Phrynoponera

Phrynoponera Wm. M. Wheeler

Worker.-Allied to Bothroponera but distinguished by the following characters: body shorter and stouter; mandibles narrower, not triangular, their basal and external borders parallel, the apical border oblique, bluntly dentate, not forming a distinct angle with the basal border. Clypeus short, elevated in the middle, with a median furrow and a ridge on each side, the anterior border broadly rounded and entire or bluntly bidentate, posteriorly extending back between the frontal carinae as a narrow acute point. Frontal carinae expanded as lobes but the latter are not thickened as in Bothroponera, but depressed except at the edges which are smooth and slightly elevated, concealing the insertions of the antennae as in Bothroponera. Eyes rather large and convex, broadly elliptical, placed just in front of the middle of the head. Antennae stout, 12-jointed as in most Ponerinae. Thorax with broad pronotum; premesonotal suture distinct, arcuate; mesoepinotal and mesepisternal sutures obsolete. Epinotum with two stout spines. Petiole surmounted by a flattened scale which curves back over the postpetiole and terminates in a comb consisting of five acute, flattened teeth. Remainder of abdomen very short, oval, the postpetiole which forms nearly half of it, not truncated but rounded in front and not separated by a constriction from the first gastric segment, though the stridulatory surface is well developed as in Bothroponera. Sting very long; longer, more slender and more acute than in the latter genus. Legs rather long and stout; middle and hind tibia each with a long pectinated and a simple lateral spur; claws simple. Sculpture of body coarse; pilosity short, abundant, coarse and erect.

Female winged, but wings unknown; in other respects very similar to the worker and scarcely larger. Ocelli small. Pronotum broad and exposed; mesonotum and scutellum flat, together nearly circular, each being broader than long.

Male unknown.

Genotype: Bothroponera gabonensis Em. André.