Dorylus (Anomma) kohli var. langi Wheeler, 1922, new variety

Dorylus (Anomma) kohli variety langi, new variety

A series of more than a hundred workers from Malela (Lang and Chapin), taken beneath the prostrate trunk of a palm, represent anew variety near variety frenisyi Forel and variety minor Santschi. They range in size from 3 to 8 mm. The largest are very probably the true maxima workers as they lack the preapical mandibular tooth. In frenisyi the largest workers attain a length of 8.5 mm., in minor 8 mm.

The head of langi is nearly as broad as long, its sides convex and distinctly converging behind so that the occipital border, which is deeply and rather angularly excised, is about three-fourths as long as the anterior. The dorsal and ventral surfaces of the head are somewhat flattened. The whole body is finely, sharply, and rather uniformly shagreened or minutely and densely punctate and subopaque; the mandibles smooth and shining; the gaster behind its first segment feebly shining. The upper surface of the head, thorax, and gaster are uniformly but sparsely punctate, the punctures nonpiligerous for the most part. The suberect, yellow hairs are very sparse and confined to the gaster and the same is true of the dilute appressed pubescence. Legs and scapes with short stiff and appiessed hairs, absent or very sparse on the extensor surfaces of the femora and tibiae. In some specimens a few very fine short hairs can be detected, under a magnification of 20 diameters, arising from the coarse punctures on the vertex or posterior corners of the head. Color rather bright reddish ferruginous, with the legs paler and the mandibles and the upper surface of the head, except the cheeks and occiput, dark brown or blackish. The upper surface of the thorax and gaster, except the posterior borders of the segments of the latter, are darker and more brownish than the pleurae and venter. The petiole is scarcely longer than broad, its ventral tooth small, compressed and directed backward. The smaller workers have the head of nearly the same shape and proportions as the larger but less deeply excised behind and more shining, as is also the body. The pubescence is also a little more abundant. The color is very similar but paler in the smallest individuals.