iOS 



A Catalogue of the Species of Ants 



[No. 89, 



Warrior Jth of an inch long ; head enormous, rugose, striated, 

 deeply notched behind ; eyes minute, advanced, lateral ; jaws trian- 

 gular bluntly toothed, and with an appendage at thin base ; thorax 

 very rough, tubercled, with two minute rudimentary spines ; first 

 abdominal pedicle small, narrow, barely raised ; second large, broad, 

 raised, rounded ; antennae short ; antennae, legs, and abdominal pe- 

 dicles rufous, the rest of the body blackish. 



This species of Ant appears to form a link between the two 

 Genera Atta and Ocodoma, as shown by the rudimentary state of 

 the thoracic spines. I have found it chiefly about houses, it runs 

 rapidly, lives both on insects and other animal matter, and on 

 sugar, bread, &c. At first sight I mistook it for a small species of 

 Formica, mentioned hereafter, Formica vagans. 



8. Ocodoma Providers. (Stkes) ? 



"Worker about yth of an inch long ; head somewhat ovate bulging 

 slightly at the sides, and narrowed behind, notched posteriorly and 

 with two points, rough and granulous ; eyes moderate, central, 

 thorax slightly grooved with two small spine3 on its posterior 

 angles ; first abdominal pedicle pointed, second longer, broader and 

 rounded ; Warrior with jaws pointed and finely toothed ; thorax 

 very rough * length \ inch, head large, otherwise similar. 



I am by no means certain if this be Sykes' species or not, and, 

 indeed, without actual comparison, it would be very difficult to de- 

 cide, so similar are the general features of these small Ants, of 

 which I possess four very closely allied species from Southern 

 India, and have only collected these from two or three localities, 

 so that many other allied species may still exist. 



The habits and manners of all are very similar. They live under 

 ground, making for their size a large series of excavations. Their 

 common food I suspect to be animal matter, dead insects, &c. &c, 

 which at all events they take readily, but they also carry off large 

 quantities of seeds of various kinds, especially the small grass 

 seeds and, as every gardener knows to his cost, more . especially 

 garden seeds. They will take off cabbage, celery, radish, carrot 

 and tomato seeds, but are particularly partial to the light lettuce 

 seeds, and in some gardens, unless the pots in which they are sown 



