THE ANT LARVAE OF THE MYRMICINE TRIBES 
BASICEROTINI AND DACETINI 
By George C. Wheeler and Jeanette Wheeler 
Department of Biology, University of North Dakota 
We have treated these two tribes together because they 
were considered as one tribe (Dacetini) by Emery (1922) 
and by Wheeler (1922). Recently Brown^ (1949) sep- 
arated out several genera to form a new tribe Basicerotini. 
Our studies of the larvae of three of these genera corrobo- 
rate this separation, for they differ as a group from the 
Dacetini (as restricted by Brown) in body hairs, mandibles 
and maxillae. However, one might with equal justification 
split the larvae of the Dacetini {sensu strictiore) into three 
groups, which would differ from each other to at least 
as great a degree. 
Tribe Basicerotini Brown 
This tribe comprises some three dozen species in seven 
genera: Basiceros, Aspididris, Creightonidris, Rhopaloth- 
rix, Octostruma, Heptastruma and Talaridris, About half 
the species are in Rhopalothrix, which is Neotropical, Indo- 
malayan, Papuan and Australian ; the remaining genera 
are strictly Neotropical. 
The larvae of the Basicerotini are a homogeneous group, 
if one can apply that adjective to only two types, for the 
larvae of Basiceros and Aspididris are generically indistin- 
guishable. The tribe may be characterized as follows: — 
Moderately stout. Thorax and first two abdominal 
somites strongly curved ventrally. Anus ventral. Somites 
distinct on the anterior half, indistinct on the posterior. 
Spiracles small. Body hairs numerous; short to long; uni- 
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