Hylomyrma jeronimae Ulysséa, 2021

Ulysséa, Mônica Antunes, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Hylomyrma Forel, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of fourteen new species, Zootaxa 5055 (1), pp. 1-137 : 52-55

Hylomyrma jeronimae Ulysséa new species

Figures 37 , 38 , 80F , 84 (map)

Holotype: PANAMA: [Panamá Oeste]: Cerro Campana , 950m, [ca. 8.73°N, 79.97°W (Branstetter, 2013)], 5.vi.95, R. Anderson [leg.], wet mountain, forest litter, #17833 (1W) [ MCZC] . Paratypes: same data as holotype, #17833 (7W) ( MZSP67337 , MZSP67338 ) [ MZSP]; #17833 (1Q) ( MZSP67336 ) [ MZSP]; #17754 (1W) [ UTEP]; #17754 (2W) [ USNM]; #17754 (2W, one covered with gold, without gaster) [ DZUP]; 14-23.ii.1976, leaf litter, forest floor, A. Newton [leg.] (10W) (MCZENT00525548, MCZENT00525550, MCZENT00525555, MCZENT00525547, MCZENT00525493, MCZENT00525551, MCZENT00525552, MCZENT00525549, MCZENT00525494, MCZENT00525546) [ MCZC] . COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: 10k W Rincón, 22.vi. 1997, 180m, 8°42′N, 83°31′W, R. Anderson [leg.], ridge for., litter extr., 18689B (2W) ( MZSP67339 , MZSP67340 ) [ MZSP] ; 17k NE Rincón, 21.vi. 1997, 250m, 8°45′N, 83°25′W, R. Anderson [leg.], lowland for., litter extr., 18685D (1W) [ CASC] ; same except 18685D (1W covered with gold) ( MZSP67341 ) [ MZSP] ; 18685A (1W) ( MZSP67342 ) [ MZSP] ; 24.vi.1997, 8°45′30″N, 83°25′00″W, lowland for., litter, 18689 (1W) (MZHY204) [ MZSP] .

Diagnosis. Regular to irregular striae on head dorsum diverge towards posterior margin; irregular striae of variable thickness on mesosoma assuming multiple directions, interspaces indistinguishable; reniform eye; metanotal groove distinguishable by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV); dorsal margin of petiole continuous, convex, dorsum and lateral with same striation of mesosoma; subpostpetiolar process weak, convex; profemur posterior surface and protibia extensor surface weakly striate; striation on tergum of first gastral segment restricted to base.

Description. WORKER (n=3) ( Fig. 37A–C ): HL (0.88–0.90); HW (0.80–0.82); ML (0.52–0.53); SL (0.56–0.58); MOD (0.25–0.26); PNW (0.57–0.58); WL (1.12); PSL (0.21–0.24); PL (0.56–0.57); PW (0.20); PPL (0.28–0.29); PPW (0.29–0.30); GL (0.93–1.06); TL (4.31–4.47); CI (90.90–92.13); SI (68.29–72.50); OI (30.48–32.50). Smallsized. Subopaque integument, except for the shiny gaster. Light brown body, darker gaster, yellowish leg. Many thin and branched setae, long to midsized, suberect to subdecumbent, 2–4 short branches of equal size arising from the main axis ( Fig. 80F ).

Head subquadrate; posterior margin straight. Mandible masticatory margin with 5 teeth. Anterior margin of clypeus straight medially, with a pair of small teeth laterally; median area of clypeus with regular and longitudinal striae, being 6–9 thicker striae, interspaces indistinguishable. Frontal triangle with 3 striae. Short scape, not reaching head posterior margin; apical antennomere shorter than previous 3 antennomeres together. Frontal carina slightly concave posterior to antennal socket. Eye reniform, midsized, larger diameter with 11 ommatidia. Regular to irregular and longitudinal striae on head dorsum, divergent towards posterior margin, interspaces between thicker striae filled with thinner striae. Head lateral and laterodorsal regions with same striation of head dorsum, striae converging to eye margin; gena striate, irregular and semicircular striae circumscribe the torulus, not reaching eye margin, being 4–6 thicker striae, interspaces indistinguishable. Interspaces between striae on head ventral surface distinguishable.

Mesosoma covered with regular to irregular striae, thinner striae (microsculpture) superimposed on thicker striae (macrosculpture), interspaces between thinner striae indistinguishable. Striation assumes multiple directions; transverse striae on pronotum anterior region (DV) continuing on lateral surface in part towards propodeal spine and in part transversely on propodeum; pronotum posterior region, mesonotum and metanotal groove with semi-elliptical to V-shaped striae. Promesonotal junction indistinct. Metanotal groove discernible by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV). Transverse carina well-marked. Dorsal margin of mesosoma slightly discontinuous, convex. Propodeal lobe bidentate, acute dorsal tooth slightly longer than blunt ventral tooth; dorsal tooth length slightly shorter than propodeal spine length. Propodeal spine long, straight (LV), divergent (DV), sculptured. Procoxa striae of uniform thickness; regular and transverse striae on C2 and C3. Profemur and protibia covered with irregular to regular striae, transverse on profemur, longitudinal on protibia.

Dorsal margin of petiole continuous, convex; transverse striae on entire ventral surface, interspaces distinguishable; first third of dorsal surface smooth; striation of its second third continuing on lateral surface; regular to irregular striae of variable thickness on last third of dorsal surface and lateral surface, last third of dorsal surface with semicircular striae, interspaces indistinguishable. Postpetiole and subpostpetiolar process with regular and longitudinal striae; subpostpetiolar process weak, convex, striation weakly marked.

First gastral segment striation similar to postpetiole striae; short striae on tergum, shorter than postpetiole length; sternite striation covering the laterobasal region.

QUEEN (n=3) ( Fig. 38A–C ): HL (0.94); HW (0.88–0.89); ML (0.55–0.62); SL (0.60–0.62); MOD (0.28–0.29); PNW (0.78–0.82); WL (1.38–1.40); PSL (0.28); PL (0.64–0.66); PW (0.26); PPL (0.33–0.34); PPW (0.37–0.38); GL (1.20–1.28); TL (5.08–5.18); CI (93.61–94.68); SI (68.18–70.45); OI (31.46–32.95). Midsized. Color, pilosity, and some sculpture characters shared with conspecific workers, only slightly larger. Larger diameter of eye with 14–15 ommatidia. Longitudinal, regular to irregular striae on scutum going from an anterior central point towards transcutal suture, interspaces indistinguishable. Longitudinal and mostly regular striae on anepisternum and katepisternum, interspaces indistinguishable. Axilla and scutellum with same sculpture of scutum. Scutoscutellar sulcus conspicuous. Transverse and regular striae on propodeum (DV). Lateral surface of mesosoma with irregular to vermicular striae directed in part to propodeal dorsum and in part to propodeal spine. Wings unknown.

MALE Unknown.

Etymology. The epithet jeronimae is a Latin noun in the genitive case created by adding the singular Latin genitive case suffix -e to the first name of a female person. The specific epithet is named after Jerônima Mesquita (1880–1972), a Brazilian feminist, pioneer of the women’s suffrage in Brazil. She also advocated for the equality of rights and opportunity of women, and co-founder, along with Berta Lutz (1894–1976) and Stella Guerra Duval (1879–1971), of the League for the Intellectual Emancipation of Women in 1918 (which was subsequently named Brazilian Federation for Women’s Progress).

Comments. Hylomyrma jeronimae is similar to H. blandiens , H. dentiloba and H. macielae . Hylomyrma jeronimae and H. dentiloba are restricted to Central America ( Figs. 84 , 86 ), co-occuring in Barro Colorado Island, Panama, whereas H. blandiens has a broad distribution in northwestern South America, from Bolivia to French Guiana ( Fig. 84 ), overlapping in part with the area of distribution of H. macielae (south Colombia and the center-north of Ecuador) ( Fig. 86 ). Hylomyrma jeronimae can be distinguished from H. blandiens and H. dentiloba (characteristic of both in parentheses) by the regular to irregular, and divergent striae on the mesial region of head dorsum (vs. regular striae in part directed to posterior margin and in part anteriorly divergent and posteriorly convergent), the reniform eye (vs. drop-shaped), the striation on the mesosoml dorsum assuming multiple directions (vs. longitudinal striation), the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous), and the striae on tergum of the first gastral segment restrict to its basal region (vs. extending up to its first third). Hylomyrma jeronimae and H. macielae share the adjacent striae on the mesosoma, but the former differs from the latter in the reniform eye (vs. oval), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous).

After observing the images of H. cf. dentiloba sp.1 (CASENT0636001) from Costa Rica ( Pierce et al. 2017), we understand that this species is Hylomyrma jeronimae n. sp. The authors stated that H. dentiloba and H. versuta are morphologically identical, being differentiated only in their geographical distribution. However, H. jeronimae (the H. cf. dentiloba sp.1) can be distinguished from H. versuta in the striation on the mesosomal dorsum assuming multiple directions (vs. logitudinal striation), the striae interspaces on the mesosoma indistinguishable (vs. distinguishable), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous). Also, we indicate five morphological differences between H. jeronimae and the true H. dentiloba (the H. cf. dentiloba sp.2) in the previous paragraph.

Distribution. This species occurs in Costa Rica and Panama ( Fig. 84 ).

Natural history. Hylomyrma jeronimae inhabits forested areas at elevations ranging from 180 to 950 m. Most known specimens were collected in the leaf-litter, which suggests that nests are located in fallen logs, rotten wood, between leaves, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers.

Additional material examined (42 workers, 3 queens): CR[ COSTA RICA]: Punt.[Puntarenas]: Osa Penn[Peninsula] C. Helado, 17k NE Rincón, 24.vi.97, R. Anderson, #18689 (2W) (MZHY204) [MZSP]; San Jose: 68km PanamHw 3 de Jun. Boq., 10.ii.96, R. Anderson, litter ex. Forest Adjacent to Sphagnum bug[bog], Sample C, #17750 (3W) [MZSP]. PANAMA: [Panamá Oeste]: Cerro Campana, 950m, 5.vi.95, R. Anderson, #17834 (4W) [MZSP]; same except #17835 (3W) [MZSP]; #17836 (2W) [MZSP]; #17836 (3W) [IHVL]; #17836 (1W) [USNM]; #17836 (1W) [DZUP]; #17753 (7W 1Q) [MZSP]; #17753 (2W) [UTEP]; 900m, #17755 (2W, one worker just petiole, postpetiole and gaster) (MYZH219) [MZSP]; #17756 (12W 2Q) [MZSP].

Figures

FIGURE 37. Holotype worker of Hylomyrma jeronimae (PANAMA: #17833 [MCZC]). A) frontal view; B) dorsal view; C) lateral view. Photos by Ricardo Kawada.

FIGURE 38. Paratype queen of Hylomyrma jeronimae (MZSP67336). A) frontal view; B) dorsal view; C) lateral view. Photos by M.A. Ulysséa.

FIGURE 80. Types of setae found in the species of Hylomyrma. Unbranched setae: A) Hylomyrma adelae, H. blandiens, H. macielae; B) H. immanis; C) H. marielleae. Branched setae: D) H. dentiloba, H. lispectorae, H. mitiae, H. peetersi, H. virginiae; E) H. balzani, H. lopesi; F) H. blandiens, H. jeronimae, H. versuta; G) H. dolichops; H) H. transversa; I) H. longiscapa; J) H. balzani, H. lopesi, H. primavesi, H. reitteri, H. versuta; K) H. plumosa.

FIGURE 84. Distribution records of Hylomyrma balzani, H. blandiens, H. jeronimae, and H. lispectorae.

FIGURE 86. Distribution records of Hylomyrma dentiloba, H. macielae, H. reginae, H. villemantae, and H. wachiperi.