28 
AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF RHYTIDOPONERA MAYR 
Rhytidoponera (Rhytidoponera) aurata Emery, Gen. Ins., fasc. 118, 
p. 37, 1911,^. 
Rhytidoponera flava Crawley, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 8, xv, p. 232, 
1915, 
Worker. — Length, 9 mm. 
Head, thorax and antennae chocolate-brown; mandibles, gaster and legs 
lighter, more ferrugineus. 
Mandibles and scapes very delicately striate longitudinally with scattered, 
very fine, shallow punctures. Head and thorax coarsely punctate-rugose 
Node circularly striate-rugose with some shallow scattered punctures. Gaster 
very delicately striate, longitudinally arched on postpetiole, entirely longi- 
tudinal on second segment. 
Hair yellow, very long and erect on clypeus and apical segments of gaster, 
very short and erect on remainder of body. Pubescence on funiculi very fine. 
Head slightly broader than long, sides strongly convex, occipital border 
straight, with a strong crest in front, occipital corners sharp, projecting 
slightly laterally. Mandibles furnished with numerous small sharp teeth. 
Clypeus convex above, anterior border broadly convex. Frontal carinae barely 
twice as broad in front as bebind. Frontal area large, triangular. Scapes 
extend beyond occipital border by almost half their length. Second and third 
segments of funiculi equal length, barely one-third longer than first, apical 
as long as two preceding together. Eyes large and convex placed behind 
middle of sides. Thorax fully twice as long as broad. Pronotum barely 
as long as broad, sides parallel, dorsum flattened. Mesonotum one-fourth 
broader than long, convex in all directions. Epinotum short, conve.x trans- 
versely. In profile pronotum flattened above, dropping abruptly, convex in 
front. Epinotum convex from Imse to apex. Sutures well defined. Node 
one-third broader than long, broader behind than in front, strongly convex 
all directions. In profile one-third higher than long, anterior face straight, 
vertical, anterior superior edge sharj) pointed, dorsum flat, at right angles 
to anterior face, posterior face very short, rounded into dorsum; spine at 
front of ventral face very long and slender, semi-transparent. Postpetiole 
broader than long, conical, excision between the two segments rather deep, 
first segment of gaster broader than long. Legs rather short but robust. 
Male. — Length, 9 mm. 
Brown, mesonotum darker, gaster red. Wings yellowish with brown 
nervures. 
Mandibles finely striate, longitudinal between frontal carinae. Pronotum 
transversely rugose. Mesonotum and scutellum coarsely punctate-rugose. 
Epinotum shining, transversely rugose. Node finely and irregularly rugose. 
Postpetiole and gaster finely transversely arched striate, the arch bent back- 
wards. Legs shining, very finely reticulate. 
Hair yellow, long and erect throiighout, shorter and suberect on antennae 
and legs. 
Head one-sixth longer than broad, strongly convex behind eyes. Mandibles 
with numerous small sharp teeth. Clypeus broadly convex above and in 
front. Frontal area large, shallow, triangular. Frontal carinae as long as 
broad in front, broadest behind. Second segment of funiculi as long as scape 
and almost five times longer than first. Eyes occupy almost half the sides. 
Ocelli large and convex. Thorax barely twice as long as broad. Pronotum 
projecting slightly on sides and front. Mesonotum broadly convex in front, 
straight behind. Mayrian furrows feebly indicated, parapsidal and anterior 
central furrow sharply impressed. Scutellum one-third broader than long. 
