A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 65 



B. (Mesoponera) caffraria, Smith. (Plate II., fig. 17, 17a, and 



Plate III., fig. 22.) 

 Cat. Hymen. Brit. Mus., vol. 6, p. 91, ? , 1858. Mayr, Ann. Nat. 

 Mus. Wien, vol. 10, p. 124, ? , 1895. 



$ . 9 mm. Black and dull; mandibles castaneous red; flagellum, 

 tarsi, and last abdominal segment dorsally, brown. The whole body 

 covered with an excessively fine and short pubescence, which is, 

 however, dense enough to give the surface, viewed obliquely, a 

 greyish-yellow tinge. Head, thorax, and apical half of all the 

 abdominal segments microscopically punctured, the basal invagin- 

 able portion of tbe latter shining and impunctate. A scanty pilosity 

 of short, thin, pale hairs on the head and thorax, and longer on the 

 abdomen, particularly the last three segments. Clypeus raised in 

 the middle, with a central shining line, hardly produced backwards 

 between the frontal carinae. Mandibles smooth, with a few large 

 punctures on the inner margin. Frontal carinae only slightly 

 widened anteriorly, the impressed line between rather faint. Scape 

 of antenna hardly reaching the occiput ; flagellum feebly incrassate 

 towards the apex. Eyes small, their long diameter not exceeding 

 two-thirds the length of the apical joint of flagellum. Sides of head 

 convex, anterior and posterior corners rounded, the former widely 

 so ; posterior margin feebly arcuate. Head wider than thorax. 

 Pronotum convex in front and at the sides ; dorsum of epinotum flat, 

 narrowest at the base, where it is less than half as wide as the 

 mesonotum ; declivity shining and steep, lateral margins tumid. Node 

 of petiole squamiform ; seen from above, triangular ; thickest at the 

 base, much wider above than below, rounded above ; posterior face 

 perpendicular and shining. Ventral lamella with an obtuse projec- 

 tion. Abdomen oblongo-ovate, 1st and 2nd segments of about 

 equal length, the constriction between them feeble. The 1st seg- 

 ment ventrally, has a slight median projection at its junction with 

 the petiole. 



$ . 10" 5 mm. Mesonotum and scutellum together, seen from 

 above, more than twice as long as the pronotum. Dorsum of 

 epinotum short, not so long as scutellum. Wings smoky, nervures 

 and stigma brown. Otherwise like the $ . 



S . 8 mm. Black and dull ; tibiae and tarsi yellow-brown, the 

 margins of the abdominal segments impressed, shining and tes- 

 taceous brown. Head, thorax, petiole and abdomen, except the 

 apical segment, closely, finely and reticulately punctured ; the sides 

 of the posterior portion of the mesonotum deeply excavated, shining 



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