56 
AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF RHYTIDOPONERA MAYR 
Mandibles and antennae very finely striate longitudinally, with small, shal- 
low, scattered punctures. Head strongly punctate-rugose, longitudinal in front, 
diverging strongly outward behind. The ground surface densely and finely 
reticulate. Thorax densely and finely transversely reticulate-striate, with 
large, shallow, scattered punctures. Node coarsely punctate-reticulate. First 
segment of gaster with very fine reticulate-striae transversely arched, second 
segment more reticulate than striate, more or less transversely. 
Hair bristle-like, very short and erect, sparse throughout, shorter but more 
abundant on antennae and legs. 
Head one-sixth longer than broad, much broader in front than behind. 
Sides straight to the eyes, narrowing rapidly behind eyes, occipital border 
straight, the angles bluntly rounded and feebly projecting forward. Mandibles 
with four or five short blunt teeth and five or six very small between them. 
Clypeus convex, bluntly pointed in front. Frontal carinae flattened above, 
slightly longer than broad in front. Scapes extend beyond the occipital border 
by barely half their length. Second segment of funiculus one-third longer 
than first, third slightly shorter than second, apical as long as the two 
preceding together. Eyes placed behind the middle of sides. Thorax twice 
as long as broad; pronotum one-third broader than long, strongly convex; 
pro-mesonotal suture sharply defined but not deep ; mesonotum broader than 
long, convex in all directions; epinotum slightly broader than long. In 
profile the thorax convex longitudinally with a slight depression at anterior 
of epinotum. Node oval, three times broader than long, convex transversely. 
In profile three times as high as long on top, the anterior face straight or 
feebly concave, dorsum flat, rounded into posterior face, anterior border 
sharj) ; the ventral spine fully twice as long as broad, sharply pointed. Post- 
petiole one-sixth broader than long, bell-shaped. First segment of gaster 
one-fourth broader than long. The constriction between the segments 
strongly but not deeply impressed. Legs robust. 
Male. — Length, 10- 5 mm. (Text fig. 3). 
Head, thorax and node blackish-brown. Mandibles, antennae, legs and 
gaster brown. 
Mandibles finely and densely striate longitudinally. Clypeus irregularly 
rugose, very finely and densely reticulate between the rugae. Head more 
finely and irregularly rugose, with some large shallow punctures betw^een the 
rugae, cheeks between ej^es and frontal carinae densely punctate. Pronotum 
finely striate transversely in front, with large, shallow, scattered punctures 
between the striae. Mesonotum irregularly rugose with traces of fine longi- 
tudinal striae, very finely and densely punctate. Scutellum coarsely rugose. 
Epinotum and node finely striate-rugose transversely. Postpetiole and gaster 
very finely and densely reticulate. 
Hair brownish, short and erect, abundant throughout. Wings hyaline, 
nervures brown. 
Head strongly convex behind the eyes. Mandibles with numerous small 
sharp teeth. Clypeus broadly convex in front and above. Frontal area 
shallow, broader than long, triangular. Frontal carinae as long as broad in 
front. Scapes as long as second segment of funiculus, fully three times longer 
than second segment. Eyes occupy fully one-third of the sides of head. 
Ocelli large and convex. Thorax barely twice as long as broad. Pronotum 
projecting and broadly rounded in front. Mesonotum broader than long, 
convex in all directions. Parapsidal furrows distinct but feebly impressed, 
longitudinal groove feebly impressed in front and behind, obsolete in middle. 
Scutellum one-third broader than long, much broader in front than behind. 
