Eubothroponera micans

Clark, J., 1930, New Formicidae, with notes on some little-known species., Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 43, pp. 2-25 : 10

Eubothroponera micans , n. sp. (Text-fig. 1, Nos. 7, 7a.)

Worker.-Length, 4-4.7 mrn.

Blackish brown. Mandibles, antennae and legs brown.

Subopaque. Head, thorax and node very finely and densely reticulate, with a few isolated shallow punctures. Mandibles coarsely punctate. Scapes, legs, and gaster densely and very finely punctate; face of the declivity reticulate.

Hair yellow, erect, short and pointed, sparse throughout, very short and suberect on the legs. Pubescence long and fine, adpressed, forming a thin, but distinct, clothing on all the body.

Head one-fourth longer than broad, the occipital border feebly, the sides strongly convex. Frontal carinae overhanging the antennal insertions. Clypeus convex above, strongly convex and projecting in front. Eyes large, placed at the middle of the sides. Scapes extending beyond the occipital border by one-fourth of their length; first segment of the funiculus as long as the second, the others subequal. Mandibles triangular, abruptly bent near the base, edentate. Thorax almost twice as long as broad. Pronotum one-third broader than long, the anterior border strongly, the sides feebly, convex, the suture strongly impressed. Mesonotum and epinotum united without traces of a suture, the posterior border and sides of the declivity sharply margined; in profile convex longitudinally, the declivity abrupt, concave laterally. Node one-third broader than long, broader behind than in front, the anterior border feebly, the sides strongly convex, the posterior border straight, the dorsum flattened behind in the middle; in profile one-third higher than long, the anterior face and dorsum feebly convex, the posterior face straight; there is a long, broad, translucent tooth in front below, and a feeble one behind, directed backward. There is a well-defined constriction between the first and second segments of the gaster. Legs long and slender.

Habitat.-Western Australia: Mundaring (J. Clark).

Two small colonies of this species have been found. One, the first, was nesting in a burrow made by a trap-door spider. The second was under a piece of old bark on the ground. Both colonies appeared to be temporary, or moving; no females, eggs, larvae nor pupae were present.

Readily separated from E. dentinodis by the form of the head and node, as well as by the colour, sculpture and pilosity.