ZOOLOGY OF FERNANDO NOEONHA. 



539 



in the large workers it is red. Dr. Mayr records this species 

 from New Grauada, aud it is probably widely distributed in 

 South America. 

 Under the wood of a Burra tree iu the Sapate. 



25. Pheidole omniyoea, n. sp. 



Soldier 4| millim. ; worker 2|-3 millim. in length. 



Soldier red, shining (abdomen darker), sparingly covered with 

 raised white hairs. Head, without the mandibles, about as 

 broad as long, finely and sparingly longitudinally striated above 

 and in the middle, where it is depressed, behind ; sides gradually 

 rounded behind the eyes. Mandibles very broad, hardly punc- 

 tured, blackish at the base and tips. Scape of the antennse 

 straight, gradually thickened beyond the middle, nearly one 

 third of the length of the antennse. Second joint about three 

 times as long as broad, joints 3-9 very slightly longer than broad, 

 joint 10 much thicker and twice as long as broad, joint 11 rather 

 shorter and thicker, and joint 12 forming a long pointed cone ; 

 the hair on the antennse is thicker and closer than on any other 

 part of the body. Mesonotum with a hump on each side above, 

 and finely punctured above ; metanotum, which is armed with two 

 strong spines, more closely ; first node of the petiole with the 

 spine somewhat truncated at the extremity ; second node fully 

 twice as broad as the first, and with strongly projecting lateral 

 angles ; abdomen finely punctured at the base. 



Worker similar, but smaller and generally darker, the antennae 

 lighter ; the scape nearly as long as the remainder of the antennse, 

 slightly curved, but hardly thickened, and the terminal joint 

 thicker in proportion and less pointed than in the soldier. The 

 spines on the metanotum and on the first node of the petiole are 

 much shorter, -and the projecting sides of the second node are 

 rounded off*. 



This species much resembles Fheidole pusilla^ Heer, iu size 

 and general appearance, but diff'ers widely in structure. 



This was exceedingly abundant in the houses, making nests in 

 the earth between the bricks of the fioor. It is very destructive, 

 devouring all kinds of food, and even ate up the insects we 

 captured, in the chip-boxes. 



41* 



