Dinoponera morphospecies 1, Roger, 1861

Dias, Amanda Martins & Lattke, John Edwin, 2021, Large ants are not easy - the taxonomy of Dinoponera Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 784 (1), pp. 1-66 : 57-59

Dinoponera morphospecies 1

Figs 27 , 28B

Preliminary considerations

The morphology of this single male is described because it is significantly different from that of all other known males of Dinoponera . However, the lack of an associated female does not allow us to identify this specimen. This male may belong to either one of the sympatric species, D. mutica or D. nicinha sp. nov., both of which do not have described males. Given the present impossibility of associating this specimen with an available name, we present it here with the intention of increasing our knowledge about Dinoponera males, but avoiding a wrong association. We also feel compelled to present it due to the recent significantly increased rate of deforestation and bush fires that have ravaged vast swathes of potential distribution range for Dinoponera , including the species represented by this male. In view of this calamity, it is not unreasonable to expect dwindling opportunities to collect additional specimens of Dinoponera in many parts of the Brazilian Amazon. This male is evidence of the wonderful biodiversity that is literally turning into ashes before our very eyes, and we have no certainty that more specimens will come to light.

Diagnosis

Male

Antenna with thick and stiff decumbent hairs, as long as or slightly longer than maximum scape diameter. Abdominal tergite VIII spiniform. Penisvalva ending in a rounded apex, without a ventral lobe. Anteroventral corner of penisvalva in lateral view with long and very sharp spine.

Material examined

BRAZIL – Rondônia • 1 ♂; Porto Velho, Rio Madeira , Area Mutum , Ahe Jirau ; 9°35′29.5″ S, 65°02′57.6″ W; 7–20 Feb. 2013; F. Fernandes leg.; malaise, MZSP 62285 .

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS (n = 1). HL 2.23; HW1 2.68; MDL 0.57; SL 0.88; EL 1.47; MOD 0.45; LOD 0.43; MSL 6.91; HFL 5.41; PL1 1.82; PH 1.5; PW 1.25; ASL 4.45; BL1 15.99 (mm); CI1 1.19; SEI 1.64; SI1 0.33.

HEAD. Frontal carina forming short longitudinal swelling. Lateral ocellus clearly surpassing posterior head margin in dorsal view. Head punctulate, weakly microareolate and shining; with yellowish suberect pubescence and long decumbent to suberect hairs, longer than ocellus height in dorsal view. Antenna with appressed pubescence and thick, stiff decumbent hairs as long as or slightly longer than maximum scape diameter. Ventral surface of head punctulate and slightly microareolate with silky sheen.

MESOSOMA. Pronotum with weak transverse rugulae on posterior margin, mesoscutum without notaulus. Mesopleural sulcus slightly scrobiculate. Scutoscutellar sulcus smooth. Mesoscutellum longitudinally strigulate laterally. Metapleural-propodeal suture slightly scrobiculate. Mesosoma mostly smooth and shining, becoming coarsely punctate on declivitous surface of propodeum; with decumbent to suberect pubescence and suberect hairs; distance between each hair usually less than half its length. Legs densely covered by suberect pubescence; also with long suberect hairs, longer than femur diameter. Protibial apex without a stout seta.

METASOMA. Petiolar node smooth and shining; densely covered by decumbent pubescence and abundant suberect hairs. Abdominal tergite VIII spiniform. Gaster mostly smooth and shining; tergites densely covered by appresed to decumbent pubescence and sparse suberect hairs.

GENITALIA. Basal ring in dorsal view with slightly concave lateral margins, anteriorly much narrower than posteriorly; maximum diameter of fenestra longitudinally directed, median invagination V-shaped; dorsal margin of ring in lateral view anteriorly concave, anteroventral process subquadrate. Gonostylus broad and rounded. Dorsal margin of volsella in lateral view straight; anteroventral corner rounded; posteroventral margin strongly concave and forming a posterior triangular lobe; digitus volsellaris with posterior margin with a slight concavity. In lateral view, penisvalva with continuous dorsal and posterior margins, ending in rounded apex; ventral margin even and serrated, concave; anteroventral corner with long, very sharp spine.

COLOR. Body mostly brown, with head and gaster apex slightly clear.

Remarks

Dinoponera morphospecies 1 is different mainly because of the shape of the anteroventral corner of the penisvalva, which ends in a long, sharp spine. It also differs from D. gigantea and D. quadriceps by the antennal hairs, which are shorter and thicker. An additional character that distinguishes this male from D. lucida and the D. grandis is the concavity of the basal ring in lateral view, much weaker in Dinoponera morphospecies 1. In D. longipes the penisvalva is wedge-shaped, not rounded, in lateral view, and the spine is shorter (observations made from the illustrations and description in Lenhart et al. 2013). Hopefully, additional specimens will be collected in the future, permitting the association of this male with its conspecific females. This could be done directly by collecting nest series of both sexes of the same species, or indirectly by collecting those of another species, making apparent which species it does not belong to.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 28B )

This morphospecies is only known from Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil.

Figures

Fig. 27. Dinoponera morphospecies 1, ♂ (specimen from Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil; MZSP 62285). A. Full-face view. B. Full body in lateral view. C. Full body in dorsal view.

Fig. 28. Distribution maps for species of Dinoponera Roger, 1861. Red symbols indicate type specimens examined here. A. D. gigantea (Perty, 1833) and D. grandis Guérin-Méneville, 1838. B. D. hispida Lenhart, Dash & Mackay, 2013, D. mutica Emery, 1901 and Dinoponera morphospecies 1.