Rasopone minuta

Introduction

Rasopone minuta is one of the smallest ant species in the genus Rasopone, with queens measuring just 4mm in total length . They are bright orange in color and have smooth, shiny mandibles with exactly 7 teeth - a key trait that separates them from similar species like R. ferruginea and R. lunaris, which have 9 or more poorly defined teeth . The species ranges from Mexico (Chiapas) through Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, inhabiting lowland wet to seasonal moist forests from sea level to 890m elevation . Workers have been observed foraging on the ground during the day, and specimens have been collected under stones in clay soil and in pitfall traps .