Eurhopalothrix mabuya Longino

Longino, John T., 2013, A review of the Central American and Caribbean species of the ant genus Eurhopalothrix Brown and Kempf, 1961 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a key to New World species, Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 101-151 : 125-127

Eurhopalothrix mabuya Longino , sp. nov.

( Figs 2 F, 9A, 22)

Type material. Holotype worker: Cuba, Santiago de Cuba: Parque Nacional Gran Piedra, near La Isabélica, 20.003 -75.613, ± 150 m, 1075 m, 27 Jan 2012, wet pluviselva, ex sifted leaf litter (R. S. Anderson 2012-008) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0630049]. Paratype workers, queens: same data as holotype but near Museo Isabélica, 20.007 -75.619, ± 150 m, 1115 m, 26 Jan 2012 (R. S. Anderson 2012-003) [USNM, CASENT0629855; MCZC, CASENT0630107]; same data but near La Isabélica, 20.004 -75.619, ± 150 m, 1130 m (R. S. Anderson 2012-004) [MZSP, CASENT0629856; UCDC, CASENT0630129; JTLC, CASENT0630118]; same data as holotype [CAS, CASENT0630055 (dealate queen); USNM, CASENT0629854 (dealate queen)]; same data but near La Isabélica, 20.007 -75.619, ± 150 m, 1115 m, 29 Jan 2012 (R. S. Anderson 2012-013) [FMNH, CASENT0630292].

Geographic range. Cuba.

Diagnosis. Masticatory margin of mandible with double row of teeth, outer series of lower triangular teeth, inner row of 3 long, spiniform teeth; erect setae on face filiform, not strongly spatulate. Similar to E. gravis .

Description. Worker. HW 0.63–0.71, HL 0.60–0.70, SL 0.39–0.44, SLL 0.07–0.09, CI 102–109, SLI 18–20 (n=3). Labrum as in Fig. 2 F, much broader than long, anterolateral gibbosities of basal portion developed as acute, ventrally-directed teeth, apical portion very short, flexed dorsally, anterior margin slightly emarginate medially but not distinctly bilobed; apex of labrum with fringe of pointed setae; mandible triangular, dorsal surface convex, roughened, dull, rounding into ventral surface; interior surface concave, smooth and shining; masticatory margin with two tooth rows, an outer row of 10 teeth and an inner row of 3 long needle-shaped teeth, behind outer teeth 3– 6 and projecting beyond them, nearly 2x length of flanking outer teeth; tooth 1 of outer row broader than others, low, blunt; tooth 2 long and acute; teeth 3–6 low, blunt; teeth 7 and 10 long and needle-shaped, similar to teeth of inner row; teeth 8–9 shorter; scape with well-developed basal lobe; scrobe deep, sharply delimited dorsally and ventrally, abutting deep antennal socket; surface of scrobe foveolate; eye with about 5 ommatidia across greatest diameter; clypeus convex posteromedially, sloping to slightly concave anterior apron, posterior portion roughened, grading to more smooth and shining anteriorly; juncture of clypeus and frons impressed; sides of head above eyes moderately angulate; surface of face uniformly convex, minutely and confluently punctate posteriorly, grading to shallowly roughened anteriorly, anterior frons with moderately developed longitudinal medial carina; occipital carina strongly developed and sharp dorsally, obsolete laterally, reemerging ventrally as weak longitudinal carinae extending short distance onto genal surface; ventral border of occipital foramen delimited by distinct carina; undersurface of head punctate posteriorly, punctatorugose anteriorly; postgenal suture a well-developed longitudinal trough.

Pronotal profile evenly curved from anterior face to dorsal face; promesonotal suture slightly impressed, such that mesonotum slightly differentiated as separate convexity; metanotal groove weakly and broadly impressed; dorsal face of propodeum variably convex, often with shallow transverse trough immediately anterior to base of propodeal spines; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum distinct, meeting at obtuse angle, dorsal face subequal in length to posterior face; propodeal spine acute, ventral margin curving into narrow infradental lamella that extends down posterior face to propodeal lobe; propodeal spiracle distinct, directed posteriorly; most of mesosoma, including posterior face of propodeum, uniformly covered with small, confluent puncta; circular region at anterior junction of anepisternum and katepisternum smooth with a few coarse rugae; metapleural gland bulla punctate or smooth; with or without feeble transverse carinulae between propodeal spines.

Petiolar peduncle joins anterior face of petiolar node at obtuse angle; petiolar node subquadrate, anterior face rounding into dorsal face; transverse carina separates dorsal face and short, concave posterior face; ventral margin of petiole with variably developed short anteroventral tooth, sometimes absent; postpetiole low and broad, with a shallow longitudinal sulcus dorsally; first gastral sternite lacking anterior sagittal keel; petiole, postpetiole, first gastral tergite covered with dense, small, puncta, interspaces less than or equal to width of puncta; first gastral sternite similar, but puncta and interspaces larger.

Dorsal surface of scape with sparse, short, appressed, flattened but thin setae; leading edge of scape with projecting setae, shortest near apex, gradually lengthening to longest on basal lobe; ground pilosity sparse, thin, appressed, uniformly distributed across face, frontal lobes, and clypeus; undersurface of head with ground setae like those on face; projecting specialized setae weakly clavate, much longer than wide, full complement 16, with anterior row of 6, transverse median row of 6 extending from outermost posterolateral angles of head, and posterior row of 4 on vertex margin; ground pilosity similar to that on face on promesonotal dorsum, dorsa of petiolar node and postpetiole, much sparser on first gastral tergite; 3 pairs projecting weakly clavate setae on promesonotum; legs with moderately abundant, flattened, appressed to decumbent setae on apices of femora, posterior face of foretibia, entire midtibia, anterior face of hindtibia, somewhat sparser on other surfaces; apex of foretibia with 1 larger clavate seta, apices of mid and hind tibia with 2; basitarsus and remaining tarsomeres with abundant, clavate setae; two clavate setae on hind margin of dorsal face of petiolar node; row of 4 clavate setae on hind margin of postpetiole; specialized setae of first gastral tergite clavate, full complement 4 pairs in two longitudinal rows and 1 pair flanking posteriormost pair (4 setae along posterior margin).

Color dark brown.

Queen. HW 0.72, HL 0.70, SL 0.45, SLL 0.09, CI 104, SLI 19 (n=1). Similar to worker in most respects; ocelli present; compound eye much larger than worker eye; anepisternum separated from katepisternum by U-shaped groove; metapleuron separated from propodeum by broad U-shaped groove; most of mesosoma punctate, katepisternum with smooth patch anterodorsally; axilla separated from scutellum by broad transverse trough with coarse longitudinal rugae; pronotum with 1 pair clavate setae; mesoscutum with 7 clavate setae on single available queen, anterior pair, transverse row of 4 at midlength, 1 unmatched seta between anterior and posterior rows; axilla with clavate seta; scutellum with 1 pair clavate setae; first gastral tergite with 7 clavate setae on observed queen, full complement probably similar to worker.

Biology. This species is apparently endemic to Cuba and is known from montane forests of the southern mountain ranges near Santiago. Specimens are known from 8 Winkler samples, all between 1000–1660 m elevation.

Etymology. The name is based on a Taino word for bad spirit. It is a noun in apposition and thus invariant.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Eurhopalothrix labra. A. E. bolaui (Nicaragua, CASENT 0619922). B. E. semicapillum (Costa Rica, CASENT 0639342). C. E. ortizae (Costa Rica, LACM ENT 143281). D. E. gravis (Costa Rica, INB 0003212299). E. E. sepultura (Mexico, CASENT 0639334). F. E. mabuya (Cuba, CASENT 0630193). G. E. xibalba (Costa Rica, INB 0003698926). H. E. floridana (USA, LACM ENT 143276). I. E. cimu (Cuba, CASENT 0639337). A – H are dissected labra imaged in fluid. I is dry-mounted specimen, basal portion is not visible, and maxilla are visible in background. With the exception of E. cimu, specimen codes are for dry-mounted specimens from the same series, not the dissected specimen. Images are not to scale.