A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 229 



The 1st node of the petiole cuneiform, rounded above, the peduncle 

 nearly as long as the node ; 2nd node wider in front than behind, 

 wider than the 1st node, and slightly wider than long. 



$. 4' 3 nun. Reddish yellow; scutellum, median portion of 

 metanotum, declivity and sides of epinotum, and the mesopleura dark 

 brown. The posterior face of the 1st node slightly brown. Colour of 

 the abdomen similar to that of the ^ but darker. Pilosity, pubes- 

 cence and puncturation as in the ^ ; a longitudinal median area on 

 the anterior half of the mesonotum finely striate. Head, excluding 

 the mandibles, as wide as long. The eyes moderately large, placed in 

 the middle of the sides. Pronotum not exposed dorsally ; mesonotum 

 very slightly wider behind than in front, convex anteriorly, one-third 

 wider than long. Dorsum of epinotum very short, the declivity 

 strongly reticulate, its upper half excavated and concave, its lateral 

 margins tumid. The upper half of the declivity is very steep, the 

 lower half vertical. Nodes of petiole similar to those of the $ , but 

 the peduncle of the 1st joint is shorter, and the node is also shorter 

 and more compressed from front to back, so that the dorsal edge is 

 linear. The 2nd node is wider than in the ^ , quite two-thirds wider 

 than long. The anterior angles of the abdomen more rounded than in 

 the £. 



" c? • 3 mm. Dai'k brown ; mandibles, scapes, apical half of the 

 flagellum, femora and tibiae yellowish brown ; basal half of the 

 fiagellum, tarsi and apex of the abdomen pale yellow. Pilosity long, 

 very sparse and light yellow. Head closely and finely punctured. 

 Clypeus convex, obtusely rounded behind, not carinate, finely shag- 

 reened. Frontal sulcus extending as far as the anterior ocellus. 

 Thorax punctate above and in front ; on the metanotum and the sides 

 of the thorax the punctures are so shallow that the sculpture appears 

 merely shagreened. Petiole punctured. Abdomen almost smooth 

 and very shining, the rest of the body with only a faint gloss." 



Durban. (H. Bell-Marley.) Capetown. (R. Lightfoot.) The 

 original home of this cosmopolitan species is probably South America. 

 It is frequently found in hothouses in temperate countries. 



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



M. Oscaris, Forel, var. nuptialis, Porel. 



Mitth. Schweiz. Ent. Ges., vol. ix, p. 8(5, 1894. (Var.) Deutsch. Ent. 

 Zeit. Beiheft, p. 216, £ , 1913. 



ty . 1*6-1 8 mm. Dirty brownish yellow, the antennae and tarsi 

 paler. The median dorsal area of the 1st abdominal segment is 



