Pyramica erynnes 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 : 351-352

Pyramica erynnes Bolton sp. n.

(Figs 224, 244)

HOLOTYPE WORKER. TL 2.1, HL 0.56, HW 0.44, CI 79, ML 0.16, MI 29, SL 0.37, SI 84, PW 0.30, AL 0.56. With head in full-face view the subovate mandibular gap between basal lamellae and basal teeth distinct, the apices of the labral lobes visible through the gap. Antennal scapes elongate and slender; spatulate hairs that curve toward the scape apex conspicuous. Eyes visible in full-face view, located well behind the midlength of the side of the head; eye with 3 ommatidia across the greatest diameter. Dorsum and lateral margins of head with narrowly spatulate ground-pilosity that is decumbent to appressed; without standing hairs except for a single pair of thick, anteriorly curved remiform hairs that arise just behind the highest point of the vertex. Dorsum and sides of head, including the scrobes, finely reticulate to reticulate-punctulate. Pronotal sides, entire dorsal alitrunk and propodeal declivity finely reticulate to reticulatepunctulate, superficially so on the more central area of the pronotum. Promesonotum in dorsal view broadest at about its midlength, broadly convex from side to side and from front to back. Metanotal groove conspicuously impressed. Nodes of both petiole and postpetiole broader than long, the latter somewhat wider than the former. In dorsal view sides of petiole and postpetiole without projecting spongiform tissue though the posterior collars are narrowly present. Dorsal alitrunk with scattered appressed narrowly spatulate ground-pilosity, the mesonotum with a single pair of stout remiform hairs; alitrunk otherwise without specialised hairs. Propodeal declivity with a narrow lamella, without teeth. Ventral spongiform strip of petiole present but narrow and inconspicuous. Lateral and ventral postpetiole lobes small, in profile their combined area smaller than the exposed portion of the postpetiole disc. Petiole and postpetiole each with one pair of remiform standing hairs. First gastral tergite with two pairs of stout remiform hairs, one pair located basally and the other apically. Between them the sclerite with scattered finer decumbent narrow pilosity.

PARATYPE WORKERS. TL 2.0 - 2.2, HL 0.54 - 0.58, HW 0.42 - 0.44, CI 75 - 80, ML 0.14 - 0.16, MI 26 - 29, SL 0.36 - 0.39, SI 82 - 88, PW 0.29 - 0.33, AL 0.54 - 0.58 (10 measured). As holotype but occasionally with one or two slender hairs on the leading edge of the scape curved toward the base of the scape. This is abnormal and may be an artifact of the mounting process, the hairs being displaced when the scapes were being spread for examination. The stout remiform hairs on the alitrunk and waist segments may be abraded away, so that some specimens do not show the full count outlined above.

Holotype worker, Madagascar: 45 km. S Ambalavao, 22 ° 131 S, 47 o 01 ' E, 785 m., 25. ix. 1993, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), rainforest, # 696 (48) - 5 {B. L. Fisher) (MCZ).

Paratypes. 32 workers with same data as holotype [in addition a large number of workers from this series remain in alcohol at UCD] (MCZ, UCD, BMNH).

NON-PARATYPIC MATERIAL EXAMINED. Madagascar: 10 km. NE Enakara, Res. Andohahela (B. L. Fisher); 45 km. S Ambalavao (B. L. Fisher); 15 km. E Sakaraha (P. S. Ward); 6 km. SSW Eminiminy (P. S. Ward); 3 km. W Ranomafana, nr. Ifanadiana (P. S. Ward); 17 km. W Andapa, Res. d'Anjanaharibe Sud (G. D. Alpert); 7 km. W Ranomafana Nat. Park [several series of alate queens] (W. E. Steiner); Vondroso, W Farafangana (P. Rabeson); Prov. Toamasina, F. C. Andriantantely (H. J. Ratsirarson); Toamasina, F. C. Didi (H. J. Ratsirarson); Toamasina, F. C. Sandranantitra (H. J. Ratsirarson); Prov. Antsiranana, R. S. Manongarivo, 12.8 km. 228 ° SW Antanambao (B. L. Fisher); Prov. Fianarantsoa, R. S. Ivohibe (B. L. Fisher).

The only other species of this group known from Madagascar, tathula, is easily separated as its propodeum is armed with a pair of triangular teeth. By comparison with nonMalagasy members of the mutica-group erynnes is isolated by its evenly slender cylindrical scapes that are also relatively long, SI 82 - 88 compared to a combined SI 63 - 76 in the extralimital species.