Mycocepurus goeldii ( Forel, 1893 )

Santos, Carlos Daniel Assis Dos, Chaul, Júlio Cezar Mário & Serrão, José Eduardo, 2024, Male genitalia of the fungus-growing ants Mycocepurus goeldii (Forel, 1893) and Mycocepurus smithii (Forel, 1893) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), Zootaxa 5471 (4), pp. 496-500 : 496-497

Mycocepurus goeldii ( Forel, 1893)

Measurements. (5 measured) HW 1.03–1.05, HW2 0.70–0.73, HL 0.79–0.84, SL 0.72–0.77, MssctmL 0.72–0.87, MssctmW 0.73–0.84, Mssctm+MssctlL 1.07–1.28, WL 1.72–1.82, PetW 0.21–0.29, PpetW 0.57–0.61, GW 1.17–1.31, G1L 0.97–1.03. Pilosity and Sculpturing. Body opaque, with reticulate-punctate sculpture. Pilosity appressed. Head ( Figure 1.A ). Mandible with oblique striations on the dorsal surface; masticatory margin with four to five teeth. Anterior margin of the clypeus convex, without an anteromedial notch; clypeus surface slightly elevated, with a pair of tiny median tubercles. Frontal lobes subquadrate. Frontal carina short, laterally directed. Eyes occupying at least half of the head in profile view; strongly bulging. Ocelli protruded from short projections. Scape extends beyond the vertexal margin by approximately ¼ of its length; flagellomere I (antennomere 3) 2.5x as long as pedicel. Occipital corners toothed. Mesosoma ( Figure 1.B–C ). Pronotum with two pairs of small spines. Notauli shallow, medially united, fainting posteromedially. Scutoscutellar sulcus deep. Mesoscutelum posterior margin with a pair of thick projections. Propodeum with a pair of projections, with upper projection triangular, low, lamellate. Metasoma. Petiole with developed peduncle; rounded petiolar node without projections, with only some rugose on its surface. Postpetiole subtrapezoidal in dorsal view, slightly wider posteriorly, with some rugose on its surface. First tergum of gaster as long as wide. Wings ( Figure 2.A ). Infuscated wings covered with microtrichia. Forewings with four closed cells (basal, costal, submarginal, and marginal 1+2). Semi-complete cubitus+anal vein, almost forming a subbasal cell. Pterostigma strongly pigmented. Hindwings without closed cells, with 1 single complete vein (subcostal), and 2 incomplete visible veins (anal and media+cubitus); eight hamuli. Genitalia. Parameres basally wide, internal face slightly concave, apex subquadrate and spatulate ( Figure 2.C–D ). Digitus of volsella elongate, L–shaped, inner margin strongly curved; cuspis not evident ( Figure 2.J ). Penisvalve with a serrated ventral margin that has four to five denticles ( Figure 2.G , black triangle), apex with a broad, round lobe ( Figure 2.G , red triangle), separated from the serrated margin by a deep notch; fin–like dorsomedial extension of the valviceps ( Figure 2.G , gray triangle).

Comments. In the review of the genus, the male of M. goeldii is only briefly described, with an illustration of the penisvalve and few data about the external morphology ( Kempf, 1963). The parameres, volsella, and penisvalve showed standard features of Mycocepurus species, such as the apex of the valviceps separated from the ventral margin by a deep notch and the presence of a dorsomedial extension. The male of Mycocepurus castrator Rabeling & Bacci, 2010 , a social parasite of M. goeldii , also has the apex of the valviceps lobed. One male of M. goeldii (ANTWEB1047383) presented a slight variation in the morphology of the penisvalve with five denticles on the ventral margin instead of four, it was in accordance with other M. goeldii males in other respects of the external morphology.

Material examined. BRA: ES, Sooretama, Faz. São Francisco , -19.133333, -40.150000, 1–XII–2014, Lopez, J. I. B. ( ANTWEB1047383 ). BRA: MG, Dionísio , -19.840055, -42.683192, 13-21-XI-89, Armad. Malaise, Área B1, de Campos W. G. (Five specimens with the following codes: ANTWEB1047344 and ANTWEB1047309 ). BRA: MG, Viçosa, Mata da Biologia , -20.758220, -42.865435, 15–XII–2012, Chaul, J. ( UFV–LABECOL–004883 ). BRA: MG, Passos , -20.726040, -46.600053, 1962–X–4–10, Claudionor, E. ( ANTWEB1047371 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. The male of Mycocepurus goeldii (ANTWEB1047309) and Mycocepurus smithii (ANTWEB1047342). A–C, M. goeldii male in: full face-view, profile view focus on the mesosoma, dorsal view focus on the mesonotum, respectively. D–F, M. smithii male in: full face-view, profile view focus on the mesosoma, dorsal view focus on the mesonotum, respectively. Abbreviations: Ce, compound eye; Clp, clypeus; FrC, frontal carina; FrL, frontal lobe; Lmspl, lower mesopleuron; Lmtpl, lower metapleuron; Lo, lateral ocellus; Md, mandible; Mo, median ocellus; Msnt, mesonotum; Mssctld, mesoscutellar disc; Mssctm, mesoscutum; Not, notauli; Pe, Petiole; Pl, parapsidal line; Ppd, propodeum; Prnt, pronotum; Scp, antennal scape; Sss, scutoscutellar sulcus; Umspl, upper mesopleuron; Umtpl, upper metapleuron.

FIGURE 2. Genitalia and forewings of Mycocepurus Forel, 1893 males. A, forewing of M. goeldii (ANTWEB1047309); B, forewing of M. smithii (ANTWEB10473442); C, M. goeldii genital capsule in ventral view (ANTWEB1047309); D, M. goeldii genital capsule in lateral view (ANTWEB1047309); E, M. smithii genital capsule in ventral view (ANTWEB1047343); F, M. smithii genital capsule in lateral view (ANTWEB1047343); G, penisvalve of M. goeldii (ANTWEB1047309); H, penisvalve of M. smithii (ANTWEB1047333); I, illustration of the penisvalve of M. obsoletus (based on the original drawing by Kempf, 1963); J, M. goeldii volsella (ANTWEB1047309); K, M. smithii volsella (ANTWEB1047333). Scale bar absent in I, as it was not available from the original drawing. In the penisvalves, black arrows indicate the ventral denticles of the valviceps; red arrows indicate the apex of valviceps; and white arrows indicate a dorsomedial extension of the valviceps. Abbreviations: Bs, basimere; Bsl, basal cell; C+s, costal+subcostal cell; Cu, cupula; Ds, digitus; M1+2, marginal 1+2 cell; Pt, pterostigma; S-m, submarginal cell; Te, telomere; Vc, valviceps; wings veins: cu-a, cubitus-anal.