558 Annals of the South African Museum. 



pronotum ; meso-metanotal suture feeble. Metanotum a little wider 

 than long, the stigmatic tubercles fairly prominent. Meta-epinotal 

 suture not very deep. Dorsum of epinotum as long as the declivity, 

 fairly convex and rising posteriorly when seen in profile ; seen from 

 above subrectangular, not much widened posteriorly, the lateral 

 margins convex, armed with two fairly acute, triangular teeth, dis- 

 tinctly excavated lengthwise in the middle of the apical half. Declivity 

 oblique, the stigmata below prominent. Petiole as long as high in 

 front, ending in front in a wedge-shaped scale which is inclined 

 forwards, and armed above with 2 long, divergent spines directed 

 upwards. The spines are thick at the base, as long as the scale is 

 wide above, and seen from the side are distinctly curved backwards. 

 Abdomen large, longer than wide. 



$. 5 mm. (hitherto undescribed) . Black; legs reddish-brown, 

 tarsi, mandibles and antennae reddish-ochreous, the apical third of the 

 scape brownish. Pubescence decumbent, exceedingly fine, abundant all 

 over. Apical margins of the abdominal segments with a few short, 

 obtuse, yellowish erect hairs. Head and thorax dull, closely and 

 fairly finely punctate-coriaceous. Abdomen dull, rugulose. Head 

 subquadrate, wider than long. Ocelli placed close to the hind margin 

 of the head. Eyes large, occupying the middle third of the sides, 

 Mesonotum convex in front, flat above behind, a trifle wider than 

 long, with a depressed median line over its anterior fourth. Scutellum 

 broad, not much wider in front than behind, sloping gradually down- 

 wards to the metanotum. Dorsum and declivity of epinotum forming a 

 continuous and steep curve. Petiole short, without a long peduncle 

 behind the scale, the latter thin, unarmed, its upper edge convex from 

 side to side. Abdomen one and a-half times longer than wide, the apex 

 broad and obtuse. Wings fusco-hyaline, nervures and stigma brownish. 

 Bulawayo. Not common. The entrance to the nest is a very small 

 hole, rarely surrounded with excavated material. A very agile species, 

 and not easily seen, since its colour matches that of the soil. (S.A.M., 

 R.M., Gr.A. colls.; type of $ in my collection). 



V 

 Var. BALLAENSIS, n. V. 



^ . 3 mm. Head brownish-black, thorax dark red, petiole and 

 abdomen black ; legs and flagellum brown, tarsi and greater part of 

 the scapes dull ochreous. Pilosity on the abdomen black, longer than 

 in the type of the species. Thorax more robust than in the type- 

 species, pronotum one and a-half times wider than long in the middle ; 

 mesonotum circular, as long as wide, the metanotum one-third wider 

 than long. The petiole is a little longer than high in front and the 



