A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 579 



cf. Scapes long, much longer than the head ; the head as long as, or 

 longer than wide . . Sub-genus Zealleyella, Arnold, n. s.-g. * 



(5) 6. ^. Meso-metanotal suture obsolete, the meta-epinotal suture very feeble. 

 Dorsum of epinotum not very convex, not higher, or very little 

 higher than the mesonotum. (head hardly narrower in front than 

 behind; 2nd joint of the fiagellum much shorter than the 1st). In 

 some, if not all species, some of the ^ ^ are used as honey-storage 

 vessels, and have the abdomen thereby abnormally distended. 

 Q. Not much larger than the Q. Sub-genus Anoplolepis, Santschi. 



* I had originally erected this sub-genus to include the species Trimeni, deceptor, 

 Macgregori, decolor and melanaria. Fortunately before the revision of the type- 

 script of these pages had been completed, I received a letter from Dr. Santschi, 

 in which he points out that the type of his sub-genus Anoplolepis is precisely the 

 Indian species, F. longipes Jerdon, in which the metanotum is not delimited 

 from the mesonotum. In this character, longipes agrees with the five species 

 mentioned above, although in the elongate and constricted form of the mesonotum 

 it differs very considerably from any of them. However, as it seems to me that 

 the absence of the meso-metanotal suture is a feature to which greater importance 

 should be attached, the five species should be" placed with longipes in the sub- 

 genus Anoplolepis. On the other hand, it is quite clear that the species custodiens, 

 Steingroeveri and Braunsi which were cited by Santschi as belonging to his new 

 sub-genus (see Voyage de Alluaud et Jeannel, p. 123, 1914) can not be attached 

 to the same group as longipes, and I therefore propose to transfer the name 

 Zealleyella to a new sub-genus to include those three species. I have much plea- 

 sure in naming this sub-genus in honour of my friend the late Mr. A. E. V. 

 Zealley, of the Geological Survey of S. Rhodesia and formerly Curator of the 

 Rhodesia Museum. 



Key to the species of Plagiolepis, § ^, 

 (repletes or honey-vessels not included). 



(10) 1. Metanotum small, much less than half as long as the mesonotum, the 

 meso metanotal suture feeble or obsolete, at least in the ^ minima, 

 (sub genus Zealleyella). 

 (7) 2. Epinotum very convex and much higher than the meso-metanotum ; 

 ^ ^ usually polymorphic. 



(4) 3. Thorax (and abdomen) dull, clothed with a dense, decumbent and rather 



silky pubescence ..... custodiens, Smith. 



(3) 4. Thorax more or less shining, at least the pronotum ; with a sparse pube- 

 scence or none at all. 



(6) 5. ^ major: scale of petiole thinner above than below; sides of head dis- 

 tinctly convex, c^ minor: whole body moderately shining, particularly 

 the head and pronotum ; meso-metanotal suture feeble 



Steingroeveri, Forel. 



(5) 6. 9 major: scale as thick above as below; sides of head only slightly 



convex; ^ minor: body very shining; meso-metanotal suture stronger 



. Braunsi, Forel. 



37 



