Mem, Nat. Mus. Vict., IX, 1936. 
A REVISION OF AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OP 
RHYTIDOPONERA MAYR (FORMICIDAE). 
By John Clark, 
Entomologist, National Museum. 
(Plates III- VI.) 
In Australia the genus Rhytidoponera is most abundant 
in the northern area which conies within the influence of 
monsoonal rainfall and in the drier areas to the south. ^ It has 
not been found in Tasmania, in the southern half of Victoria, 
in the extreme south-west of Western Australia, nor in the 
mountainous districts of New South Wales. Many species 
are found in New Guinea, two in the Solomon Islands and two 
in Aru Islands; the genus has also been recorded from the 
Moluccas. 
Emery (Genera Insectorum, 118, 1911) listed 14 species, 
6 subspecies and 4 varieties, a total of 23 forms as Australian. 
Since that time 22 forms have been added, chiefly by Crawley 
and Forel, making a total of 45 forms. In the following pages 
20 new species are described and reticulata Forel, which is a 
true Rhytidoponera, is retained in the genus; 12 species are 
deleted and ruginoda Smith is removed from the genus, mak- 
ing a total of 53 known forms. Both Roger and Emery place 
Ponera ruginoda Smith in Rhytidoponera, but from Smith’s 
description it cannot be included in this genus. 
Males of only 22 forms are known; of these 17 are now 
described and figured, and for the remainder, which I have 
iiot seen, the original descriptions have been transcribed for 
the sake of completeness. In the present state of our know- 
ledge it is almost impossible to determine the species of undes- 
cribed males collected without related workers. For this 
reason a large number of unknown males in the collection has 
not been dealt with here. During early summer males are 
present in the nests. They often fly in numbers to lights at 
night. 
All efforts to find a female have failed, although diligent 
search has been made in many nests containing eggs, larvae 
and pupae. Probably the female is ergatoid, resembling the 
workers so closely that only careful examination of each 
individual will reveal her. 
14 
