Pheidole platypus, Crawley W. C., 1915

Crawley W. C., 1915, Ants from north and south-west Australia (G. F. Hill, Rowland Turner) and Christmas Island, Straits Settlements. Part 2, Ann. Mag Natur. Hist. 15, pp. 232-239 : 234-235

No. 31. Pheidole platypus , sp. n.

♃. - L. 6.5 - 7.5 mm.

Mandibles very tliick, coarsely striate, terminal border irregularly dentate when not worn to an irregular edge, no prominent teeth at apex. Clypeus emarginate in front, coarsely striate; frontal area small, deep, triangular. Head much longer than broad, with subparallel sides, emarginntion at back deep, wide, and triangular. Frontal carinæ half as long as the scape, which only reaches one-third of the distance from its base to the occiput. Eyes placed at the commencement of the anterior quarter of sides of head. There is a deep impression from the emargination of the occiput to the vertex. Tarsi of first pair of legs broad and flat. Pro-mesonotum very high and rounded, pronotal protuberances sharp, terminated by small teeth or spines. Basal and declivous surfaces of epinotum of equal length, the spines short and narrow, half as long as the basal surface. First node narrow at top, widely emarginate, second node wider than long, without lateral angles. Gaster (vvheu not distended) small and oval.

Whole of upper side of head coarsely striate longitudinally, the striae curve outwards round the occiput and return as much finer lines down the sides and under surface of the head. The striæ are coarsest on the occipital lobes, where they have a downward, and outward diagonal direction. Pronotum with fine irregular longitudinal ridges, the lateral ones bowsliaped (in some examples the ridges starting from the neck all curve in one direction and are terminated at the lateral tooth), finely reticulate between the ridges. Mesonotum with curved transverse ridges, the convexity o£ the curves towards the posterior border; occasionally the central ridges have a circular tendency; there is a faint reticulation between the ridges. Epinotum finely reticulate and longitudinally striate, the striæ not descending below the interval between the spines; from the base of the latter coarse striæ diverge outwards and up the sides. Nodes of pedicel finely reticulate, the second with a few longitudinal striæ. First segment of gaster faintly reticulate and with irregular longitudinal sculpture.

There is a yellow pilosity over the whole body; scapes and tibiæ with abundant hairs.

Dark red-brown; mandibles almost black, gaster brown.

☿. - L. 2-2. mm.

Mandibles striate, with a few punctures near the terminal border, which is dentate and terminated by two long teeth. Anterior border of clypeus widely and very feebly emarginate, almost straight; there is a ridge down its centre. Frontal area deep, rounded at top. Head somewhat longer than wide, with slightly convex sides; back widely emarginate. The scapes reach the occipital border or a fraction farther. Eyes prominent, slightly in front of the centre of sides. Pro-mesonotum high and regularly curved, broader in front; at the centre of each side is a tooth-like ridge. Basal surface of epinotum longer than declivous surface; spines much shorter than basal surface, about as long as the interval between them. First node narrow, straight across the top; second node oval, longer than broad.

Head coarsely striate longitudinally and finely reticulate. Thorax and pedicel finely reticulate; pronotum with a few longitudinal ridges; a few ridges. joining the mesonotum to the epinotum. Front of first segment of gaster faintly reticulate.

Body with yellow hairs; erect hairs on scapes and tibiae.

Yellow to red-brown. In dark specimens the antennae, tarsi, and joints of legs paler.

Stapleton, N.T., 1. v. 13 (Hill).