Platythyrea strenua

Distribution
This taxon was described from Haiti. It is also found in the Dominican Republic.

Nomenclature

 *  strenua. Platythyrea strenua Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914: 6, fig. 1 (w.) HAITI.

Worker
Length 8-8.5 mm.

Body rather stout. Head subrectangular, excluding the mandibles less than 1.5 times as long as broad, with very feebly convex sides and very feebly concave posterior border. Eyes rather large and flat, nearly as long as their distance from the anterior border of the head and a little in front of the middle of its sides. Mandibles edentate, rather flat, their external borders very feebly concave near the tips. Clypeus flat, with broadly rounded anterior border, and indistinct posterior suture. Frontal area and frontal groove distinct, the former elliptical, about twice as long as broad. External borders of the flattened frontal carinm bluntly angular. Antennal scapes reaching to the posterior corners of the head; second and terminal funicular joints longer than broad, remaining joints as broad as long. Thorax unarmed, narrower than the head, broader in front than behind, with flattened sides and dorsal surface, so that the latter appears submarginate laterally. Epinotal declivity concave, forming a distinct angle in profile with the base and surrounded on the sides and above with a distinct ridge. Petiole sub cuboidal, from above but little longer than broad, as broad in front as behind, but narrower than the epinotum, its posterior border above and in the middle but slightly and very bluntly produced backward and very feebly, sinuately excised on each side. Gaster nearly twice as broad as the petiole, its first segment a little broader than long, the second as long as broad. Legs rather stout.

Body and appendages opaque, very finely and densely punctate, gaster slightly shining, sides of first gastric segment, mandibles and checks also with slightly larger, but by no means coarse punctures.

Hairs lacking, except on the tips of the mandibles and gaster and on the palpi, where they are very short. Pubescence very fine, yellowish gray, covering the body and its appendages with a uniform bloom.

Black; mandibles, clypeus, frontal carinae, antennae, tarsi and articulations of legs tinged with dull red; terminal gastric segments pale red.

Type Locality Information
Described from several workers taken at Diquini, from a rotten log, in close proximity to a termite colony.