Octostruma schusteri Longino

Longino, John T, 2013, A revision of the ant genus Octostruma Forel 1912 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Zootaxa 3699, pp. 1-61 : 50-51

Octostruma schusteri Longino , sp. nov.

(Figs 1B, 3B, 5N, 37, 43)

Type material. Holotype worker: GUATEMALA, Suchitepéquez: 5 km S Vol. Atitlan, 14.54074, -91.18815, ± 35 m, 1400 m, 18 Jun 2009, cloud forest, ex sifted leaf litter (LLAMA, Wm-B-09-2-07) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0611856]. Paratype workers: same data except 5.5 km S Vol. Atitlan, 14.52857, -91.19569, ± 200 m, 1070 m, riparian forest, ex sifted leaf litter (LLAMA, Wm-B-09-2-08) [USNM, CASENT0611871; MCZC, CASENT0627368; UVGC, CASENT0627369; JTLC, CASENT0627370].

Geographic range. Guatemala.

Diagnosis. Face lacking transverse arcuate carina; basal five teeth of mandible acute; apex of labrum bilobed; mesosomal dorsum and first gastral tergite lacking erect setae; HW > 0.80.

Description. Worker. HW 0.82-0.87, HL 0.71-0.74, WL 0.88-94, CI 116-119 (n=5). Differing from O. gymnosoma in the following respects ( O. gymnosoma characters in parentheses): clypeus and face sublucid, clypeus smooth with shallow, widely-spaced puncta , face shallowly irregularly rugulose, tops of rugae flattened, shining (clypeus and face matte, with fainter sculpture); side of pronotum smooth (faintly punctate); first gastral tergite uniformly punctate, puncta small, diameter subequal to interspaces, interspaces smooth and shining (first gastral tergite covered with very faint, dense, confluent puncta , appearing shagreened); face with 6-8 spatulate setae, as in Fig. 5N, missing setae near eyes on some specimens (face lacking erect setae).

The queen is unknown.

Biology. Octostruma schusteri is known from cloud forest on the slopes of Volcan Atitlan, 1070-1400 m elevation, all from Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood from the forest floor.

Etymology. The name is in honor of Jack Schuster, Entomologist at the Universidad del Valle, Guatemala. It is a genitive singular noun and thus invariant.