596 Annals of the South African Museum. 



than the mesonotum, sloping very gradually into the longer and verv 

 oblique declivity. Scale of petiole inclined forwards, seen from the 

 side cuneiform, the dorsal edge very thin or almost trenchant, feebly 

 emarginate in the middle. Abdomen about one-quarter longer than 

 wide, the sides moderately convex. 



^ replete, 4 - 6-6 mm. Head and thorax 2 mm. long, the rest 

 made up of the abdomen in various degrees of distention. This form 

 differs from the ordinary ^ as follows: The head is a little wider, 

 sometimes a little wider than long, quadrate, the sides straighter 

 and almost parallel. The ocelli are larger and plainly visible. The 

 thorax is relatively wider and less convex transversely, especially 

 the pronotum. The dorsum of the epinotum is much wider, at least 

 three and a half times wider than long in the middle. The abdomen 

 when fully distended has the chitinous plates separated by the 

 complete exposure of the intersegmental membranes. Otherwise like 

 the normal ^. 



The structural differences pertaining to this form seem to indicate 

 that as early as the larval stage certain individuals are set apart 

 to serve as honey-reservoirs, and that the replete is not merely an 

 ordinary ^ selected by chance to fulfil that function. 



9 5.6 mm. (hitherto undescribed). Mandibles, except the brown 

 masticatory margin, antennae, tibiae, tarsi and apices of the femora 

 ochreous, the last two joints of the flagellum infuscate. Head and 

 thorax pale brown (raw umber), the scutellum and metanotum 

 ochreous brown, abdomen and petiole dark brown. Pubescence 

 exceedingly short and dense, decumbent, pale yellowish, slightly golden 

 in the middle of the abdominal segments, present all over including 

 the legs and antennae. A few long yellowish pilose hairs on the 

 clypeus, and some short and blunt ones on the apical margins of the 

 abdominal segments. Mandibles and clypeus moderately shining, the 

 rest dull. Sculpture as in. the ^. Head subquadrate, a little wider 

 than long, the posterior angles rounded, the posterior margin straight. 

 The eyes occupy nearly one-third of the sides, placed a little 

 behind the middle. The scape reaches the occipital margin. Pronotum 

 narrowly exposed above. Mesonotum fairly flat behind, one-third 

 wider than long, the parapsidal sutures deep. Scutellum flat, convex 

 only at its margins, much wider than long. Metanotum rounded 

 and fairly prominent. Dorsum and declivity of epinotum confluent, 

 forming a single oblique plane. Petiole as in the ^. Abdomen elongate 

 parallel-sided, twice, as long as wide. Dealated, otherwise like the ^. 



It is to be noted that the emargination of the scale of the petiole 

 is almost or quite obsolete in the smaller ^ ^, in which case the 



