A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 243 



narrower than the head, wide and convex in front, considerably 

 narrowed behind. Pro - mesonotal suture ill defined; the nieso- 

 epinotal suture deeply impi'essed. Epinotum unarmed, the limits 

 of the two faces ill defined, the declivity slightly excavated. First 

 joint of petiole shortly pedunculated, the 1st node usually wider than 

 the 2nd. 



5 . Minor and minima. Like the $ maxima, but the head is more 

 elongate, the sides less convex, especially in the smallest $ ^ . The 

 mandibular teeth more acute. 



$. Antennae 11-jointed. Eyes fairly large and convex; three 

 ocelli. Pronotum hardly exposed above ; mesonotum not very narrow, 

 almost as wide across the tegulae as it is long. Dorsum of epinotum 

 very short. First node cuneiform, not much wider than the 2nd. 

 Anterior wings with 1 cubital and 1 discoidal cell ; the radial cell 

 open. 



<$ . Antennae 12-jointed; the scape very short; the 1st joint of 

 the flagellum globose. Head reversed trapeziform, widest in front. 

 Mandibles long and narrow, with 3 or 4 teeth. Median area of 

 clypeus more or less quadrate and gibbous. Eyes large and convex ; 

 ocelli large, raised. Pronotum not exposed above. Mesonotum very 

 gibbous. Mayrian furrows absent. Scutellum raised above the level 

 of the epinotum far more than in the ? . Epinotum as in the ? . 

 First node emarginate above ; 2nd node with the dorsal surface 

 flattened, not convex, as in the $ . 



This genus is found in both hemispheres. One species, 8. geminata, 

 so far not recorded from our region, is very widely distributed, 

 occurring over the greater part of the circumtropical area. The 

 European species, S.fugax, is frequently found in the nests of other 

 ants (chiefly Formica) ; but our commonest species, punctaticeps, 

 forms large and independent nests. It is almost hypogaeic in its 

 habits, rarely coining to the surface except in dull weather. 



S. punctaticeps, Mayr. (Plate VI, figs. 78, 78a, 78b.) 



Eeise d. Novara, Zool., p. 109, $ , 1865. Forel, Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg., 

 vol. 54, p. 431, form B, ? , <$ , 1910. 



^ . Maxima, 3"6 mm. Dirty ochreous, the apical half of all the 

 abdominal segments more or less reddish brown yellow ; head brown 

 or brownish yellow. Head sparsely and strongly punctured ; thorax 

 sparsely and less strongly punctured ; the median longitudinal area of 

 the pro-mesonotum almost impunctate. Legs and abdomen very 

 sparsely punctured, the punctures on the abdomen minute and 



