A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 291 



3 . 6'8 mm. (Hitherto undescribed.) Black, flagellum and tarsi 

 brownish-yellow, articulations of the legs reddish. The flat silvery 

 hairs entirely absent; fairly abundantly clothed with a long and 

 yellowish pilosity. On the head, thorax, and nodes the hairs are 

 somewhat woolly and suberect, on the abdomen straighter and 

 oblique. The legs have a sparse pilosity intermixed with a fine and 

 short pubescence. Flagellum pubescent, scape with straight pilose 

 hairs only. Head, thorax, and nodes very closely and sharply reticu- 

 late, with some more or less longitudinal rugae superimposed on the 

 head and thorax ; on the head these radiate outwards from the ocellar 

 area. Mayrian furrows well defined, the V-shaped space between the 

 furrows with wider reticulations than elsewhere. Scutellum less 

 strongly rugose. The 1st node with a few longitudinal rugae on its 

 posterior half, the 2nd node faintly striate at the sides. Head, 

 excluding the mandibles, a little wider than long, widest across the 

 eyes, narrowed in front and behind (but wider behind than in front), 

 the hind margin shallowly concave, the posterior angles sharp, very 

 convex transversely above and highest behind. Eyes convex and very 

 prominent, occupying about one-third of the sides, and placed a little 

 in front of the middle. Scapes extending back as far as the anterior 

 ocellus. Mandibles closely striate, 6-dentate, the anterior tooth large 

 and acute. Mesonotum gibbous, very convex in front, one-quarter 

 wider than long ; scutellum semi-circular, half as long as the meso- 

 notum. Epinotum armed with a short, subacute or dentiform tubercle 

 on each side ; the dorsum as long as it is wide between the tubercles, 

 sloping downwards and backwards and merging by a gradual curve 

 into the vertical declivity. The latter is shorter than the dorsum 

 and is concave lengthwise. First segment of petiole with a short and 

 ill-defined peduncle. The node has an oblique anterior face, slightly 

 convex lengthwise, and a shorter posterior-dorsal face ; the anterior 

 angles rounded, each one furnished with a minute tooth as in the 9 • 

 Second node hexagonal above, the anterior margin formed of three 

 sides, the lateral margins slightly concave and forming distinct angles 

 at their junctions with the front and hind margins. Abdomen 

 very finely alutaceous, shining. Head, thorax, and nodes dull. 

 Legs long and slender. Wings as in the 9 . but the nervures are 

 darker. 



S. Ehode'sia, common ; Mafeking ; Orange Free State and Basuto- 

 land. A harvesting and graminivorous species. The entrances to 

 the nests are often surrounded by small accumulations of the husks 

 of a grass seed. These heaps are smaller than those of Messor, and 

 much less tidily disposed. 



