W. M. Wheeler.
Note on Gesomyrmex.
Psyche 36(2):91-92, 1929.

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Notes on Gesomyrmex
NOTE ON GESOMYRMEX
Since the manuscript of my paper on the interesting, Javanese ant, Gesomyrmex kalshoveni, was sent to the printer, Dr. Kalshoven has kindly sent me the remainder of the colony which contained the type specimens, together with a note on the precise situation of the nest. He writes: "The new Gesomyrmex was found in a branch of an Arto- carpus elastica ("bendo") in a stand of various deciduous trees-relics of the old natural mixed forest-amidst the teak-forests of Semarang." This statement confirms my supposition in regard to the habits of Gesomyrmex, which evidently lives much like many twig-or branch-inhabit- ing Camponoti of the subgenera Myrmentoma, Colobopsis, Pseudocolobopsis, Hypercolobopsis, Myrmocladoecus and Myrmobrachys.
That the specimens collected by Dr. Kals-' hoven were living in a piece of primitive forest is of some interest in connection with the fact that the extant species of Gesomyrmex are sporadic survivors, or relicts of an ancient ant-fauna of much wider distribution during the Oligocene Tertiary.
The second lot of specimens from Dr. Kalshoven com- prises in addition to 13 workers (one maxima, five medise and seven minimae), which show the same range of poly- morphism as described and figured for the first lot, also one male semipupa and two female pupse. The male semi- pupa reveals nothing new, but the two female pupae are interesting. They are approaching maturity since their eyes and mandibular teeth show the beginnings of pigment- ation. Both are naked, i.e. not enclosed in cocoons, and measure about 10 mm. They closely resemble the female of G. luzonensis Wheeler from the Philippines, but have dis- tinctly smaller eyes and a much shorter petiole, with less See Psyche, vol. 36, p. 1 (1929)




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