A Monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. 751 



Durban. The only nest found was made in a shallow concavity 

 on the vertical trunk of a tree, the hollow being covered by a more or 

 less circular lid, about 1\ inches in diameter, made of a very closely 

 woven silky web in which were embedded particles of bark and dirt. 



(S.A.M., E.M., G.A. colls.). 



P. spinicola, Forel. (Plate IX, fig. 130). 

 Mitt. Schweiz. Ent. Ges., vol. 9, p. 70, & ?, 1894. 



5, 5'8-6*5 mm. Black ; femora, tibiae, apical joints of the tarsi and 

 apex of flagellum more or less reddish, the other joints of the tarsi 

 brown. Almost glabrous, subopaque. Head reticulate-rugose and 

 here and there pitted, the pits not large. Thorax longitudinally 

 rugoso-reticulate, reticulate-punctate between the rugae. Petiole 

 irregularly rugose. Abdomen very densely and evenly reticulate- 

 punctate. Sides of thorax fairly coarsely reticulate and rugose, the 

 legs and scapes very delicately reticulate. 



Head subovate, the sides very convex, the posterior margin not 

 distinctly delimited from the sides, as long as it is wide across the 

 eyes where it is widest, narrower in front of the eyes than behind 

 them. Clypeus feebly carinate, its anterior margin arcuate. Man- 

 dibles fairly dull, microscopically aciculate, also sparsely punctured, 

 5-dentate. 



Eyes very convex, hemispherical, projecting beyond the sides of 

 the head, placed at the posterior third. The scapes extend beyond 

 the hind margin by about one-third of their length. Pronotum 

 twice as wide as long (excluding the neck), the lateral margins 

 moderately convex ; the pronotal spines are about as long as wide at 

 their base. Both thoracic sutures distinct, the pro-mesonotal feebly 

 arcuate ; the mesonotum about one and a half times wider than long, 

 its lateral margins not in the least reflected upwards. Dorsum of the 

 epinotum a little wider than long, distinctly widened towards the 

 apex, which is armed at each corner with a curved tooth, directed 

 outwards, backwards and upwards, the interval between the teeth 

 sharply marginate ; the teeth are somewhat obtuse and fairly long, 

 but not so long as the pronotal. Declivity of the epinotum shining, 

 marginate at the sides, very concave from above to below. Scale 

 biconvex, thick, the two inner spines a little thinner and longer than 

 the outer, and curved more backwards. Abdomen concave at its 

 base and inclined forwards. 



