Discothyrea icta, Weber, N. A., 1939

Weber, N. A., 1939, New ants of rare genera and a new genus of ponerine ants., Annals of the Entomological Society of America 32, pp. 91-104 : 101-102

Discothyrea icta , sp. nov.

Female (Dealate).-Length, 1.2 mm. Head, excluding mandibles, about one and one-seventh times longer than broad back of eyes, with sides convex, rounding smoothly into convex occipital corners, occipital margin transverse, anterior clypeal margin smoothly impressed medially; between bases of antennae, is a laterally compressed, acute tooth, curved posteriorly, and convex anteriorly; eyes large, feebly convex, separated from the mandibular insertions by a distance equal to less than their diameter; ocelli large and prominent; mandibles trigonal, terminating in acute apical tooth, cutting margin proximally with a much smaller, acute tooth; antennae 7-jointed, scapes clavate, three-fifths as long as funiculi; terminal joint 0.18 x.09 mm., slightly longer than remainder of funicular joints taken together. Thorax from above rectangular, broader through pronotum than through epinotum, the latter deeply and broadly impressed posteriorly, thus forming distinct and projecting rounded angles. Petiole in profile with cuneate node rounded at apex, ventrum with large lamella convex in front, slightly concave behind, the two surfaces forming a right angle. 1st gastric segment with anterior vertical face impressed at junction with petiole; 2nd gastric segment larger than 1st, the remaining segments largely retracted beneath 2nd; sting fine, short, exserted. Legs small, moderately short.

Surface of body sub-lucid, smooth but for microscopic punctations.

Pilosity of fine, whitish, appressed pubescence.

Light yellowish brown, eyes and ocellar bases black.

Described from two dealate females taken by myself under leaves at the base of a saman tree ( Pithecolobium saman ) on the grounds of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, St. Augustine, Trinidad, B. W. I., August 3, 1935.

This species is much smaller than the female genotype, D. testacea , or the female of Dr. Bruch's species, D. neotropica . From neotropica it differs further in having a differently shaped projection (frontal carinae) between the antennal bases, in shape of petiole, including the ventral projection, and in relative proportions of the gastric segments. From the worker of D. denticulata , sp. nov. the females differ in the shape of the projection between the antennal bases, in proportions of antennal terminal joint, in shape of petiole, including the ventral projection, and in proportions of gastric segments.