ART. la. ANTS FEOM HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA MANN. 43 



RHOPALOTHRIX (OCTOSTRUMA) WHEELERI, new species. 



Worker. — Length 2.20 mm. 



Head slightly broader than long, sides posterior to e3^es truncated, 

 posterior border nearly straight. Mandibles slender, especially at 

 apical half, outer border concaA'e at middle, blades with five strong, 

 elongate triangular teeth. Anterior border of clypeus broadly 

 rounded. Antennal scapes but moderately dilated at base, with 

 the angle broadly rounded; funicular joints 2-5 less th:m twice as 

 broad as long, joint six longer than broad, terminal joint about 

 as long as remainder of funiculus. Eyes small, little convex. 

 Thorax very feebly arcuate in profile from front to epinotal base; 

 from above rounded at middle of sides in the pronotal portion, 

 sides nearly straight behind. Mesoepinotal impression entirely ob- 

 solete. Epinotal base sloping, on a different plane from the meso- 

 notum and separated from it by a rounded angle, flat, longer than 

 broad and barely longer than the declivity; the two surfaces 

 separated by a transverse carina. Spines broadly triangular, their 

 width at base greater than their length, shorter than their distance 

 apart at base. Petiolar node nearly one and one-half times as broad 

 as long, suboval; in profile higlier than long and as long as peduncle, 

 abrupt in front, dorsum feebly convex and sloping from front to 

 rear, Postpetiole about two times as broad as long and one and 

 one-half times as broad as the petiole. 



Head and thorax moderately shining, petiole and gaster nearly 

 opaque. Mandibles, antennae and legs finely and densely punctate. 

 Head rugose, fovoelately punctate and with fine striae, some of 

 them reticulate; occipital region more finely punctate. Pro-meso- 

 notum fovolately punctate in front and sides, the median portion 

 and the epinotum and sides exceedingly finely and densely punctate 

 (with an almost velvety appearance). Petiole and postpetiole 

 rugose and coarsely punctate. Gaster cribrately punctate. 



Head and body thinly covered with fine, short, silky liairs; front 

 of head with very spart elongated clavate hairs. Hairs on border 

 of antennal scapes stiff, but not clavate. Legs with short and stiff, 

 suberect hairs, some on tibiae clavate. 



Fuscous; legs somewhat lighter than the rest. 



Type locality. — Guatemala: Livingstone (Barber and Schwarz). 



Type.— Cat No. 24462, U.S.N.M. 



Described from one worker. 



This is a peculiar species resembling Rh. petiolata Mayr in the 

 absence of the mesoepinotal impression. The latter species has the 

 antennal scapes strongly dilated at base and the petiolar node is 

 twice as broad as long and the body is opaque. 



