NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN ANTS. 
Myrmecia ( Promyrmecia ) picta Smith. 
(PI. 1, figs. 3, 4.) 
Myrmecia picta Smith, Cat. Hym. Brit. Mus. vi, p. 146, 1858, 3 ?; 
Lowne, The Entomologist, Lond. ii, p. 336, 1865, $ 
Myrmecia (Promyrmecia) picta Smith; Clark, Victorian Naturalist, 
xliv (2), p. 39, 1927, $ ? <T. 
Worker. — Length, 9-12 mm. 
Black. Mandibles, clypeus, front of face, to about the hind margin of 
eyes, yellow ; antennae and anterior legs reddish-yellow ; intermediate and 
posterior legs brownish ; tarsi lighter. The colour of the thorax and nodes is 
most variable, ranging from all black on some specimens, to all red on others. 
The most numerous individuals have the head, behind the eyes, pronotum and 
a spot on mesonotum, black ; edges of mesonotum, all the epinotum, node and 
greater portion of postpetiole red, or reddish-yellow. The gaster always black. 
Head longitudinally striate, finely and densely reticulate between the 
striae. Mandibles shining, with scattered elongate punctures. Pronotum 
transversely arched, striate-rugose, in some specimens almost longitudinally 
arched. Mesonotum finely transverse rugose, in a few examples almost smooth. 
Epinotum transversely, often irregularly, rugose, definitely striate on declivity. 
Node irregularly rugose. Postpetiole and gaster very finely and densely 
punctate. 
Hair yellowish, erect, rather long and abundant throughout, none on 
scapes, longer and more abundant on apical segments of gaster than elsewhere. 
Pubescence greyish, very fine and abundant, particularly on postpetiole and 
gaster, frequently appearing as a greyish covering. 
Head as long as broad, broader in front than behind, occipital border 
nearly straight, angles rounded. Mandibles not as long as head, external 
border concave at middle. Inner border nearly straight to basal fifth, thence 
sharply reduced to base ; furnished with nine teeth, first two small, third, 
fifth, seventh and nine twice as large ; the ninth forms the angle between the 
two apparent borders. In some examples there is indication of a tooth on 
basal border but this is usually edentate. Frontal carinae short, almost 
parallel. Clypeus strongly excised at middle in front, inner edges straight. 
Labrum projecting almost to points of clypeus, anterior border feebly rounded. 
Eyes and ocelli large and convex. Scapes not extending to occipital border ; 
second segment of funiculus one-third longer than first and third, fourth to 
eighth equal, ninth and tenth shorter, apical as long as the two preceding 
together. Thorax fully two and one-half times as long as broad. Pronotum 
almost twice as broad as long, dorsal surface slightly rounded. Mesonotum 
circular, rounded above. Epinotum longer than broad, without a boundary 
between dorsum and declivity ; the latter short. Node broader than long, 
slightly broader behind than in front ; in profile much higher than long, 
rounded above, the stalk in front short, not half the length of node, anterior 
face nearly vertical, posterior face sloping behind. Postpetiole one and 
three-fourths times broader than long, much broader behind than in front, 
convex on sides and above. First segment of gaster broader than long. Legs 
long and moderately slender. 
Female. — Length, 13.5-14.5 mm. 
