364 Annals of the South African Museum. 



a single plane. First node usually cuneiform. Second node cuboid or 

 globose. Pilosity long, abundant and woolly. 



$ . Antennae 9-jointed. Pro-mesonotum not spined nor dentate. 

 Wings with 1 cubital, 1 discoidal and 1 closed radial cell. 



$ . Antennae 13-jointed, the scape short, the 2nd joint of the 

 flagellum not much longer than the scape. Mayrian furrows usually 

 well defined. Nodes flattened, not cuneiform, sometimes with the 

 anterior angles subdentate. 



The ants of this genus are slow and timid insects, often feigning 

 death when handled. The nests of all our S. African species are 

 placed in the ground, usually with several entrances, which are 

 surrounded by irregular masses of excavated material. As far as my 

 observations go, they appear to be mainly carnivoi'ous in their diet, but 

 are also fond of sugary substances, and attend aphids and coccids on 

 plants. 



y 



Key to the ^ ^ of Meranoplus. 



(4) 1. Epinotum unarmed. 



(3) 2. Posterior margin of mesonotum feebly festooned . inermis, Emery. 



(2) 3. Posterior margin of mesonotum deeply festooned . nanus, Andre. 



( 1 ) 4. Epinotum armed. 



(10) 5. Mesonotum with short teeth at the posterior angles, much shorter 



than the epinotal spines. 



(7) 6. First node of petiole bispinose above . . . spininodis, Arnold. 



(6) 7. First node of petiole unarmed above. 



(9) 8. Lateral margins of pro-mesonotum deeply excised between the pro- 

 and mesonotum, strongly lobate on each side of the excision ; head 

 longitudinally striate anteriorly .... excisus, Arnold. 



(8) 9. Lateral margins of the pro-mesono'tum feebly excised, hardly lobed 

 on each side of the excision ; head reticulate-rugose in front and 

 behind ...... . Periugaeyi, Emery. 



(5) 10. Mesonotum spined at the posterior angles, the spines as long as 



those of the epinotum. 



(12) 11. Abdomen dull ........ Simoni, Emery- 



(11) 12. Abdomen more or less shining. 



(14) 13. I'ro-mesonotal sutm*e visible, linear . . var. suturalis, Forel. 



(13) 14. Pro-mesonotal suture obsolete. 



(16) 15. Abdomen very shining ; pro-mesonotum paler than the head and 

 abdomen, more or less yellowish-red . var. spring valensis, Arnold. 



(15) 16. Abdomen moderately shining ; thorax as dark as the rest of the 



body, or nearly so . . . . . var. nitidiventris, Mayr. 



I have not seen inermis, Emery, which has the epinotum unarmed, 

 like the race nanior, Forel, of nanus, Andre. I have some specimens 

 which have been named as this race by Dr. Santschi, but they do not 



