Oxyepoecus rosai, De Albuquerque & Brandão, 2009

Albuquerque, Nicolas Lavour de & Brandão, Carlos Roberto Ferreira, 2009, A revision of the Neotropical Solenopsidini ant genus OXYEPOECUS Santschi, 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). 2. Final. Key for species and revision of the Rastratus species-group, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 49 (23), pp. 289-309 : 304-307

Oxyepoecus rosai n. sp.

( Figs. 5 a-c, 8)

Oxyepoecus rosai n. sp. Albuquerque & Brandão. Holotype: worker. Brazil: São Paulo: Salesópolis [23°39’S, 45°53’W], 20-26.x.1997, C. Klingenberg & C.I. Yamamoto col., attracted to sardine baits; deposited in MZSP.

Paratypes (all from Brazil): São Paulo: forty one workers and two gynes from Salesópolis (Same locality of the Holotype, but collected in different dates and by different collectors); 33 workers and 2 gynes deposited in MZSP , one worker deposited in AMNH , one worker deposited in CASC , one worker deposited in CECL , one worker deposited in CPDC , one worker deposited in ICNC , one worker deposited in LACM , one worker deposited in MIZA , one worker deposited in USNM .

Etymology: we are pleased to dedicate this species to our friend and colleague, Rogério Rosa da Silva, the most efficient collector in our team.

Worker (Holotype and paratypes (N = 33) variation within brackets): t.l. = 2.33 (2.30-2,40); h.l. = 0.60 (0.60-0.63); h.w. = 0.45 (0.43-0.48); s.l. = 0.35 (0.35-0.38); m.l.e. = 0.10 (0.10-0.13); m.w.pr. = 0.33 (0.30-0.35); a.l. = 0.65 (0.65-0.68); h.f.l. = 0.35 (0.35-0.38); m.w.p. = 0.20 (0.20-0.23); m.w.pp. = 0.25 (0.25-0.28); c.i. 75 (72-76). Color chestnut brown, gaster fuscous. Irregularly costulae and rugulate sculpture covering almost all head dorsum integument, except by clypeus, around antennal insertions and vertex; almost all mesosoma irregularly reticulate, except antero-lateral portion of pronotum, area around propodeal spiracle, petiolar peduncle dorsum, node of petiole and postpetiole smooth and shining. Hairs moderately abundant, short and subdecumbent, on head dorsum mesad oriented, anteriorly curved on head sides; dorsum of mesosoma with suberect hairs, backwards oriented on petiolar and postpetiole nodes; gaster without interspersed shorter and decumbent hairs.

Head as in Fig. 5a (f.f.v.): Mandible with basal border slightly shorter than chewing border, basal tooth separated from subbasal tooth by shallow diastema. Anterior tooth of clypeus mesially directed with smaller lateral denticle. Frontal carinae gently convex and subparallel over antennal sockets, maximum width between outer edges always less than one fourth head width. Compound eye with 4-5 facets r.g.d., height less than oculomalar; total number of ommatidia not exceeding 13. Antennal scape fails to reach vertexal corner by distance approximately equal to maximum scape width. Funnicular segment I longer than II-V combined, segments II-VII distinctly broader than long, VIII and IX as long as broad. Vertexal margin straight.

Mesosoma with promesonotum gently rounded on shoulders. Metanotal groove almost indistinct (p.v.). Basal face of propodeum immarginate on sides, posteriorly with a small tooth. Declivous face laterally weakly carinate.

Petiole pedunculate, node scarcely compressed antero-posteriorly (d.v.) club shaped; subpetiolar process with a small, blunt and obliquely oriented denticle anteriorly. Postpetiole very broad, not as high as petiolar node; subpostpetiolar process shaped as small, transversal crest.

Gyne (variation of gynes paratypes, N = 2): t.l. = (2.80-2.93); h.l. = (0.60-0.63); h.w. = (0.50-0.53); s.l. = (0.40-0.43); m.l.e. = (0.25-0.30); m.w.pr. = (0.43-0.45); a.l. = (0.70-0.73); h.f.l. = (0.38-0.40); m.w.p. = (0.18-0.20); m.w.pp. = (0.33-0.35); c.i. (83-85). Almost same workers character states, with caste differences of: three ocelli very small, with same diameter, approximately half minimum thickness of antennal scape, compound eye with 8 facets r.g.d., and circa 40 in whole eye.

Male: Unknown.

Comments: In the Rastratus species-group , O. rosai workers present the integument of mesopleuron and lateral pronotum irregularly sculptured, as in O. myops , but differs from the later by the larger compound eyes, and by the smooth integument on the head vertex and lateral portions of the pronotum, petiolar node, and postpetiole.

The distribution of O. rosai includes only localities at South and Southeastern Brazil, between São Paulo and Santa Catarina States ( Fig. 8 ). The specimens were attracted to sardine baits or recovered from the leaf-litter using Winkler extractors .

Examined material: BRAZIL: Paraná: Tunas , Parque das Lauráceas, 21-29.ii.2001, [R.R.] Silva and [F.] Eberhardt cols., transecto 1 Winkler 44 [24°51’S, 48°43’W] (1 S) ; Rio de Janeiro: Teresópolis, P [arque] N[acional] da S[erra] dos O[rgãos], 23-27.xi.1999, Rocha [R.P.], Dietz [B.H.], Silva [R.R.] cols., Winkler # 07 and 17 [22°27’S, 42°59’W] (3 S) ; Santa Catarina: Blumenau, P [arque] E[stadual] das Nascentes, 20-27. x.2000, Silva, R.R. and Eberhardt, F. cols., Winkler # 18 [27°06’S, 49°09’W] (2 S); Palhoça, P [arque] E[stadual] Serra do Tabuleiro, 02-10.vi.2003, Silva, R.R. and Dietz, B.H. cols., [27°44’S, 48°41’W] (1 S); São Bonifácio, P [arque] E[stadual] Serra do Tabuleiro , 08-13.iii.2004, Silva, R.R.; Dietz, B.H. and Albuquerque, N.L. cols., Winkler # 02, 08, 12, 13 and 14 [27°49’S, 48°54’W] (10 S) ; Seara, vi-vii.1999, Rogério R. Silva col. 27°09’S, 52°18’W (5 S) ; São Paulo: Botucatu, 08.ix.1986, Forti, L.C. col [22°53’S, 48°26’W] (5 S); Salesópolis , 02-06.v.1997, D. Agosti, C.R.F. Brandão and C.I.Yamamoto col., [23°39’S, 45°53’W] (16 S paratypes and 1 T paratype); same locality, 12-17.vi.1997, C.I.Yamamoto col, same coordinates (1 S paratypes); same locality, 05-07.vii.1997, C.I.Yamamoto col, same coordinates (9 S paratypes); same locality, 05-07.ix.1997, C.I.Yamamoto col, same coordinates (2 S and 1 T paratypes); same locality, 20-26.x.1997, C. Klingenberg & C.I. Yamamoto col., attracted to sardine baits (Sardinha) (1 S holotype and 1 S paratype) ; São Paulo, Parque da Independência , 12.x.1998, C.I.Yamamoto col., [23°35’S, 46°36’W] (1 S Paratypes) .

Figures

FIGURE 5: Scanning electron micrograph of the workers of O. rosai n. sp.; a) head in full-face view; b) mesosoma in profile view; c) Petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view.

FIGURE 8: Map of distribution of O. reticulatus and O. rosai.