Dhagnathos, Perrichot & Wang & Barden, 2020

Perrichot, Vincent, Wang, Bo & Barden, Phillip, 2020, New remarkable hell ants (Formicidae: Haidomyrmecinae stat. nov.) from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar, Cretaceous Research 109, pp. 1-18 : 4

Genus Dhagnathos gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:48DA68FC-1DF6-4A90-86DA-4EF527D762F4 .

Type species: Dhagnathos autokrator sp. nov.

Etymology. The generic name is a combination of Dha, a singleedged sword with long, gently curved blade common throughout mainland Asia, and often called ‘the national sword of Burma’, and gnathos (Greek, meaning ‘jaw’), in reference to the mandibles' shape. The name is masculine.

Diagnosis (gyne). Large, robust ant, body length ca. 14 mm. Clypeus funnel-shaped resulting from extreme posterior expansion, extends well beyond antennal insertions, with lateral margins raised into carinae arising above mandible insertion and converging posteriorly to form a clypeal horn; horn bent forward at right angle from frons, its tip gently rounded, not spatulate, its underside deeply furrowed, forming a channel opening toward the labrum; clypeal carinae, including horn's edges, rimmed by stout, short, tooth-like denticles. Mandibles scythe-like, the elbow between basal and distal portions with a strong (isosceles) triangular blade pointing medially and ventrally, the apical portion long, curved upwards and backwards, acutely tapering to the tip and with dorsal (posterior) margin furrowed and serrated; mandibles widely spaced, approximated only apically, with medioventral blade not overlapping (in frontal view, when closed, with distal portions aligned with frontal carinae so that the labrum and clypeal area below horn are exposed). Labrum coated laterally by a brush of stiff, spine-like setae and long fine setae, dorsal surface sparsely covered by long fine setae, anterior margin glabrous. Antennae elongate, with flagellomeres thin and long. Ocelli and compound eyes large, the latter reniform.