Mem. Nat. Mus. Vict., 12, 1941. 
AUSTRALIAN FORMICIDAE. 
Notes and New Species. 
By John Clark, 
Entomologist, National Museum of Victoria. 
Plate XIII. 
In this paper nineteen new species, representing four sub- 
families are described and figured, and a new genus has been 
created to contain a number of the species. 
Recent investigations in the genus Phyracaces revealed a 
well defined group of large species whose workers possess 
ocelli. As the workers in this genus are characterized as 
having no ocelli, a new genus Neophyracaces gen. nov. is 
erected to contain the species whose workers possess ocelli, 
as it is evident that they cannot be maintained in Phyracaces. 
The genotype selected is Pyliracaces clarus Clark, all phases 
of this species being known. At present fifteen species are 
included in the new genus, four of these are described herein. 
Both genera have a similar distribution, being found in each 
of the States except Tasmania. At present no species of 
C erapachyinae is recorded from Tasmania. Several species 
of Phyracaces are found near the sea coast, but they are more 
common and abundant in the dry and warm inland area. All 
appear to be robber ants and most of the species have been 
found whilst they were raiding the nests of other ants. Some 
interesting observations on their habits have been contributed 
to this paper by Mr. H. Potter, a keen naturalist and observer 
in Northern Victoria. During the past few years Mr. Potter 
has made some interesting discoveries concerning the ants 
and their habits, and as a result of his labour several species 
are described herein. 
It is interesting to note that the four species of robber ants 
discovered by Mr. Potter proved to be new species. One of 
these, Neophyracaces potteri sp. nov., confines its attention to 
a species of the genus Iridomyrmex; this species also is new, 
(Iridomyrmex viridigaster sp. nov.). The following notes on 
N. potteri have been supplied by Mr. Potter from observations 
made on his farm in Northern Victoria: — 
“During the afternoon of January 21st, a nest of this 
species was discovered near the gate leading into the sheep 
yard. Unlike most nests this one was inconspicuous and 
indicated only by a small hole in the ground; there was no 
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