1965] 
Haskins and Whelden — Rhytidoponera 
IOI 
the crater. Simultaneously, several workers were observed resting 
quietly outside the nest and in its near vicinity, with head and thorax 
rather closely appressed to the substrate on which they rested, but 
with the gaster held high and arched. The impression was strong that 
an attractant was being disseminated. Males which had emerged 
from the nest but had not yet flown paid no special attention to these 
individuals. Freshly emerged males, indeed, neither flew nor ran to 
any great extent, but went through extensive cleaning motions near the 
nest, and were frequently deported back into it by foraging workers 
which met them by chance. Nothing further occurred at this time. 
On the morning of September 6, with an ambient temperature of 
22 °C, ten workers were observed resting quietly near the nest crater 
with head and thorax appressed and gaster raised. They remained 
immobile in this position for a measured minimum of i minute 5 
seconds to a maximum of 12 minutes io seconds. Six were finally 
deported back to the nest by foraging workers encountering them 
apparently by chance. At the same time a few males emerged, and, 
after preliminary cleaning and running about, flew briefly. Nothing 
further occurred. 
On September 7, with ambient temperature of 24°C, males emerged 
in some numbers and flew actively. Foraging workers encountering 
such males became greatly excited and commonly attacked them at 
once. After approximately one half hour of more or less continuous 
flight, a few males alighted near the nest crater and, running rapidly, 
sought out nearby workers. No obvious selection was made of workers 
resting immobile with raised gasters, although a few of these were 
still present. As soon as a male encountered a worker, it grasped the 
worker in the cervical region with the mandibles and, thus firmly 
attached, at once inserted the stipes. The mandibular grip was then 
relaxed at once, and the male, with wings folded, was maintained in 
a nearly vertical position by the stipes alone. The first and third pairs 
of legs of the male were characteristically folded, while the second 
pair projected upward so that they were pressed against the costal 
margins of the wings. Both members of the pair usually rested quietly 
in this position for a few seconds. Thereafter the worker character- 
istically executed grooming movements and began to move about, and 
almost at once seized the male by the thorax with the mandibles and 
forcibly disengaged it. On a few occasions the worker began to move 
almost as soon as copulation began, dragging the male and dislodging 
it after progressing for an inch or two. 
The first copulation was observed at 8 150 A.M. and lasted for 40 
seconds. Between that time and 10:50 A.M., ten matings were 
