Eciton crassicornis, Smith, Frederick, 1855

Smith, Frederick, 1855, Descriptions of some species of Brazilian ants belonging to the genera Pseudomyrma, Eciton and Myrmica (with observations on their economy by Mr. H. W. Bates), Transactions of the Entomological Society of London (2) 3, pp. 156-169 : 163-164

Sp. 5. Eciton crassicornis , n. s.

Worker.-Dark reddish brown ; the head, thorax and legs opaque; antennae short and thickened; the scape clavate, the flagellum having the joints short, the apical ones being broader than long, and fulvous beneath : mandibles black, short, stout and longitudinally strigose, the inner margin of the apical dilatation quadridentate ; the head wider than the thorax, and deeply emarginate behind ; the lateral angles acute, scarcely dentate ; the metathorax has on each side, near its base, a minute tubercle, and is produced and emarginate behind : the legs shorter and stouter than in the foregoing species, their articulations bright ferruginous . The basal node of the abdomen has an elevated central carina, acute at its apex, the second node unarmed ; the abdomen thinly covered with short yellow pubescence, the other parts very thinly sprinkled with short erect pale hairs.

Worker (minor).-2h lines. Closely resembles the preceding, but having the legs proportionably more slender and longer; the head is narrower.

This species is from Villa Nova, Brazil ; its short legs and thickened antennae readily distinguishing it.