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Psyche 10:164-167, 1903.
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164 PSYCHE.
[August
st-i'iolatu Cam., ibid., p. 10. 9. Mex.
alticola Cam., ibid., p. 10. & Mes.
trichtosouui Cam., ibid., p. 11. 8. Gnat. å´picfpe Cam., ibid., p. 11. 8. Mex.
comors Cam., ibid., p. 12. 8 9. Mcx.
~zig~~ocuertileli Cam., ibid., p. 12. f. Mex. wo?i-tezuma Cam., ibid., p. 13. 3. Mex.
dejecta Cam., ibid., p. 14. Mex.
corn Cam., ihid., p. 14. $. Guat.
aztecaCam.,ibid.,p. 17. 9. Mex.
voltaiiz'ca Cam,, ibid., p. 17. 2. Panama. ~Jirigtieizsis Cam., ibid., p. 18. 2 Panama. comancJe Cam., ibid., p. 19.
Mex.
ncarcfz'ca Kohl, Verb. 2001.-bot. ges. Wen, 701.34, p. 18. 8. 1889. Wash. fem̤s'-r̤'br Fox, Proc. Gal. acad. sci., (2), vol. 4, p. 102. $. (1894). L. Cal. uasalis Provancher, Nat. can. vol. 20, p. in. $. (1895). Cal. grienniiDalla Tome, Cat. Hyn~., vol. 8, p. 400. (1897). Cuba. aficalis Guerin, Icon. reg. anim., vol. 7, p. 435. (18~5).
63. wrig-kfii Cresson, Trans. Amer. ent. SOL, vol. 4, p. 378. 2. (18721, Tex., N. Mex.
HULL ZOOLOGICAL LAOOR.$-LORY
The University of Chicago.
May 2.7, 193.
i'HE NORTH AMERICAN ANTS OF THE GENUS STENAMMA SENSE STRICT0.I
BY WILLIAM MORTOX WHEELER, AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, NEW YORK., N. Y.
There is a good deal of confusion in regard to the two described North American species of STENAMMA sensii stricto, owing to imperfect knowledge of the sexual forms of one of the species. Stenamma warcticwz was described by Mayr from two male and two female specimens taken towards the end of October in California. To the same species he referred two workers, one frdin New Haiup- Contributious from the Zoological Laboratory of the University of Texas, Yo. 51.
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shire and one from Virginia.
Later he withdrew the description of the workers and left the species to rest on the descriptions of the winged forms alone. The other species (S. brmicorne Mayr) was described at length from worker and female specimens taken in Virginia.
In his revision of the North American STENAMMA, Emery regarded marcticum as a subspecies of the European S. westwoodi, and referred to this same form his own subspecies diecki with its variety impressurn. More recently Forel has again revised the species, prefacing his conclusions with the following remarks: "This subgenus (STEKAMMA seas. sir.) presents an almost inextricable tangle of allied forms. The sculpture of the American species is denser than that of S. westwoodiof Europe. 1 believe that they should be separated specifically, if only for the sake of unravelling the tangle. On the other hand, I doubt whether S. diecki Emery really belongs to nearcticum and believe that it belongs rather to b~e7x"orne. Emery gives the differential char- acters between the American workers and the typical Weshuoodi but not between the
workers of nmrcticwn and hwicorne. Now the fundamental difference between these two species lies in the wings, and none of the specimens described by Emery as nm?-cficum, diecki, etc., seem to have possessed these appendages, as the author makes no mention of them. It seems to me more prudent, therefore, since the winged sexes are so little known, to retain the name nearctimm only for the female and male described by Mayr and to consider all the other American forms as races or varieties of In'evicorne till we have proof of the contrary." After examining considerable material of STENAMMA from different parts of the United States, from Connecticut to Washington, I am abie to establish the truth of Professor Forel's conjecture. Among this material a single male and female collected at Corvallis, Oregon, and sent me by Mr. J. C. Bradley, are without question referable to Mayr's warfiic-um. These specimens are veiy dark, with conspicuous apterostigma, and with the same neuration as the European westwoo~z'~, i. e., the inner branch of the cubital vein comes off cit the cross-vein. The males and females of all the other North American forms in my possession (including diecki Emery i) have the inner branch of the cubital vein arising from the ?aid//Ze of the culiital cell, and therefore undoubtedly belong to 6revicorne Mayr, as Fore1 lias conjectured. Emery was evidently puzzled by the sculpture of the postpetiole. This is rough and opaque in brtvico7-iu' s. sf?.., but smooth and shining in some of the subspecies, like dsa'ki. As he had no winged specimens of this subspecies he was thus led to assign it to we~~7~~~1odii The synonymy of the two species, as I understand it. should therefore stand as follows :
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I 66 PSYCHE [August
S. nearcticum Mayr, Verh. zoo1.-bot. gesell. Wen, 1886 p. 447. { 2 (nec 5 ). ? S. wesiwuodi West. subsp. ncarcticum Emery, 2,001. jahrb. Abth. f. syst. bd. 8, 1894, p- 299, 300. 5.
5. nearctuum Forel, Ann. Soc. ent. Belg., to~n. 45, 1901, p. 347. 8 9. STENAMMA BREVICORSE Mayr.
Afhaemgastcr brevicornis Mayr, Verh. zool.-bot. gesell. Wen, 1886, p. 447. t? 5 .
Stenamma marcti& Mayr, ibid. p. 454 5 (nec J et 9). S. brevicorne Emery, 2001. Jahrb. Abth. f. Syst. Bd. 8, 1894, p. 298. if 9 $ .
S. westwoodis~~bsp. ditch Emery and var. im/ressum Emery, ibid. p. 300, 301. S. bf'evicurne F'orel subsp. diecki, var. {ifipressum, and subsp. i?nja-'r Forel, Ann. Soc. ent. Belg., t. 45, 1901, p.347, 348.
I subjoin a table for the identification of the worker forms of 3. lii-enicorne, so far as I am able to separate them. The construction of this table has been facilitated by the kindness of Professor Kmei-y, who contributed to my collection types of diecki and a specimen of what he took to be the worker of ii.ea.rcticurn, both from Vale, British Columbia, and Professor Forel who generously sent me a type of impar.
STENANMA BREVICORXE Mayr.
I. Head, thorax and pedicel opaque; the spaces between- the rugae not suffi- ciently smooth to make the occiput and PI-onotum appear shining under a low magnification
A. Larger forms (2.5-4 mm.). Body dark brown or nearly black, except the base and tip of the
gaster which are yellow or reddish.
Milwaukee
(C. E. Brown) ; Rockford, Illinois (Wheeler) ; Beatty, Pennsylvania (Rev. P. J. Schmitt), Angora, Pa. (Schmitt) ; Friday Harbor, Washington, (Kineaid) ; Lyndon, Vermont (A. L. Melander) ; Virginia; Pennsylvania (Pergande) brevicorm (typical).
B. Smaller forms ('2.4-3 mm.). Body brown or red; with a blackish band across the first gastric segment.
I. Sculpture finer than that of the typical brevicorne. Length 2.4-2.7 mm.
Eye with at least six ommatidia in its greatest diameter. Epinoial spines well developed. Petiolar node more compressed anteroposteriorly
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19O31 WHEELER: -STE.VAMMA SEA'S&' STRICT0 1 ~ 7 than in trfiicorne typ. and in profile angular above. Mesoiipinotal depression very marked. Virginia (Forel, Pergande) ; Beatty, Pa. (Schmitt). subsp. impar Forel.
2. Sculpture and color as in ZnIfor. Length 2.5-3 mm. Eye very small, with not more than three or four ommatidia in its greatest diameter. Mesoepinotal depression shallower than in the preceding forms. Epinotal spines small. Petiolar node longer, lower and more rounded than in impar. St. Vincent, Pa. (Schnlitt). . subsp. si-hmS/.?Si, subsp. nov. 11.
Back of head, thorax and nodes of pedicel more or less shining, when seen under a low magnification, on account of the coarser rugosity and smoother inter- rugal spaces ; sculpture of the pro- and mesonotum sharp and regular, the rugae straight in the middle and curving on the sides. I. Length 2.75-3. mm. Color usually reddish brown. h4esoepinotal depression moderate. Epinotal spines robust, only slightly directed upwards. Yale, B. C. (Emery) ; Beatty, Pa. (Schmitt) ; Colebrook, Conn. (Wheeler); Rockford, 111. (Wheeler) ; Pacific Grove, Cal. (11. Heath). subsp. die& Emery.
2. Somewhat larger and darker brown, mesoEpinota1 depression broad and deep. Epinotai spines very short, blunt and directed more upwards than in diecki. Head less shining behind and ~horacic rug-ae coarser and less numerous.
Rich Springs, N. Y. (Emery); Vermont (Forel) var. imfressum Emery.
A fine colony of the typical hrevicorm, comprising all three phases was sent me by Mr. C. E. Brown, who found it under a stone at North Milwaukee, Wis., May 1 ~th, 190 r. At Rockforcl, Ill., I have taken several colonies of this form, rarely under stones, but most frequently under the thick layer of dead leaves and vegetable mould which accumulates in rich, clamp woods. In this locality I did not see the winged sexes till July 25th-Aug. 19th. The early capture of these by Mr. Brown would seem to indicate that they sometimes pass the winter in a virgin state in the parental nest,
The colonies are always very small, comprising not more than 20-60 workers and very often even less. They resemble colonies of I-EPTOTHORAX, especially when they are found, as is sometimes the case, nesting in hollow acorns embedded in the vegetable mould. The species is very timid, and apparently either nocturnal or subterranean in its habits. This seems to be indicated by the coloration, the small size of the eyes in the workers, and by the fact that I have never seen these insects moving about on the surface of the ground even on dark, cloudy days. They probably feed on small larvae and other animal food. S. treviforns, like 5. nearcticitm, is a sub-boreal form and has not been found up to the present time in
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I 68 PSYCHE [~ugust
the southern states. It does not even occur among the fine lot of ants kindly collccted for me in the high mountains of New Mexico by Prof. and Mrs. T. D. A. Cockerel!.
The subspecies ifiecki also occurs at Rockford under the dead leaves in the very same localities as the typical brevicurne. Often the nests of the two forms are located only a few feet from each other. The winged sexes of diecki are recorded in my notes as occurring from Aug. r;,tl1-19th. They are decidedly smaller than the corresponding- sexes of the typical form, and the male is paler, with colorless wings and paler legs and antennae. I could detect no differences in habits between die& and the typical brevicorne.
AUSTIN, TEXAS,
April 25th, 1903.
LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN GEOMETR1DAE.-XLII. BY HARRISON G. DYAR, WASHINGTON! Tl. C.
Conwiitsphimigera~ia IIulst.
A general account of the life history has been given by Coquillett, but without detailed descriptions. The species has been
repeatedly bred at the Department of Agriculture. Eggs were received from Mr.
E. M. Ehrhorn which were collected three miles above Saratoga, Santa Clara County, California, on an apple tree, and from these the life history was made out. EGGS. Laid in a large mass on a twig on the flat sides. Elliptical, strongly flattened
above and below, ends nearly alike, one only a little depressed. Surtace iitiuutely shagreened,
somewhat transversely so, the reticulalions nearly lost, elongale transversely, moderately uniform. Size .8 X .6 X .4 mm. Color dark bronz? brown. STAGE I.
Head rounded. bilohed. clvpeus rather high; dull black, epistoinii whilish; "width about .3 mm. Body robust, rather short, normal, not tapered, segments somewhat iing~ilarl,~ widened centriilly.
I3lack, ;i iiarrosv yellowish white line on the sharp substig- n~atfil fold, broken in the hcisnres; traces of geminate ?ellowish dorsal line in the inci5m-es of central segments. Tubercles rather large, rounded, brown; setx distinct but not long, brownish ; feet black.
STAGE 11. Head erect. rounded bilobed. ~hin iinterio-posteriorlj ;it vertex, brown-black, -eticuIate with darker, scaicely shining-; -vi-idth .5 i-i-im. Body moderate, rather thick, seg- ments annulate, tubercles large and produced in-it smooth. concolorou$, rounded, not tapered. black. Body slaty black. dull; trace?; ot a geminate white dorsal band in the incisures and a broil& diffusely white lined lateral ai-en. ill defined. Feel all black; setae fine, dark, incon- spicuous.
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