8 
Psyche 
[Vol. 92 
higher taxa in the New World tropics are Creightonidris (1949), 
Dorisidris (1948), Phalacromvrmex (1960), Protalaridris (1980), 
and Taiuidris (1967). Hence it is entirely possible that contempo- 
raneous species of Ilemomvrmex and Oxyidris may yet be disco- 
vered, although not necessarily in the West Indies. 
Pheidole tethepa has been placed in the genus Pheido/e as a pro- 
visional measure. It may well represent a phyletic line sufficiently 
divergent from other members of the tribe Pheidolini to justify 
generic rank. The exophthalmic eyes and proportionately large 
mandibles are unique within Pheidole on a worldwide basis, while 
the pronotal spines were almost certainly derived independently 
from the Old World P. quadrispina group. More material is clearly 
needed to resolve the matter. In particular, the demonstration of a 
large-headed major caste (if one exists) would give added reason to 
retain tethepa in Pheidole. 
Acknowledgments 
I am grateful to Cesare Baroni Urbani, Barry Bolton, and Wil- 
liam L. Brown for their advice on the three new species described 
here. The research was supported by National Science Foundation 
grant no. BSR 81-19350. 
Literature Cited 
Baroni Urbani, C. 
1980a. First description of fossil gardening ants (Amber Collection Stuttgart 
and Natural History Museum Basel: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. I: 
Attini). Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturk., B (Geol. Palaontol.), 54: 1 13. 
1980b. Anochetus corayi n. sp., the first fossil Odontomachiti ant (Amber Col- 
lection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. II: Odontomachiti). Stutt- 
garter Beitr. Naturk., B (Geol. Palaontol.), 55: I 6. 
1980c. The first fossil species of the Australian ant genus Leptonivrmex in 
amber from the Dominican Republic (Amber Collection Stuttgart: 
Hymenoptera, Formicidae. Ill: Leptomyrmicini). Stuttgarter Beitr. 
Naturk., B (Geol. Palaontol.), 62: I 10. 
I980d. The ant genus Gnamptoyenys in Dominican amber (Amber Collection 
Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IV: Ectatommini). Stuttgarter 
Beitr. Naturk., B (Geol. Palaontol.), 67: I 10. 
Baroni Urbani, C. and J. B. Sai ndi rs. 
1982. The fauna of the Dominican Republic amber: The present status of 
knowledge. Trans. 9th Caribbean Geol. Conference, Santo Domingo, 
Dorn. Rep., 1980 (1982), 1: 213 223. 
