Fulakora, Mann, 1919

Jacintho, Gabriela De Figueiredo, Chaul, Júlio Cezar Mário, Teixeira, Gisele Amaro, Barros, Luísa Antônia Campos, Lopes, Denilce Meneses & Serrão, José Eduardo, 2025, A morphological and cytogenetic study of two Fulakora Mann, 1919 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 5588 (1), pp. 77-104 : 91-95

3.1.4. Key to the Neotropical species of Fulakora based on workers

In the Neotropics, any Amblyoponinae species that does not have the diagnostic characters of Prinopelta, particularly the typical tridentate mandibles of that genus ( Ladino & Feitosa, 2020), is necessarily a member of Fulakora .

Fulakora minima (Kusnezov, 1955) and Fulakora egregia (Kusnezov, 1955) are only known by males and are not considered here.

1. Frontal lobes widely separated. Mandible robust, thick along most of its length. Clypeal chaetae not rising from clypeal tubercles. Genal tooth absent. Pretarsal claws of hind legs hypertrophied (Central America up to northern Brazil) ( Fig.10A )........................................................................................ mystriops Brown

- Frontal lobes closely approximated. Mandible delicate, becoming thin and sharp apically. Clypeal chaetae rising from clypeal tubercles. Genal tooth usually present. Pretarsal claws of hind legs not conspicuously enlarged ( Figs.10B, C )............ 2

2. Clypeal chaetae thick, large, and blunt, originating from a platform. Genal tooth absent (Central Amazonia) ( Fig.11A ).................................................................................... heraldoi Lacau & Delabie

- Clypeal chaetae tooth-like, small, and usually sharp-tipped, originated from clypeal tubercles. Genal tooth present or absent ( Fig.11B )............................................................................................ 3

3. Chilean species. Mandibles medially thickened, as if forming a distinct basal margin. Genal tooth very small and thin. Coloration brownish or reddish, never black ( Figs.12A, B )...................................................... 4 (Note 2)

- Occurring elsewhere in South America or Central America. Mandibles without a distinct basal margin. Genal tooth either small, large or absent. Coloration either yellowish, brownish, reddish or black ( Figs.12C, D )............................... 5

4. Sculpturing on head dorsum shallow, head mostly smooth. Metanotal suture poorly marked ( Figs.13A, B )... monrosi Brown

- Sculpturing on head dorsum conspicuous, head mostly opaque. Metanotal suture deep ( Figs.13C, D )........ chilensis Mayr

5. Antenna with less than 12 antennomeres................................................................... 6

- 12-segmented antennae................................................................................ 8

6. Antenna with 11 antennomeres. Body coloration brown to ferruginous. Genal tooth present and well-developed (Caribbean) ( Fig.14A )........................................................................................... 7

- Antenna with 6–9 antennomeres. Body coloration yellowish. Genal tooth absent or minute ( Fig.14B ).............................................................................................. degenerata Borgmeier (Note 1)

7. Foveolate piligerous punctures on head dense. Mandible shorter (ML about 0.7 mm) ( Cuba) ( Fig.15A ).................................................................................................. bierigi Santschi (Note 2)

- Foveolate piligerous punctures on head sparse. Mandible longer (ML about 0.9 mm) ( Puerto Rico) ( Fig.15B )..................................................................................................... falcata Lattke

8. Subpetiolar process large, with a fenestra. Body light brown to yellowish. Head dorsum punctate. Genal tooth small but clearly discernible. Metanotal suture deep ( USA, Mexico, Central America, and northern Colombia) ( Fig.16 )................................................................................................. orizabana Brown (Note 4)

- Subpetiolar process reduced or absent and without fenestra. Body (excluding antennae, legs and mandibles) dark brown or black, rarely lighter in coloration. Head dorsum sculpturing varying. Genal tooth either small or large. Metanotal suture absent... 9

9. Propodeum posterolateral corner with a pale patch. Small species (TL less than 4 mm)............................. 10

- Propodeum posterolateral corners without a pale patch. Usually larger species (TL more than 4 mm).................. 11

10. Lateral margins of head subparallel. Vertex smooth ( Fig.17A ).................................... elongata Santschi

- Lateral margins of head mildly tapering posteriorly. Vertex dull or opaque ( Fig.17B ).................... lurilabes Lattke

11. Head dorsum strongly sculptured up to the vertexal level. Medial clypeal tubercles separated ( Fig.18A )................................................................................................... cleae Lacau & Delabie

- Head dorsum smooth at the vertexal level. Medial clypeal tubercles fused ( Fig.18B )............................... 12

12. Lateral margins of head more strongly tapering posteriorly. Meso-metapleural suture present ( Figs.19A, B ).. armigera Mayr

- Lateral margins of head mildly tapering posteriorly. Meso-metapleural suture absent ( Figs.19C, D )................... 13

13. Genal tooth longer than twice clypeal tubercle plus its chaeta (Fig.20A)....................... agostii Lacau & Delabie

- Genal tooth about as long as the clypeal tubercle plus its chaeta (Fig.20B)............................ estevae sp. nov.

Note 1. The type locality of F. degenerata is Santa Catarina, Brazil, where the holotype has seven antennomeres. Lacau & Delabie mentioned a variation from six to seven antennomeres in their key for the species. Moreover, they mentioned an Amazonian specimen with 11 antennomeres similar to F. degenerata , which should be further examined. There are specimens from the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo in Brazil and from Honduras with nine segments, making evident that F. degenerata is a complex of various cryptic species distributed from Central America to southern South America; F. degenerata itself is likely restricted to southern Brazil .

Note 2. The original description of F. bierigi ( Santschi, 1930) did not mention the number of antennomeres. The species is treated as having 12-merous antennae by Lattke (1991) and Lacau & Delabie (2002); however, the holotype images show 11 antennomeres (CASENT0915097). This condition makes F. bierigi close to F. falcata , with only the characters cited in this key separating them. One paratype of F. falcat a (CASENT0102200) has the mandibles considerably smaller than the holotype, and, in fact, smaller than F. bierigi . We considered only the holotypes of both species to separate them in the key.

Figures

FIGURE 10. A, Fulakora mystriops (CASENT0173551; images by April Nobile); B, F. cleae (CASENT0101452; images by April Nobile); C, F. degenerata (CASENT0610643; images by Michele Esposito). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 11. A, Fulakora heraldoi (INPA-HYM-034964; images by Itanna Oliveira Fernandes); B, F. armigera (CASENT0915647; images by Harald Bruckner). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 12. A, Fulakora monrosi (CASTYPE06893; images by April Nobile); B, F. chilensis (CASENT0915648; images by Harald Bruckner); C, F. cleae (CASENT0101452; images by April Nobile); F. degenerata (CASENT0610643; images by Michele Esposito).All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 13. A and B, Fulakora monrosi (CASTYPE06893; images by April Nobile), C and D, F. chilensis (CASENT0915648; images by Harald Bruckner). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 14. A, Fulakora bierigi (CASENT0915097; images by Z. Lieberman), B, F. aff. degenerata (ANTWEB1032441).All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 15. A, Fulakora bierigi (CASENT0915097; images by Z. Lieberman), B, F. falcata (CASENT0172809; images by April Nobile). All images available at Antweb.org.

FIGURE 16. A, B, and C, F. orizabana (CASENT0172807; images by April Nobile). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 17. A, F. elongata (CASENT0915100; images by Z. Lieberman); B, F. lurilabes (CASENT0172810; images by April Nobile). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 18. A, Fulakora cleae (CASENT0102202; images by April Nobile); B, F. agostii (CASENT0101451; images by April Nobile). All images available at AntWeb.org.

FIGURE 19. A, and B, Fulakora armigera (CASENT0915647; images by Harald Bruckner); C, and D, F. agostii (CASENT0101451; images by April Nobile). All images available at AntWeb.org.