Pyramica seti Bolton, 2000

Bolton, B., 2000, The ant tribe Dacetini. With a revision of the Strumigenys species of the Malgasy Region by Brian L. Fisher, and a revision of the Austral epopostrumiform genera by Steven O. Shattuck., Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65, pp. 341-369 : 349-350

Pyramica seti Bolton sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 3.1, HL 0.78, HW 0.56, CI 72, ML 0.12, MI 15, SL 0.36, SI 64, PW 0.38, AL 0.90. Characters of hoplites-complex. With head in full-face view the side behind the level of the eye with several short straight freely projecting simple hairs. Dorsum of head from just in front of highest point of vertex to occipital margin with numerous simple short straight erect hairs. Posterior margin of scrobe bounded by a fine rim or carina. Eye with 6 ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotum with numerous short simple hairs that are erect to suberect; conspicuously more than 3 pairs in all. Similar hairs present on waist segments and numerous on first gastral tergite. Each femur ventrally with a spaced row of suberect to subdecumbent outstanding simple hairs; similar hairs sparsely and irregularly present on other surfaces of femora and on other leg segments. Pronotal dorsum with a weak median longitudinal carina, best developed anteriorly; carina may extend onto anterior mesonotum. In dorsal view the sides of the mesonotum and propodeum marginate, the junction of pronotum and mesonotum marked by a fine transversely arched carina. Propodeal teeth short and triangular, engaging the lamella for most of their length and but with their apices free. Lateral spongiform lobes of petiole weakly developed. In profile the lateral lobe broadest posteriorly, petering out anteriorly well before the level of the anterior face of the node. In dorsal view the lobes rapidly narrowing anteriorly, fading out well behind the anterior margin of the node. Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole, and ventral and lateral lobes of postpetiole, large. Sculpture virtually absent; petiole with superficial fine punctulation and a few weak rugulae.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 3.0 - 3.3, HL 0.73 - 0.81, HW 0.51 - 0.61, CI 70 - 75, ML 0.10 - 0.12, MI 14 - 16, SL 0.32 - 0.36, SI 59 - 65, PW 0.34 - 0.40, AL 0.85 - 0.96 (10 measured). As holotype but eye with 5 - 6 ommatidia in the longest row. Median dorsal carina of pronotum variably developed. In most it extends the anterior two-thirds of the sclerite, but almost effaced in a few. Arched transverse carina separating pronotum and mesonotum dorsally may be faint or interrupted medially. One paratype (( 9) - l) has a vestigial wing-bud on each side of the mesothorax.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: 11.0 km. WSW Befingotra, Res. Anjanaharibe-Sud, 14 ° 45 ' S, 49 ° 27 ' E, 1565 m., 16. xi. 1994, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) montane rainforest, # 1232 (25) - l (B. L. Fisher) (MCZ).

Paratypes. 13 workers and 1 queen (dealate) with same data as holotype; all series # 1232 but coded (4) - l, (7) - l, (9) - l, (10) - 1, (ll) - l [queen], (15) - 1, (16) - 1, (31) - 1, (36) - l, (L. O.) - l (UCD, BMNH).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: 40 km. S Ambalavao, Res. Andringitra (B. L. Fisher); Prov. Antsiranana, P. N. Montagne d'Ambre (Griswold); Antsiranana, R. S. Manongarivo, 17.3 km. 218 ° SW Antanambao (B. L. Fisher); Antsiranana, R. S. Manongarivo, 20.4 km. 219 ° SW Antanambao (B. L. Fisher).

By far the most densely hairy species of the hoplites-complex, seti is immediately isolated by the pilosity of its head, promesonotum and legs, as described above. In particular this is the only known member of the complex to have laterally projecting straight simple hairs on the dorsolateral margin of the head behind the level of the eye. Beside this diagnostic pilosity the antennal scape is shorter here that in hathor (SI 80 or more); the latter also has the lateral spongiform lobes of the petiole vestigial and its scrobes lack a sharply defined posterior margin. P. hoplites and serket are also differentiated from seti as the lateral spongiform lobes of their petioles are much more strongly developed, and they share a very diagnostic arrangement of erect hairs on the cephalic dorsum where only 4 are present, arranged at the corners of a small square around the highest point of the vertex.