88 
AUSTRALIAN SPECIES OF RHYTIDOPONERA MAYR 
Male. — Length, 7-5-8 mm. 
Head, thorax and node dark chocolate-brown, with a metallic violet sheen, 
mandibles, clypeus, antennae and legs brown. Caster bright metallic green, 
or blue-green. 
Mandibles finely striate longitudinally. Clypeus very coarsely punctate- 
rugose, punctures large, shining at bottom. Head more finely punctate- 
rugose, the punctures large and shallow. Whole of thorax coarsely punctate- 
rugose, the punctures large and shining at bottom, interstices finely reticu- 
late. Node and gaster transversely striate, the striae more or less obsolete, 
particularly on first segment of gaster. 
Hair yellow, long, erect and abundant throughout, shorter and suberect 
on antennae and legs. 
Head one-eighth broader than long, strongly convex behind eyes. Mand- 
ibles with numerous strong sharp teeth. Clypeus strongly convex in front 
and above. Frontal area large, triangular and shallow. Frontal carinae as 
long as broad in front, broadest behind. Second segment of funiculus slightly 
longer than scape and four times longer than first. Eyes occupy barely half 
the sides. Ocelli large and convex. Thorax barely twice as long as broad. 
Pronotum projecting very slightly in front of mesonotum, strongly convex. 
Mesonotum barely as long as broad, cone-shaped in front, feebly convex 
behind, central groove in front strongly impressed, parapsidal furrows weakly 
impressed, mayrian furrows not indicated. Scutellum slightly broader than 
long, broadest in front, convex in all directions. Metanotum triangular, 
much broader than long. Epinotum convex transversely. In profile pro- 
mesonotal suture feebly impressed. Pronotum erect, feebly convex. Meso- 
notum strongly convex from apex to base. Scutellum dome-shaped, fully 
twice as long as high. Metanotum longer than high, convex above. Epinotum 
convex, rounded into declivity, the latter straight, longer than dorsum. Node 
much broader behind than in front, sides convex. In profile highest and 
convex behind, sloping gradually downward in front. The ventral spine 
slender and sharp, one-third longer than broad at base. Postpetiole one-fifth 
broader than long, sides strongly convex. First segment of gaster one-third 
broader than long, sides strongly convex. Constriction between the two 
segments deep and wide. Genitalia retracted. Legs long and slender. 
Habitat. — Western Australia: Widely distributed from Geraldton to 
Bunbury and eastward to Northam. 
Explanation of Plates. 
Plate III. 
Frontal view of head; lateral view of body. 
Fig. 
1. Rhytidoponera cerastes Crawley. Worker. 
2. R. taurus Forel. Worker. 3. Male. 
4. R. cornuta Emery. Worker. 
5. R. aurata Roger. Worker. 6. Male. 
7. R. mirabilis sp. nov. Worker. 
8. R. quadriceps sp. nov. Worker. 
9. R. scabra Mayr. Worker. 10. Male. 
11. R. laticeps ¥oxe:\. Worker. 12. Male. 
13. R. glabrior Forel. Worker. 14. Male. 
15. R. mayri Emery. Worker. 16. Male. 
