A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 683 



The species of this sub-genus usually form very large communities 

 in the ground, or under stones and logs of timber, etc. Unlike most 

 of the Myrmoturba group, which are mainly crepuscular, these ants 

 move about in the hottest sunshine. 



(6 

 (5 



(4 

 (3 



(2 



(1 

 (12 



(11 

 (10 



(9 



(7 

 (16 

 (15 

 (14 

 (13 



Key to the species of Myrmosericus, 2J.2J. and ££. 



1. Entirely black. Pubescence on the abdomen not abundant, in no way 

 hiding the sculpture and colour of the integument. 



2. 2J. more than 10 mm. long. Posterior tibiae with a dense, black and 

 oblique pilosity ; ^ minor, head not more than one and two-thirds as long 

 as wide. 



3. 2J., 13-2-15 mm. Cheeks without outstanding hairs ; petiole reticulate ■> 

 ^ minor, head one and two-thirds as long as wide . Petersi, Emery. 



4. 2J.j 11-12 mm. Cheeks with a few long and outstanding hairs; petiole 

 finely sculptured, merely rugulose ; ^ minor, head barely one-third longer 

 than wide ...... Eugeniae, Forel. 



5. 21 , 9-5 mm. long : posterior tibiae not pilose ; Q minor, head twice as long 

 as wide ..... angustictps, Emery. 



6. Pubescence on the abdomen very dense, hiding the colour and sculpture : 

 or if not, then the head is partly red. 



7. Pubescence on the 2nd and 3rd abdominal segments divergent on each 

 side of the lateral (transverse) 3rd, the hairs inside the latter strongly 

 undulate, more or less transverse and directed towards the middle line ; 

 the hairs outside the lateral 3rd directed obliquely outwards. 



8. Head, thorax and legs more or less bright brick-red or brownish red. 



9. 2j. , Head triangular, distinctly narrower at the middle than at the posterior 

 6th ; dorsum of epinotum concave longitudinally over its whole length ; 

 Q minor, epinotum as in the 2J., colour of thorax reddish brown. 



Valdeziae, Forel. 



10. 21 , Head subquadrate, as wide in the middle as at the posterior 6th ; 

 dorsum of epinotum feebly concave and on the basal half only ; ^ minor, 

 epinotum as in the 2J_ , colour of thorax bright red as in the 2| 



rufoglaucus, race vestitus, Smith. 



11. Head dark brown, the rest of the body black or blackish brown (colour of 

 pubescence not included) . . vestitus, var. pectita, Santschi. 



12. All the pubescence of the 2nd and 3rd abdominal segments convergent 

 towards the middle line, no lateral line from which they diverge. 



13. Pubescence of the abdomen obliquely convergent, not undulated and not 

 transverse in direction. 



14. Pubescence of abdomen greyish golden 



rufoglaucus, race flavomarginatus, Mayr. 



15. Pubescence of abdomen bronzy golden 



rufoglaucus, var. contraria, Santschi. 



16. Pubescence distinctly undulate, directed transversely in at least the 

 basal inner half of the segments. 



