Gnamptogenys wilsoni Lattke, ndez & G., 2007, new species

Gnamptogenys wilsoni Lattke, new species

Figures 14, 15

TYPE MATERIAL

Holotype worker. Brazil, Bahia, CEPC 6. Ilheus, 1986, J. Delabie 32. Deposited in CEPEC, Ilheus, Brazil.

DIAGNOSIS

Small (TL: 3 mm) with elongate and subfalcate mandible, internal margin and base of masticatory margin with convex lobe, mandibular apex broadly curved and tapering; propodeal spiracle slightly protruding posterad beyond propodeal declivity in lateral view.

WORKER

Measurements: HL 0.59, HW 0.52, ML 0.46, SL 0.43, ED 0.09, WL 0.94 mm; CI 0.88, SI 0.83, MI 0.89, OI 0.17. Total Length: 3 mm.

Head subquadrate in dorsal view, posterior cephalic margin straight, lateral margin broadly convex; clypeal lamella laterally curved, anterior margin broadly concave. Cephalic dorsum, and vertex longitudinally costulate, individual costula slightly rugulose, not smooth. Scape failing to reach posterior cephalic border by one apical width, dorsum smooth and shining with sparse punctulae. Mandible elongate, semifalcate, with internal and masticatory margins joined by convexity followed by brief concavity then straight to apical tooth, masticatory margin with series of low blunt denticles, better observed in oblique ventral view of mandible; low strigulae present along lateral basal third of mandible, the rest mostly smooth. Cephalic vertexal face flat, meeting dorsum at blunt angle; eye small, set just anterad of cephalic mid-length in dorsal view; ventral cephalic face longitudinally costulate.

Mesosoma with mostly flat dorsal margin in lateral view, propodeal dorsum curving onto declivity, declivitous margin slightly interrupted by spiracle; propodeal spiracle on low tubercle, situated less than one diameter from propodeal dorsum. Mesosomal side longitudinally costate; mesopleuron roughly triangular with small dorsal lobe; mesometapleural suture well-impressed; metapeural B propodeal suture indistinct or absent. Anterior pronotal margin with 3 transverse costae; mesosomal dorsum and propodeal declivity longitudinally costate; promesonotal suture absent, metanotal groove shallow but distinct.

Petiole in lateral view low, subquadrate, anterior margin brief and irregular, dorsal margin broadly convex, anterior face with 3 transverse costae, laterally and dorsally with longitudinal costae; posterior margin bound by single transverse costa in dorsal view, posterior face narrow and smooth. Subpetiolar process in lateral view subquadrate with acute angles anterad and posterad, ventral margin concave. Gaster longitudinally costate, constriction of abdominal pretergite I longitudinally costae, postpetiolar anterior face with narrow smooth strip; postpetiolar sternite with costae slightly weakened posteromedially. Protarsus opposite protibial strigil with single stout seta; procoxa smooth and shining in lateral view; metacoxa with low dorsal tooth. Antennae, mandibles, legs ferruginous; head brown, thorax and abdomen ferruginous brown.

Queen, male. Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY

The species is named in honor of Dr. Edward O. Wilson, in recognition of his outstanding professional career in myrmecology, tropical biology and biological diversity issues.

COMMENTS

Based upon several morphological features (e. g., head shape, mandibular shape, laterally rounded clypeal lamella, absent promesonotal suture) this species seems closest the the mordax-group (Lattke, 1995) but differs due to the posterior position of the propodeal spiracle, in close proximity to the propodeal declivity, as in the striatula-group. It falls closest to G. boliviensis and G. continua in the key. G. wilsoni can be separated from G. boliviensis by the position of the propodeal spiracle, which is separated by several times its diameter from both the propodeal dorsum and declivity. G. boliviensis is very finely costulate, the mandible lacks a convex lobe at the interface of the internal and masticatory margins, the apex remaining subparallel in dorsal view and ending abruptly, without an apical tooth. G. continua has a more narrow clypeal lamella than in G. wilsoni, with a deeper median concavity; its mandible has more developed denticles and no convex lobe along the internal margin; the cephalic vertex is smooth; and the propodeal spiracle is separated from the declivity by at least its diameter, and from the dorsal margin by several diameters. The mesopleuron in G. wilsoni seems to be constituted mostly by the katepisternum, with the anepisternum reduced to a small dorsal lobe.