into a blunt tooth, pointing backwards. Abdominal con- 

 striction obsolete. Claws with a short tooth near the base. 



? . (See footnote, p. 48.) 



$ . Clypeus gibbous, anterior margin rounded, posterior margin 

 not projecting between the frontal carinae, which are short and 

 indistinct. Mandibles very short and edentate. The antennal 

 sockets are further apart from each other than they are from the 

 sides of the head. Antennae moderately long, scape long, being 

 longer than the longest joint (2nd) of the flagellum ; the latter 

 filiform. Eyes slightly sinuate on their inner margins, and occupy- 

 ing less than half the sides of the head. Tbe posterior dorsal 

 margin of the head is produced into a rim or collar. Mesonotum 

 prominent and twice as long as the pronotum. Abdominal con- 

 striction feeble. Pygidium not spined. Claws with 3 or 4 minute 

 teeth near the base. 



M. foetens, Fabr. (Plate I., figs. 7, 8, 8a, and text-fig. 6.) 



(Formica), Ent. Syst., vol. 2, p. 354, $ , 1793. 



(Megaloponera) , Mayr, Sjostedt. Zool. Exp. Kilimandjaro, Formi- 

 cidae, p. 9, $ , 1907. 



(Ponera crassicornis), Gerstaecker, Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 

 p. 262, $ mi., 1858. 



£ major. 15 mm. Black, covered with a fine, yellow pruinose 



