414 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



33. Neoponera (Neoponera) cavinodis, sp. nov. 

 Plate 2, fig. 14. 



Worker. (Plate 2, fig. 14). Length 10 mm. 



Near N. lutcoJa (Roger). Head, excluding mandibles, longer than 

 broad; sides convex, base slightly concave, posterior angles rounded; 

 clypeus extended at middle into a triangular projection, the sides 

 arcuately impressed. Mandibles elongate, acute at apex, with twelve 

 teeth, the basal of which are small and those apically larger; the apical 

 tooth is long and pointed, attached at base to this is a smaller sharp 

 tooth, about half as long, and basal to this another, slightly longer 

 and more acute than the subapical. Eyes convex, situated a little 

 in front of middle of head. Scape of antenna extending three eighths 

 its length past occiput; joints 1-10 of flagellum subequal in length, 

 gradually' thicker towards the apex; apical joint 1| times length of 

 penultimate. Pronotum slightly convex, sides feebly margined, 

 forming an angle with the nearly flat pleurae; disc at middle with a 

 shallow, but distinct longitudinal impression. Mesoepinotum in 

 profile very slightly convex, rounded at sides posteriorly, and in back, 

 the mesoepinotal suture scarcely distinguishable: declivity of epino- 

 tum rather flat, with feeble margin at sides; above forming a rounded 

 angle with the basal portion ; seen from behind spear-shaped, the apex 

 with a short longitudinal impression. Petiole higher than thorax, 

 anterior surface evenly rounded to apex, the middle of base very 

 slightly convex; apex projecting backward over the posterior surface; 

 posterior surface receding anteriorly, concave above, slightly convex 

 below. Gaster as long as head and thorax. 



Mandibles subshining, with scattered, coarse punctures. Head sub- 

 opaque, very finely transversely striate and with minute punctures. 

 Thorax and anterior surface of petiolar node sublucid, finely punctate 

 and delicately reticulate. Gaster finely punctate. Legs shining. Head 

 and thorax with fine pubescence and long scattered pile. Clypeus with 

 several long hairs. Anterior surface of node with appressed pubes- 

 cence, the posterior surface glabrous. Gaster thickly pubescent and 

 with long scattered hairs. Femora and tibiae with suberect hairs. 



Color brown, head and gaster darker than the thorax. Legs yellow. 



Pile and pubescence pale yellow. 



Described from a worker taken at Porto Velho. 



In general appearance N. cavinodis resembles N. crenata but is much 

 larger and the node is entirely different. 



