Formicites

Jerdon, T. C., 1851, A catalogue of the species of ants found in southern India., Madras Journal of Literature and Science 17, pp. 103-127 : 104

3 d Tribe, Les Formicites .

Females without a sting. 1 st sigment of the abdomen of one knot only, and it contains the genera Polyergus and Formica .

It will be, shortly, seen that many of our Ants cannot be well referred to any of these genera, but as it is probable that some new genera have been formed by recent writers, I shall in general content myself with referring meat of my species to one or other of those here characterised.

Following the arrangement of St. Fargeau, we have first the tribe of Myrmicides and the first genus mentioned by him Cryptocerus being American exclusively, we come to the genus Atta of the Latreille from which St. Fargeau has separated Ocodoma , the chief distinction being the spines which exist either on the head or thorax of the latter, which moreover is said to have the head of variable size, whilst in Atta it is said to be usually not of a large size. We have in India species belonging apparently to both. groups which I shall now endeavour to describe.