Oxyopomyrmex negevensis, Sebastian Salata & Lech Borowiec, 2015

Sebastian Salata & Lech Borowiec, 2015, A taxonomic revision of the genus Oxyopomyrmex André, 1881 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4025 (1), pp. 1-66 : 31-33

Oxyopomyrmex negevensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 31, 32, 33, 78)

Etymology. Named after terra typica, Negeve desert in Israel.

Type locality: Sede Boger, Negeve desert, Israel .

Type material. Holotype worker: ISRAEL | Sede Boger | 5. XI. 1974 | J. Morad || ISRAEL, Sede Boger | 476 m, 30 ° 52 ’ N / 34 ° 47 ’ E | 5.11. 1974 leg. Morad || HOLOTYPE ( TAUI) ; 3 paratype workers: the same data as holotype ( TAUI)) ; 14 paratype workers: ISRAEL, Southern Distr. || Sede Boger || 30,871 / 34, 7912, 472 m || 29 I 1973, Y. Ben-Mordekhai ( DBET, SSC) .

Gyne. Unknown.

Male. Unknown.

Worker. Description. Measurements (n= 18): HL: 0.743 ± 0.006 (0.737-0.749); HW: 0.693 ± 0.017 (0.67- 0.715); SL: 0.514 ± 0.007 (0.503-0.525); EL: 0.267 ± 0.005 (0.258-0.372); EW: 0.155 ± 0.008 (0.145-0.168); ML: 0.921 ± 0.012 (0.905-0.939); PSL: 0.216 ± 0.011 (0.207-0.235); SDL: 0.15 ± 0.005 (0.145-0.156); PL: 0.346 ± 0.003 (0.341-0.351); PPL: 0.22 ± 0.004 (0.212-0.223); PH: 0.251 ± 0.009 (0.246-0.268); PPH: 0.243 ± 0.005 (0.234-0.247); PNW: 0.466 ± 0.012 (0.447-0.483); TL: 0.562 ± 0.014 (0.547-0.581); TW: 0.105 ± 0.004 (0.101- 0.112); PW: 0.187 ± 0.007 (0.179-0.198); PPW: 0.278 ± 0.004 (0.271-0.284); HI: 93.2 ± 1.7 (90.9-95.5); SI 1: 69.2 ± 0.8 (68.2-70.1); EI: 57.7 ± 3.2 (54.1-62.7); SI 2: 74.2 ± 1.0 (73.0- 75.5); MI: 199.0 ± 5.4 (191.9-204.9); SPI: 144.1 ± 7.3 (132.7-150.6); PI 1: 137.8 ± 5.2 (129.1-142.7); PI 2: 40.7 ± 1.5 (38.7-42.2); PPI 1: 90.6 ± 3.3 (85.8-95.3); PPI 2: 60.2 ± 1.9 (57.8-62.4); HTI 1: 81.1 ± 1.5 (79.4-83.4); HTI 2: 18.7 ± 0.5 (18.1-19.3).

Head and abdomen black. Thorax and legs dark ochraceous. Tarsi and first 5 segments of funiculus dark brown ( Figs. 31, 32, 33).

Head oval, longer than wide, lateral surfaces below eyes straight, gently rounded on the posterior edges ( Fig. 33). Anterior margin of the clypeus shallowly emarginated and curved downward at the central part. Eyes longitudinal, strongly narrowing downward, reaching anteroventral margin of head, 0.4 times as long as length of the head. Antenna with 11 elements. Scape short, 0.7 times as long as width of the head, at base 0.6 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, slightly bent downward. Funiculus short, 1.6 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, triangular, 2.4 times as long as wide on apex, 2.8 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments 100: 36: 27: 32: 32: 37: 46: 73: 1077, apical segments 2.1 times as wide as basal segments ( Figs. 32, 33). Surface of the scape shiny, shagreened,covered with short, dense, semierect setae.

Promesonotum 1.1 times as long as wide, gently convex in profile. Promesonotal suture distinct, the border between dorsal and posterior surfaces of the promesonotum smoothly curved in profile view. Propodeum quadrate, 1.0 times as long as wide, propodeal spines short, triangular, rising obliquely upwards ( Fig. 32). Petiole rounded with short peduncle, its anterior face straight, node rounded on dorsal surface in profile. Posterior face straight. Ventral margin of petiole with small teeth-like projection or smooth ( Fig. 32). Postpetiole in profile regularly rounded. Postpetiole 0.9 times as long as wide in dorsal view, regularly widened from base to top, apical half with gently rounded sides ( Fig. 32).

Mandibles rounded, with outer and dorsal edges straight and smooth, inner margin with 7-8 teeth, the apical tooth slightly longer than other teeth. Clypeus on entire surface shiny, microreticulate with longitudinal striae. Frontal carinae short, extending to upper edge of antennal fossa; antennal fossa deeply impressed, fine microreticulate, frontal lobes rugulose with thin and dense longitudinal striae, shiny between rugosities. Frons shiny, all surface with thin and dense longitudinal striae and rugulose. Area above eyes shiny with thin and dense longitudinal striae and dense rugulose. Ventral surface of the head with distinct striation, gena shiny, rugulose ( Figs. 32, 33). Entire head bearing setae, posterior margin with sparse erect setae directed forward, lateral surfaces of the head with sparse appressed setae directed toward anterior margin, frontal area with dull semierect setae placed transversely, directed to the center of the head, ventral surface of the head with a prominent psammophore and appressed to erect long setae. Pronotum punctate to rugulose with transverse striation, lateral surfaces punctate with longitudinal striae. Dorsal suface of pronotum punctate with transverse striation, the central surface rugulose with transverse striation, lateral surfaces punctate with longitudinal striae. Mesonotum rugulose with transverse striation on the top, lateral surfaces punctate, weak rugulose with longitudinal striae. Dorsal suface of propodeum rugulose with longitudinal striae, strongly rugulose with longitudinal striae below spiracles ( Figs. 31, 32, 78). Dorsal suface of mesosoma with 2-5 long erect setae and several semierect setae on anterior half, mesonotum and anterior propodeum with a few short, semierect setae. Base of petiole and postpetiole on the entire surface punctate, nodes of the petiole punctate on the dorsal and lateral surfaces, postpetiole node punctate, on the top shiny, finely rugulose with indistinct longitudinal striae, with several long, erect setae. Gaster strongly microreticulate or shagreened, dull, bearing sparse, short, erect to appressed setae and dorsal surface of the first gaster tergite additionally with dense, appressed pubescence ( Fig. 31).

Legs short, hind femora 0.8 times as long as mesosoma length, hind tibia 0.7 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.3 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with short, sparse, semierect to appressed setae, inner margin with a row of the sparse, long, semierect setae, tibiae bearing long, semierect setae on the entire surface, inner margins with a row of long semierect setae ( Fig. 32).

Biological data. Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Distribution. Israel.

Differential diagnosis. Worker. Oxyopomyrmex negevensis is the only species known to have the first abdominal tergite bearing a dense layer of appressed microsetae. It belongs to the species group that has punctae on the dorsal surface of the pronotum. From O. oculatus it can be distinguished by the presence of vertical striae on the dorsal surface of the pronotum and longitudinal striae covering the entire frontal surface of the head; from O. polybotesi and O. pygmalioni it is distinguished by the presence of vertical striae and lack of rugosity on the dorsal surface of the pronotum; from O. emeryi it differs in the occurrence of longitudinal striae on the entire surface of the head and the rugae on the gena.