1930 ] 
Notes on Euponera gilva 
73 
the pronotum and mesonotum of harnedi appeared a trifle 
more glabrous than that of some of the specimens of the 
typical gilva . The abdominal pilosity of harnedi also 
seemed slightly longer and more abundant, but here again 
it was impossible to make a satisfactory distinction because 
of the variability of the typical form. We are of the opin- 
ion that the minor differences shown by harnedi are those 
which have been used to distinguish the so-called nest 
variety. To establish varietal status on this basis necessi- 
tates the frequent splitting of a series from a single colony, 
a procedure which we consider taxonomically unsound. The 
authors feel sure that Dr. Smith will agree that synonymy 
is preferable to the use of such minute distinctions. 
It may be of interest to note here that the name gilva 
appears to have been a misnomer. As ordinarily used gilva 
refers to the light yellow color more often characterized by 
the term flavus or flava. The name gilva , therefore, seems 
scarcely applicable to the ferrugineous specimens which 
have been found to represent this form, and one is justified 
in questioning that our present material is of the same 
color as Roger’s types. That the latter were also ferrugi- 
neous is indicated by Emery’s statement in his description 
of ’95. Emery had for study two workers from the Berlin 
Museum. Although these do not seem to have been cotypes, 
they were, in all probability, compared with Roger’s origi- 
nal specimens. Emery notes that their color is much darker 
than that of the European ochracea. There are two speci- 
mens of ochracea , taken by Emery, in the collection of Dr. 
Wheeler. The color of these is a clear, golden yellow, nota- 
bly lighter than that of any specimen of gilva which we 
have seen. We may consequently conclude that the color 
of Emery’s specimens of gilva , and presumably Roger’s also, 
was the same as that of our present material. 
Descriptions of the sexual forms of E. gilva and figures 
of all three casts are presented below : 
Euponera (Trachymesopus) gilva (Roger) 
Ponera gilva, 
Roger, Berl. Ent. Zeitschr., Vol. 5, p. 170, (1863). 
Mayr, Verh. Zool-bot. Ges. Wien, Vol. 36, p. 438, (1886) 
