These bodies are named for Thomas Belt, a naturalist who first described the interactions between acacias and ants in his 1874 book Naturalist in Nicaragua. Belt's book in fact described ants of this species, then unknown.
The entities in question are designated in honor of Thomas Belt, a scientist who first explained the relationships between acacias and ants in his 1874 publication Naturalist in Nicaragua. Belt's book actually provided details about this ant species, which had not been previously recognized.