W. M. Wheeler.
A New Paper-making Crematogaster from the Southeastern United States.
Psyche 26(4):107-112, 1919.

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ii~hftz Say? The &ru&um, "about eightwn inches long by twelve inches in cimdmm at greatest diamete~" was discovd bush.'' The materid was. " of a light gray color, much like that of the hest of the whitdad hornet," but was darker internally, almost black in some plms.
Atkinson klieved that the Cvmu-
. . . . ", .a,. . ., 1
a&ored habit as a "singdar adztptatioh" to living in a samp. As 1 saw no musor~ tm question the comwtmss of his identification Fort Myem, ma., togethm with some of the ants that hd mn- stru&d it, Dr. Bigelow mhsequently pub1ished the phot-ph with a few mtes.4 The nest as &own in the phokog~~ph is much . .
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sthct. 1 fee1 reamnabIy certain fmm an emmimition of the rton and a cornpariaom of Atkinson's and Bigelow's figurns that 0th nests were built by ‰â same species of ant. Yeq mntly Dr* W, M. Mam sent me speci~~~~ d the same wri. 21,1887, pp. 7?+Y?l, Pl. 26-
The HnM@ of the 'hnbbtddi~ Ant (w 1iwW Bw). &lL $
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ychol. 1% 1å£W P. 4.




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108 Psyche [August
Crematogaster from a paper nest found by E. S. Snyder on a willow tree, two feet above the ground, on Paradise Key, Fla., and on critically examining the large series of Crematogaster that have been accumulating in my collection for more than twenty years, I find specimens of the same ant and of a yellow variety from several localities in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Prof. J. H. Comstock gave me Atkinson's original photograph of the nest described from North Carolina. I reproduce it in the hope that the more modern half-tone process may bring out the texture of the carton even more clearly than in the original article. I also reproduce a photograph of the Paradise Key nest kindly loaned me by Dr. Mann.
The new Crernatogaster and its variety are herewith described. Crematogaster atkinsoni sp. nov.
(Fig. 1 b.)
Worker. . Length 2.5-3.3 mm.
Similar to the typical Zineolata Say, but smaller, the latter measuring from 3 to 4 mm., with the thorax, especially the pro- and mesonotum more slender, the promesonotal suture more indis- tinct, the mesonotum more flattened and with more indistinct longitudinal carina. Head smaller and proportionally narrower; the frontal groove much less distinct. Antenna1 scapes longer, reaching about twice their greatest diameter beyond the posterior border of the head. Epinotal spines decidedly longer, straight, more slender and more acute, longer than the base of the epinotum and as long as the distance between their insertions. They are widely divergent and directed less backward and somewhat more obliquely upward than in the typical lineolata. Surface smooth and shining, the thorax above without traces of the distinct puncturation and rugulation of lineolata, except the base of the epinotum, which is longitudinally rugulose. Meso-
pleurze opaque, finely and densely punctate. Epinotal declivity very smooth and shining as are also the upper surfaces of the petiole and postpetiole (opaque or subopaque in lineolata). Head and gaster highly polished, except the mandibles and cheeks which are subopaque and finely striate, and the clypeis, which is indis- tinctly striate and somewhat less shining than the front and vertex.




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19191 Wheeler-A New Paper-Making Crematogmter 109 .
Pubescence much as in the typical lineolata, but the erect hairs are sparser, the appressed hairs on the legs shorter. The hairs on
the antennal scapes, however, are longer, more abundant and oblique. '
Color like that of the typical lineolata, castaneous with black gaster, the latter sometimes paler at the base; pntenn~ and legs more reddish brown, with the middle portions of the femora and tibiz and the tip of the last antennal joint piceous or blackish. Figure 1. a, Thorax and abdomen of worker Crmdogwte~ linmhdu Say; b, b, C. atkimoni sp. nov.
Some specimens have the head and thorax more blackish, with the mandibles, cheeks, clypeus, tarsi, articulations of the legs, thorax, petiole, and postpetiole reddish brown or deep red. Described from several workers from Fort Myers, Fla. (J. W. Youngs) which may be regarded as the type-locality. I possess other specimens taken in the following localities in the same state: Titusville (Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.) ; Crescent City (Van Duzee) ; Jacksonville (Mrs. A. T. Slosson); Paradise Key; (E. S. Snyder) and Tallahassee.
C. atkinsoni var. helveola var. nov.
Worker. Like the typical form of the species, except in color. Brownish yellow, legs slightly paler; posterior half of gaster and sometimes also the upper surface of the head pale brown. Female (dealated). Length 6.5 mm.




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110 Psyche [August
Much smaller than the female of the typical lineolatay which measures 8-8.5 mm. Head more rectangular and fully as long as broad (broader in lineolata, with more rounded sides and posterior corners). Epinotal spines reduced to stout teeth as in lineolata but shorter and slightly more deflected. Metanotum (postscutel- lum) much less protuberant in profile.
Surface of body smoother and more shining, covered with finey sparse, piligerous punctures; mandibles and anterior half of head longitudinally striate, mandibles rather opaque. Hairs whitishy apparently less abundant than in lineolatay pubescence much the same. Hairs on the scapes shorter and less conspicuous than in the worker.
Colored like the worker, but the scutellumy an anteromedian and an elongate spot on each side of the mesonotum and the whole >
gaster brown; each segment of the latter with a narrow, transverse, dark brown band near the posterior margin. Mandibles red, with black apical margins.
Male. Length about 3 mm.
Smaller than the male of the typical linedata, which measures 44.5 mm.
Head blackish; thorax, petiole and postpetiole choco- late brown; antenn~ and legs, mandibles and $aster brownish yellow, the dorsal surface of the gaster darker. Wings white, with colorless veins and stigma. Head and gaster somewhat shiningy thorax more opaque. Pilosity much less developed than in the male of lineolata.
Described from several workers and males and a single female taken by Prof. J. C. Bradley in the Okefenokee Swampy Ga. (type locality). The Rev. P. J. Schmitt sent me many years ago several workers which he had taken at Lake Worth, F1amy and Belmonty N. c.
C. atkinsoni is very closely allied to C. ashmeadi Mayr and to lineolata subsp. lmiuscula Mayr. Both of these forms have the surface of the body smooth and shiningy though in l~uiuscula and its vars. clara Mayr and calij'ornica Emery the thorax is distinctly sculptured. C. ashmeadi isy however, smaller than atkinsoni in both worker and female phases, and the worker has the epinotal spines reduced to stout distinctly incurved teeth. The epinotal spines of the typical l~uiuscula are shorter and more sinuate than in atkinsoni and the vars. clara and calijornica are largery of a very



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19191 Wheeler-A New Paper-Making Crematoga&r 111 different color and with much more opaque and sculptured thorax and pedicel.
After renewed study of the North American Crematogasters in my collection, and of most of the forms in the fieldy I incline to regard those that have been cited as subspecies of Zineolata by Emery and myselfy namely pilosa Pergande, l~viuscula Mayr, coarctata Map and opma Map, as worthy of specific rank. This is merely a return to the position of Mapy who described the three latter forms as separate species. The complete list of Cremato- gasters known to inhabit America north of Mexicoy and including the two described above, would run as follows: C. lineolata Say.
var. cerasi Fitch
var. lutescens Emery
var. subopaca Emery
pilosa Pergande
l~viuscula Mayr
var. clara Mayr
var. calijornica Emery
coarctata Mayr
var. mormonum Emery
opaca Mayr var. depilis Wheeler
var. punctulata Emery
atkinsoni Wheeler
var. hdveola Wheeler
mhmeadi Mayr
vermiculata Emery
arizonensis Wheeler
victima Smith subsp. missouriensis Pergande minutissima Mayr
Additional data on the habits of C. atkinsoni would be of con- siderable interest.
Consultation of the atlas shows that, with the exception of Belmonty N. Cay all the localities cited for this ant and its variety are near the sea-shore, where the species seems to be confined to swampsy or, at any ratey to regions subject to peri- odic inundation. This may account for the fact that its nest has been so seldom seen, although the ant may be a rather rare relict of a time when the Southeastern States had a more tropical climate.



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112 Psyche [August
Be this as it may, we must now abandon the view that the large paper nests occasionally found in North Carolina and Florida are merely so many sporadic or local adaptations of C. lineolata col- onies to living in flooded districts, and must regard them as the work of a peculiar species whose method of nidification is unlike that of any other Nearctic ant though very similar to that of many of the tropical species of Crematogaster. EXPLANATION OF PLATES V AND VI.
Plate V. Nest of Crematogaster atkznsoni sp. nov. from the original photograph of Prof. G. F. Atk'inson published in 1887. (American Naturalist, Vol. 21, PI. 26.)
Plate VI. Nest of Crematogaster atkinsoni sp. nov. from Par- adise Key, Florida (Collection W. M. Mann).



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VOL. XXVI, PLATE V




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PSTCHE, 1919. VOL. XXVI, PLATE VL
WHEELER- Paper-making Crematogaster




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