Pyramica fautrix 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 : 355-356

Pyramica fautrix Bolton sp. n.

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 1.9, HL 0.50, HW 0.38, CI 76, ML 0.08, MI 16, SL 0.24, SI 63, PW 0.24, AL 0.50. Dorsum of clypeus covered with small, anteriorly directed appressed squamate hairs that are much smaller than the spoon-shaped hairs that fringe the clypeal margins, and smaller than those on the vertex. Spoon-shaped hairs on the vertex broad, subopaque and conspicuous; those that fringe the dorsolateral margins of the head are anteriorly curved and form a neat row; they are as large as those on the vertex and the leading edge of the scape. In profile the vertex only with spoon-shaped hairs to its highest point, but close to the occipital margin with a transverse row of 4 erect simple hairs that contrast strongly with the preceding pilosity. Eye minute, of only 1 or 2 ommatidia. Humeral hair simple, stout and straight. Promesonotal dorsum with sparse small spatulate ground-pilosity, the mesonotum also with 3 pairs of erect simple hairs, the posteriormost pair of which is distinctly the shortest. Dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and first gastral tergite with numerous simple standing hairs. Dorsum of head finely reticulatepunctate. In dorsal view pronotum with faint shagreenate ground-sculpture and sparse, extremely feeble longitudinal costulae. The costulae are located between a pair of stronger longitudinal carinae that are continuous with the dorsolateral margination of the mesonotum and propodeum; this pair of pronotal carinae situated well in from the lateral borders of the sclerite in dorsal view. Mesonotum and petiole dorsum weakly sculptured, propodeum and disc of postpetiole smooth. Margins of postpetiole disc in dorsal view completely surrounded with spongiform tissue. Anterior margin of postpetiole disc much broader than posterior margin, the sides approximately straight and markedly convergent posteriorly. Pleurae and sides of propodeum smooth except for some faint sculpture near dorsal margin. Lamella of propodeal declivity broad and convex near its midheight, engaging the propodeal tooth to very near its apex. Ventral spongiform curtain of petiole present beneath node but absent beneath peduncle. Lateral and ventral spongiform lobes of postpetiole large.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: Berenty, Ambosary, 13. viii. 1981, no. 2036 (J. M. Wilson) (BMNH).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: 10 km. NE Antananarivo, Sacred Forest (CD. Alpert).

P. ambatrix is easily separated from fautrix as the former has the pronotal humeral hair long and flagellate. Characters that differentiate the other three Malagasy species known in thefautrix-group are given under symmetrix and victrix.