A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 345 



Subgenus XIPHOMYRMEX, Forel. 

 Mitth. Schweiz. Ent. Ges., vol. 7, p. 385, 1887. 

 Characters. 



$ and $. Antennae 11-jointed; antennal scrobes usually well 

 denned. 



Nodes generally squamiform. 

 $ . Antennae 10-jointed. 



Key to the ^ £ of Xiphomyrmex. 



(2) 1. Mandibles tridentate ; 1st node not squamiform, fossulatum, Forel. 

 (1) 2. Mandibles with 5 or more teeth ; 1st node more or less squamiform. 

 (4) 3. Promesonotum smooth. Humbloti, Forel, var. victorensis, Forel. 



(3) 4. Promesonotum coarsely rugoso-reticulate. Weitzaeckeri, Emery. 



T. (xiphomyrmex) Weitzaeckeri, Emery. 

 Ann. Soc. Ent., France, vol. 63, p. 39, £ , 1895. 



^ . 3"5-38 mm. Dark brown, the abdomen piceous, legs and 

 scapes light brown, flagellum, tarsi, and mandibles more or less dark 

 brownish-yellow. Shining, especially the abdomen. Pubescence short 

 and very scanty, present only on the legs and antennae. Pilosity 

 rather sparse, composed of pale yellowish and erect hairs, abruptly 

 truncate at the apex. Head longitudinally and strongly striate or 

 striato-rugose between the frontal carinae, coarsely reticulate-rugose 

 at the sides. Thorax very coarsely reticulate-rugose, the rugae empha- 

 sised longitudinally. The spaces between the striae and rugae finely 

 reticulate, more distinctly so on the head than on the thorax. 

 Declivity of the epinotum, the nodes and abdomen smooth and shining, 

 the latter very polished. The 1st node has three impressed lines on 

 the dorsal surface, the outer ones oblique. 



Head as long as wide, very little narrower in front than behind, the 

 posterior margin nearly straight, the sides feebly convex, very convex 

 above transversely. Eyes fairly large, placed in the middle of the 

 sides. Frontal carinae divergent, prolonged backwards as strong 

 ridges almost to the occipital margin, curving outwards and forwards 

 at their posterior extremity. The floor of the demiscrobes finely 

 reticulate only. Clypeus with a strong median carina, which is 

 usually forked at its anterior end ; the anterior margin feebly excised 

 in the middle. Scapes as long as the sci obes ; the flagellum stout, 

 2nd-7th joints wider than long, the club fairly thick, longer than the 

 rest of the flagellum. Mandibles very finely striate, armed with 6 or 

 7 rather broad teeth. Dorsum of thorax obtusely marginate at the 



