266 Annals of the South African Museum. 



behind, nearly parallel-sided, or only a trifle wider behind than in 

 front; almost twice as long as high, highest behind. Abdomen 

 cordate, moderately convex above, the ventral surface concave, all the 

 segments much wider than long. Legs long and thin. Wings paler 

 than in the ? . 



S. Rhodesia, widely distributed, but chiefly on granite soil ; Durban ; 

 German S.W. Africa. 



The colonies of this species are xisually very large, often comprising 

 1000 or more ^ £ . The latter bite and sting fiercely, but the sting is 

 rather blunt, and does not easily pierce the human skin. Although 

 their gait is slow, they are nevertheless active insects, travelling over 

 large areas in search of food, which seems to consist chiefly of other 

 insects. They do not appear to be aphidicolous, nor to attend Mem- 

 bracid or Lepidopterous larvae for their seci'etions, yet they are known 

 to harbour in their nests many myrmecophilous insects. A nest 

 examined by me * contained the following species of beetles : Allodi- 

 narda myrmicariae, Brauns ; Ogmocerus raffrayanus, Brauns ; and 

 Batrisus myrmicariophilus, Brauns. The Botanical Gardens in 

 Durban are infested with this species, but the examination of a large 

 number of nests revealed only one species of myrmecophile, Allodi- 

 narda Kohli, Wasm., which, however, was plentiful, as many as three 

 dozen being taken in one nest. The nest has numerous entrances, and 

 is surrounded by large heaps of excavated material, often covering an 

 area of several square feet. 



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



M. Batjmi, Forel. 

 Mitth. Schweiz. Ent. Ges., vol. 10, p. 307, £ , 1895. 



"5- 7"7-9 - 5 mm. Dark red brown; abdomen dark brown; 

 antennae and legs nearly black. Pilosity blackish brown. The 

 pilose hairs on the tibiae are very oblique, partly adpressed. Sculp- 

 ture as in evmenoides, but more densely reticulate-rugose. The 

 clypeus has a median carina. More especially, the head is distinctly 

 emarginate behind, and wider than in eumenoides, with the posterior 

 corners somewhat angularly elongated downwards, and with less 

 convex sides. The eyes are a little larger, more convex, and placed 

 further forwards than in eumenoides. Mossamedes." 



Also between Severelela and Khakhea, and Kooa, Kalahari. 

 (Schultze.) 



* See ' Proc. Rhod. Sc. Assn./ vol. xiii, pt. 3, 1914, pp. 25-42. 



