Nylanderia acuminata ( Forel, 1911 ) Forel, 1911

Williams, Jason L., 2016, Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the ant genus Prenolepis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4200 (2), pp. 201-258 : 244

Nylanderia acuminata ( Forel, 1911) , comb. nov.

( Figs 121–123 )

Prenolepis acuminata Forel, 1911: 309 (w.). Holotype worker, MEXICO: Jalapa ( MHNG: CASENT0911041) [examined].

Morphology. Worker. Measurements (n=3): CMC: 40–46; EL: 0.26–0.28; EW: 0.19; HL: 0.84–0.88; HLA: 0.37; HLP: 0.39–0.40; HW: 0.75; IOD: 0.46–0.47; LF1: 0.18–0.22; LF2: 0.18–0.22; LHT: 1.07–1.10; MMC: 5–6; MTW: 0.46–0.47; MW: 0.32–0.35; PDH: 0.32–0.33; PMC: 9–12; PrCL: 0.52–0.53; PrCW: 0.29–0.33; PrFL: 0.87–0.91; PrFW: 0.24–0.25; PTH: 0.32; PTL: 0.28–0.29; PTW: 0.20–0.22; PW: 0.55–0.60; SL: 1.06–1.07; TL: 3.39–3.41; WF1: 0.07; WF2: 0.07; WL: 1.12–1.21; BLI: 150–160; CI: 85–89; EPI: 93–95; FLI: 187–200; HTI: 143–147; PetHI: 97–99; PetWI: 70–73; PrCI: 56–62; PrFI: 27–28; REL: 31–32; REL2: 36–37; REL3: 59; SI: 143. Medium to dark brown; entire cuticle finely reticulate; abundant thick, long, dark, erect macrosetae with thick setal bases on head, pronotum, mesonotum, gaster, and legs; erect setae on scapes; no erect macrosetae on propodeum; fine, dense pubescence covering most of the cuticle; head slightly longer than broad and rectangular in shape with rounded posterolateral corners and a slight medial concavity in the posterior margin; eyes are positioned slightly anterior to the midline of the head (EPI <100); eyes are moderately large and slightly convex, but do not surpass the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; mandibles with 6 teeth on the masticatory margin; cuticle of ectal surface of mandibles smooth and shiny; in profile view, dorsal surface of the mesonotum is rounded and slightly convex ( Fig 29 ); propodeum is domed with a rounded dorsal face; mesonotal and metanotal sutures are deep and complete.

Notes. We move this species to Nylanderia based on its deep and complete mesonotal and metanotal sutures ( Fig 29 ), anteriorly-placed eyes, and abundance of macrosetae with thick setal bases all of which are characteristic of Nylanderia .

Other material examined. COSTA RICA: Guanacaste Province, Tamarindo (W.M. Wheeler). In : AMNH.

Figures

FIGURES 121 – 123. Nylanderia acuminata worker USNMENT 00755089. Lateral, full-face, and dorsal view of the body.

FIGURES 28 – 37. Illustrations of mesosoma shapes (profile view) of select species from various other genera for comparison to Prenolepis. 28, Lasius niger; 29, Nylanderia acuminata; 30, Nylanderia emmae; 31, Nylanderia flavipes; 32, Nylanderia opisopthalmia; 33, Paratrechina longicornis; 34, Paratrechina umbra; 35, Paraparatrechina pallida; 36, Zatania gibberosa; 37, Zatania gloriosa.