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A New Ant Species of Oxyepoecus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the Description of Oxyepoecus Browni Gyne and New Records for the Genus

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A New Ant Species of Oxyepoecus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the Description of Oxyepoecus Browni Gyne and New Records for the Genus Universidade de São Paulo Biblioteca Digital da Produção Intelectual - BDPI Sem comunidade Scielo 2012 A new ant species of Oxyepoecus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of Oxyepoecus browni gyne and new records for the genus Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo),v.52,n.14,p.167-173,2012 http://www.producao.usp.br/handle/BDPI/38169 Downloaded from: Biblioteca Digital da Produção Intelectual - BDPI, Universidade de São Paulo Volume 52(14):167‑173, 2012 A NEW ANT SPECIES OF OXYEPOECUS (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE: MYRMICINAE), WITH THE DESCRIPTION OF OXYEPOECUS BROWNI GYNE AND NEW RECORDS FOR THE GENUS 1,2 MÔNICA A. ULYSSÉA 2 CARLOS R.F. BRANDÃO ABSTRACT We describe a new species of Oxyepoecus Santschi, 1926, Oxyepoecus regularis sp. nov., based on workers and a gyne collected in “Caatinga Arbórea” (Arboreal Shrubland) in Milagres and “Mata Seca” (Dry Forest) in Boa Vista do Tupim, both in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The gyne of Oxyepoecus browni Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004, collected in the same leaf litter ant survey, is also described. In addition, we present new records for Oxyepoecus species in Northeastern Brazil. Key-Words: Formicidae; Hymenoptera; Oxyepoecus regularis sp. nov.; Northeastern Brazil; Oxyepoecus browni gyne; Caatinga. INTRODUCTION from Paraguay (Delsinne et al., 2012) takes the num- ber of known species in the genus to 20. The genus The exclusively Neotropical ant genus Oxy- can be separated into two informal species groups (Al- epoecus belongs to the Myrmicinae and to the Solenop- buquerque & Brandão, 2004, 2009) recognized by the sidini tribe. Myrmicinae is a cosmopolite subfamily following combination of character’s states: with the highest local and global species richness, espe- cially in the Neotropical and Indo-Australian regions Vezenyii group – smooth and shining cephalic dorsum; (Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004, 2009). The Solenop- sculpture, if present, restricted to the anterior portion sidini currently includes 20 genera (two incertae sedis) of genae and between the frontal carinae, where the and 840 recognized species (133 subspecies) (Bolton, costulae may prolong caudad into two patches, always 1995, 2003; Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004, 2009; separated by a smooth median stripe. This group in- Delsinne et al., 2012). Workers of Oxyepoecus can be cludes Oxyepoecus browni Albuquerque & Brandão, distinguished from all other solenopsidines by the 2004; O. bruchi Santschi, 1926; O. crassinodus Kempf, 11-segmented antennae and the three funicular seg- 1974; O. ephippiatus Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004; ments at the apical club (Kempf, 1974; Bolton, 2003). O. inquilinus (Kusnezov, 1952); O. kempfi Albuquer- The last reviews of the genus Oxyepoecus added que & Brandão, 2004; O. longicephalus Albuquer- seven species (Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004, 2009). que & Brandão, 2004; O. punctifrons (Borgmeier, The recent description of two new Oxyepoecus species 1928); O. quadratus Albuquerque & Brandão, 2004; 1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. E-mail: [email protected] 2. Laboratório de Hymenoptera, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Caixa Postal 42.494, 04218-970, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] 168 Ulysséa, M.A. & Brandão, C.R.F.: New ant species and records for the genus OXYEPOECUS O. striatus Mackay & Delsinne, 2012; O. vezenyii t.l.: total length – summed length of head (Forel, 1907); and O. vivax Kempf, 1974. length (h.l.), mandibular length (m.l.), We- ber’s length (w.l.), longitudinal axis length Rastratus group – cephalic dorsum entirely costulate of the petiole and postpetiole taken together or, in case of sculpture covers only partially the head (p.p.p.l.) and longitudinal axis length of gas- dorsum, the area between the frontal carinae is always ter (g.l.), taken separately. sculptured. It includes Oxyepoecus bidentatus Del- h.w.: maximum head width – measured at the sinne & Mackay, 2012; O. daguerrei (Santschi, 1933); transversal line that touches the posterior O. mandibularis (Emery, 1913); O. myops Albuquer- margin of both compound eyes (full-face que & Brandão, 2009; O. plaumanni Kempf, 1974; view). O. rastratus (Mayr, 1887); O. reticulatus Kempf, 1974; h.l.: maximum head length – taken in a straight and O. rosai Albuquerque & Brandão, 2009. line from the mid-point of the anterior clypeal margin to the mid-point of the ver- All individuals of Oxyepoecus so far known in texal margin, excluding mandibles (full-face collections were obtained either by casual discover- view). ies or by specialized collecting techniques (Kempf, e.l.: maximum length of compound eyes – 1974). Most of the species described by Albuquerque through the major axis of the compound and Brandão (2004, 2009) were collected from 1 m2 eyes, often midway between inferior and of litter samples submitted to Winkler extractor – an superior margins (lateral view of the efficient technique to obtain relatively small ants that head). inhabit the interstices of the leaf litter (Agosti et al., s.l.: antennal scape length – chord length of the 2000). antennal scape, excluding the basal condyle We describe here an Oxyepoecus species sampled and its neck (full-face view). in two localities, one covered by “Caatinga Arbórea” in m.l.: mandibular length – length of closed man- Milagres and the other by a “Mata Seca” in Boa Vista dibles, from the apices of the mandibles do Tupim, both in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Some com- to the anterior clypeal margin (full-face ments are made to the key for Oxyepoecus species based view). on workers (Albuquerque & Brandão, 2009) in order w.l.: Weber’s length – diagonal length of meso- to afford identification of O. regularis. We describe for soma, from the base of the anterior prono- the first time the gyne of O. browni, and make some tal slope to the distal edge of the propodeal remarks on the collection of other Oxyepoecus species plate (lateral view). hitherto not registered in Northeastern Brazil. m.w.pr.: maximum width of pronotum – at the max- imum width through the transversal axis of pronotum, perpendicular to the longitudi- MATERIAL AND METHODS nal axis of body (dorsal view). m.w.p.: maximum width of petiole – through the The terms used to appoint the external morphol- transversal axis of petiole, perpendicular to ogy follow Bolton (1994, 2000) and terminology of the longitudinal axis of body (dorsal view). surface sculpturing follows Harris (1979). Costulae m.w.p.p.: maximum width of postpetiole – through and striae are special types of superficial sculpture; the transversal axis of postpetiole, perpen- these terms are used in agreement with Albuquerque dicular to the longitudinal axis of body (1999) and mean respectively “continuous and long (dorsal view). ridges on the integument that are rectilinear or un- h.f.l.: hind femur length – chord length of the dulated” and “small, sub-parallel, rectilinear and fine hind femur, excluding the trochanter. depressions on the integument”. The reproductive fe- p.p.p.l.: longitudinal length of the petiole and post- males are called gynes, as suggested by Andrade and petiole – length of the petiole and postpeti- Baroni-Urbani (1999). ole taken together (dorsal view). Morphometric measures follow Kempf (1974) g.l.: length of gaster – from the meeting of the and Bolton (2000) and were obtained using a micro- postpetiole and the first segment of gaster metric reticule in a Leica S6E® stereomicroscope with until the extremity of the pygidium (lateral 10X ocular lens; all measures are given in millimeters. view). Below we present the abbreviations and explanations c.i.: cephalic index – ratio between head width of the measures taken. (h.w.) and length (h.l.), multiplied by 100. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 52(14), 2012 169 Depositaries Diagnosis: The exclusive character of Oxyepoecus regu- laris sp. nov. workers in relation to the other species BMNH: The Natural History Museum, London, of the Rastratus group is the presence of sub-parallel United Kingdom. longitudinal, regularly spaced costulae, which are thick CPDC: Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, Itabuna, Ba- and well marked on the dorsum and lateral areas of the hia, Brazil. head, extending until the vertexal margin, on the gena MCZC: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard and on the ventral face of the head. University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. MZSP: Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Workers (holotype and variation of 70 paratypes within Paulo, Brazil. brackets): t.l. = 2.06 (1.99-2.23), h.w. = 0.46 (0.43-0.48), MZFS: Museu de Zoologia da Universidade Es- h.l. = 0.51 (0.49-0.55), e.l. = 0.05 (0.05-0.08), s.l. = tadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. 0.30 (0.28-0.34), m.l. = 0.09 (0.06-0.11), w.l. = 0.60 USNM: National Museum of Natural History, (0.52-0.65), m.w.pr. = 0.35 (0.30-0.36), m.w.p. = 0.15 Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., (0.14-0.18), m.w.p.p. = 0.21 (0.19-0.24), h.f.l. = 0.30 USA. (0.28-0.33), c.i. = 90.20 (82.93-95). Description: With characters and states present in other RESULTS Oxyepoecus species of the Rastratus group (Albuquer- que & Brandão, 2009:293) and body color black, man- Oxyepoecus regularis sp. nov. Ulysséa & Brandão dibles, antennae and legs yellowish, gaster dark brown. Integument, when observed under the stereomicro- Holotype: Worker, Brazil: Bahia: Milagres [12°54.542’S, scope, sculptured with thick, well marked, regularly 39°51.279’W], 23.x.2010, M.A. Ulysséa, A.M. Medi- spaced and sub-parallel costulae, with the exceptions na & E.M. Campos leg., extracted from
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