A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 117 



above, declivity of the epinotum vertical and very short. Node of 

 petiole quadrate-globose, slightly wider behind than in front, the 

 central lamella produced in a wide angle. First abdominal segment 

 narrow at the base, 2nd and 3rd segments sub-equal, and a little 

 longer than the 1st, 4th segment a little shorter than the preceding, 

 ■5th segment widely and semicircularly excavated apically, the dorsal 

 boundary of the excavation forming a sharp edge, ending on each 

 side inferiorly in a short tooth. 



$ minor. 5-6 mm. This differs from the $ max. in the fol- 

 lowing characters. The colour is slightly lighter, and the head is a 

 little narrower behind tban in front, and is only arcuately emarginate 

 behind. The apex of the mandible is not blunt, but ends in two 

 sharp teeth, the lower tooth being the larger ; the tooth on the inner 

 margin is also acute. The pubescent hairs on the body are longer. 



£ minima. l - 7-2 mm. Colour pale dirty yellow. Flagellum 

 '9-jointed. Pilosity and pubescence stronger than in the £ minor. 

 Mandibles without a tooth on the internal margin, and with the 

 upper apical tooth almost obsolete, making the mandible an elongate 

 triangle. 



$ . 25 mm. long. Thorax 8 mm. long, 4*5 mm. wide; head 

 1*5 mm. long, 4*3 mm. wide; abdomen 13 - 5 mm. long. Head 

 reddish brown, mandibles, antennae, and legs ferruginous ; thorax, 

 petiole, and abdomen dark brownish yellow, the pronotum and 

 petiole with a rather castaneous tint. The whole body, except 

 the legs, mandibles, and antennae covered with a close and fine 

 yellow pubescence. Head, thorax, coxae and petiole with long, 

 silky, and pale yellow hairs. The apical abdominal segment has 

 similar hairs, but shorter. Head behind the eyes rather shining, 

 the rest of the head, and the body, impunctate and dull, all the legs 

 smooth and shining. Head much wider than long, a very little 

 wider than the thorax. Front of the head somewhat raised in the 

 middle, leaving a broad but shallow depression on each side, reaching 

 to the eyes. Frontal carinae obsolete. Eyes moderately large; 

 ocelli on a raised area, the vertex concave between the posterior 

 ocelli. The scape extends back as far as the anterior ocellus, 

 flagellum two and a half times as long as the scape ; 1st and 

 2nd joints not longer than wide, the rest longer than wide ; the 

 2nd joint is pubescent and dull below. The mandibles are flattened, 

 widest at the base, thinning after the basal third, the apex rounded. 

 When the thorax is looked at from above, the pronotum is not 

 visible, as it lies entirely below the mesonotum ; the latter is half 

 as long again as wide, the parapsidal sutures distinct ; the scutellum 



