Myrmicocrypta elisabethae, Neal A. Weber, University of North Dakota, 1936

Neal A. Weber, University of North Dakota, 1936, The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part. I. New forms. 1, Revista de Entomologia 7, pp. 378-409 : 383-384

Myrmicocrypta elisabethae , sp. nov.

Female (dealate): Length 3.2 mm. - Head, excluding mandibles, 11/4 times as long as wide, occipital margin nearly plane, barely impressed in the middle, sides sub-parallel, feebly convex in front of and behind eyes. Anterior clypeal margin evenly convex, posterior margins raised as compressed, acute, and reflected teeth in front of antennal insertions. Frontal lobes in form of sub-vertical carinae which end posteriorly in the form of low ridges surrounding a circular pre-ocellar concavity. Eyes convex, situated closer to occipital margin than to mandibular insertions. Antennal scapes moderately stout, feebly curved distally, exceeding occipital margin by a distance equal to twice their distal diameter. Joints 5-8 of funiculus about as broad as long, other joints longer, terminal joint slightly shorter than joints 6-9 taken together.

Pronotum with two distinct pairs of lateral tubercles, a small, acute anterior pair and a much larger and blunter posterior pair. In profile, scutum of mesonotum feebly convex, scutellum projecting backward in form of pointed tooth slightly deflected apically. Epinotal spines large, acute, backwardly directed, declivous surface of epinotum vertical.

Petiole with peduncle distinctly longer than node, the latter trapezoidal in profile and, from above, with carinate sides. Postpetiole, from above, hexagonal, twice as broad as long, anterior margin with lateral extensions appearing in profile as tubercles. Anterior margin of gaster straight and as broad as maximum breadth of postpetiole.

Finely reticulate, thorax sparsely and indistinctly rugulose, anterior margin of first gastric segment coarsely rugose. - Squamate hairs of head moderately abundant, on scutum of mesonotum forming two median and dorso-lateral longitudinal rows, on sides of thorax confined to pronotal and epinotal protuberances, absent from sides of petiole, sparsely covering dorsum of postpetiole and gaster but only in small part obscuring integument, abundant on antennal scapes and legs. - Ferruginous, dorsal surfaces of head, mesonotum and gaster darker.

Described from one female taken by myself September 5, 1935, in heavy virgin rain forest a few miles from the Forest Settlement, Mazaruni River, British Guiana.

This species is of the same size as M. buenzlii Borgmeier but is much paler and is less coarsely sculptured and pilose. M. unidentata , described here from the worker, cannot belong to this species because of the distinct and reflected frontal lobes, reduced tubercles of the thorax, and very different postpetiole.