Pseudomyrmex feralis Ward

Ward, Philip S., 2017, A review of the Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus and Pseudomyrmex goeldii species groups: acacia-ants and relatives (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4227 (4), pp. 524-542 : 532-533

Pseudomyrmex feralis Ward , sp. nov.

( Fig. 3 )

Pseudomyrmex sp. PSW-54; Ward (1993: 135). Male genitalia similar to those of P. ferrugineus group.

Pseudomyrmex sp. PSW-54; Kautz et al. (2009: 847). Nested phylogenetically in P. ferrugineus group.

Pseudomyrmex sp. PSW-54; Heil et al. (2009: 18093). Nested phylogenetically in P. ferrugineus group.

Pseudomyrmex psw054; Chomicki et al. (2015: 4). Nested phylogenetically in P. ferrugineus group.

Pseudomyrmex sp. PSW-54; Rubin & Moreau (2016: 3). Genome sequenced and compared with that of P. flavicornis .

Type material. Holotype worker. GUATEMALA Sacatepéquez: Parque Florencia , nr. San Miguel Milpas Altas, 1900 m, 14°34ʹN 90°41ʹW, 13 Nov 2003, ex dead twig of woody Asteraceae , montane rainforest, P. S. Ward PSW15038 ( USNM) (CASENT0794097) . Paratypes. Series of 9 workers, same data as holotype ( CASC, JTLC, MCZC, PSWC, UCDC, UVGC).

Other material examined ( LACM, MCZC, PSWC, UCDC, UVGC). GUATEMALA Alta Verapaz: 7 km SW Cobán, 1460 m (P. S. Ward); airport near Cobán (D. H. Janzen); Cobán (N. L. H. Krauss) ; Guatemala: Guatemala, San Isidro , 1615 m (C. Lezama) ; Guatemala, San Isidro , 1615 m (R. Pérez) ; Sacatepéquez: Antigua (W. M.

Wheeler); Sololá: 1 km N San Andrés Semetabaj, 1840 m (P. S. Ward); Zacapa: Santa Clara, interior valley of Sierra de las Minas (N. of Cabañas) (R. D. Mitchell).

Worker measurements (n = 8). HL 1.02–1.08, HW 0.94–0.99, MFC 0.029–0.047, LHT 0.73–0.77, CI 0.90– 0.94, REL 0.48–0.51, REL2 0.53–0.56, FCI 0.030–0.047, FI 0.43–0.46, PLI 0.54–0.57, PWI 0.50–0.60.

Worker diagnosis. Medium-sized species (see HL, HW and LHT measurements) with head slightly longer than broad (CI <1.00) and eyes moderately elongate (REL>0.47); anterior margin of median clypeal lobe concave, and laterally angulate; palp formula 5,3; frontal carinae closely contiguous, separated by notably less than basal scape width; profemur relatively robust; mesosoma as in Fig. 3 , metanotal groove very weakly impressed, and not evident in lateral view, mesosoma appearing broadly convex in profile; dorsal face of propodeum slightly longer than, and rounding gradually into, declivitous face; petiole as in Fig. 3 , a little less than twice as long as high or wide, and with a slightly differentiated anterior peduncle; postpetiole broad, about 1.7–1.8× petiole width. Head, mesosoma and petiole punctulate-coriarious and subopaque; postpetiole and abdominal tergite IV sublucid, their reflectance reduced by fine punctulae and associated dense pubescence. Standing pilosity fine, pale, and somewhat sparse on most parts of the body (MSC 7–12), usually present on the mesonotum but lacking on propodeum. Dark brown, the pronotum—and sometimes the rest of the mesosoma, petiole and appendages—variably lighter brown.

Comments. P. feralis can be recognized by the laterally angulate clypeal lobe, moderately long eyes (REL 0.48–0.51), robust profemur (FI 0.43–0.46) and convex mesosomal profile in which the metanotal groove is almost indiscernable. The acacia-ants in the P. ferrugineus group have a more slender profemur (FI 0.35–0.41), generally shorter eyes (REL 0.39–0.50), and a well-developed metanotal groove. For distinctions between P. feralis and the other non-mutualist in the P. ferrugineus group, P. evitus , see above under that species. With respect to body size and color, P. feralis is superficially similar to a much more common, but undescribed, high-elevation Central American species, Pseudomyrmex psw159, which ranges from Chiapas to Nicaragua, and occurs sympatrically with P. feralis in Guatemala. P. psw159 belongs to a distantly related complex of species that includes P. elongatulus and P. championi (the P. elongatulus group, to be treated in a later study). Workers of P. psw159 can be distinguished from those of P. feralis by a number of features, including a laterally rounded median clypeal lobe; 6,4 palp formula; shorter eyes (REL 0.42–0.47); more elongate head (CI 0.82–0.86); and more slender profemur (FI 0.40–0.44).

Distribution and biology. P. feralis is apparently restricted to Guatemala where it is associated with montane rainforest and mixed tropical-temperate mesic forest, at elevations ranging from 1460 m to 1900 m. I have collected three nest series, all in dead twigs. The workers are non-aggressive and uninclined to sting.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 3. Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus group, workers, full-face dorsal view of head (a) and lateral profile of body (b). 2, P. evitus, Costa Rica (INBIOCRI 001271962); 3, P. feralis, Guatemala (CASENT 0794097). Images from AntWeb (www. antweb. org); photographer Matthew Prebus.