A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 735 



Olivieri, race tauricollis, Forel. 



(as race of foraminosus) loc. cit., p. 68. 



Santschi emend., loc. cit., p. 270. 



"4-3-6 mm. Very near to Ruspolii but shorter. Thorax very 

 strongly arched lengthwise, with unusually wide pronotum, which 

 has even sharper anterior angles. Dorsum of the epinotum narrower, 

 almost tectiform, fairly convex and merging arcuately into the 

 declivity. Scale convex above. The pits on the slightly shining 

 head of the 2J. fairly shallow. Abdomen shining, feebly rugulose, 

 sparsely punctured. In the $ minor the whole body is shining and 

 feebly rugulose. Clypeus somewhat produced in front. Head and 

 thorax of the 2[ reticulate-punctate. Black ; antennae and ends of 

 the tarsi brownish red ; mandibles and legs dark brown. Scale and 

 epinotum with white, thick and blunt hairs, which are sparse else- 

 where. Pubescence very fine, short and scanty. Delagoa Bay, 

 (Liengme)." 



Sub-genus MYRMEPOMIS, Forel. 

 For characters see. table of sub-genera. 



Only one species belonging to this sub-genus occurs in our region, 

 but it is split up into three races and two varieties. These may 

 easily be recognised by the nature of the very abundant, oblique or 

 almost decumbent pilosity on the abdomen, which is composed of 

 very thick and blunt hairs. In cross-section these hairs are cylin- 

 drical or oblong. They more or less hide the sculpture. The anterior 

 corners of the pronotum are either sharply margined and angular or 

 subangular, or produced into a short tooth. The tibiae are strongly 

 prismatic, the upper, inner and outer faces of which are deeply 

 canaliculate. In habits the fidvopilosus group is distinctly arenicolous, 

 yet strangely enough, these ants lack the ammochaetae which are 

 found in other arenicolous species, such as C. mystaceus and the 

 myrmicine Ocymyrmex. 



The $ and <$ are both large. The former is quite as long as the 2J., 

 but has a narrower head. The head of the 21 in some forms is very 

 large. 



Key to the fulvopilosus group, 2i, £. 



(4) 1. Head and thorax black. 



(3) 2. Pilosity of abdomen fulvous ; the 2j. has a more or less distinct, small 

 glabrous spot in the middle of the 2nd (sometimes also the 3rd) abdominal 

 segment ...... fulvopilosus, De Geer. 



