Dinoponera nicinha, Dias & Lattke, 2021

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 : 47-50

Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4BCDB67F-8944-4BE4-A613-BCC4AB018C27

Figs 24 , 29B

Diagnosis

Female Anteroventral corner of pronotum in lateral view forming obtuse angle. Petiolar node in lateral view with convex dorsal margin, anterodorsal corner at same level as posterodorsal corner. Abdominal tergite III smooth and with bluish iridescence, covered with sparse golden pubescence. Body covered by golden hairs.

Etymology

This species epithet is a matrinym in memory of Nilce de Souza Guimarães, locally known as Nicinha. She was an environmental and human rights activist that took to task consortiums that constructed

hydroelectric dams and displaced entire villages to new sites with dismal living conditions. She lived in Rondônia State, near the type locality, and was murdered in 2016.

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL – Rondônia • 1 ☿; Porto Velho, Área Abunã ; 9°38′03.3″ S, 65°26′23.9″ W; 17–27 Jul. 2013; G.R. Mazão and R.S. Probst leg.; DZUP 549810 .

Paratypes (25 ☿☿) BRAZIL – Rondônia • 1 ☿; Porto Velho, Nova Teotônio ; 8.85071° S, 64.0679° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 105 Forest, 10T T06; MZSP 65802 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; MZSP 65803 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; MZSP 65804 • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.86987° S, 64.0546° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 117 Forest, 11C T04; MPEG HHY03034650 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; MPEG HHY03034651 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; MPEG HHY03034652 • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.85071° S, 64.0679° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 105 Forest, 10T T05; CASENT 0887850 ; INPA • 1☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887851 ; INPA • 1☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.87762° S, 64.0623° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 115 Forest, 9C T05; CASENT 0887852 ; CASC • 1☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887853 ; CASC • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887854 ; CASC • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 115 Forest, 9C T04; CASENT 0887855 ; MCZC • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887856 ; MCZC • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887857 ; MCZC • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.86987° S, 64.0546° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 117 Forest, 11C T05; DZUP 550208 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 550209 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 550210 • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.85071° S, 64.0679° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 105 Forest, 10T T08; DZUP 550211 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 550212 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 550213 • 1☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.86987° S, 64.0546° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 117 Forest, 11C PPT08; CASENT 0887848 ; DZUP • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; CASENT 0887849 ; DZUP • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.86432° S, 64.063° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 131 Forest, 9T T08; DZUP 550215 • 1 ☿; same collection data as for preceding; DZUP 550216 • 1 ☿; same locality as for preceding; 8.86987° S, 64.0546° W; 29 Feb.–5 May 2016; TPI Network exped.; 117 Forest, 11C T03; DZUP 550214 .

Non-type specimens (24 ☿☿)

BRAZIL – Amazonas • 5 ☿☿; Lábrea, Ramal Apaeral, km 09 sítio São Raimundo; 7°19′10″ S, 64°40′07″ W; Jun. 2006; F.F. Xavier F. leg.; coleta manual; INPA • 1 ☿; Humaitá, Galego ; 12 Apr. 1975; V.P. da Silva leg.; 11944; MZSP • 2 ☿☿; Manaus, Uypiranga, Rio Negro , 14 km from Manaus; alt. 81 m; Oct. 1941; August Rabaut leg.; MZSP. – Rondônia • 1 ☿; Ariquemes, Rio Ji-Paraná ; 9°44′ S, 61°52′ W; 28 Oct. 1986; J.A. Rafael leg.; arm. Malaise; INPA • 3 ☿☿; Nova Colina ; 30 Oct.–4 Nov. 1984; Polonoroeste exped.; MZSP • 10 ☿☿; Porto Velho ; 8°45′43″ S, 63°54′14″ W; 21 May 2011; Carmo et al. leg.; pitfall; INPA • 1 ☿; Guaporé ; 1 Nov. 1954; F. Pereira, Werner Dente and M. Alvarenga leg.; MZSP • 1 ☿; Rio Madeira , M. Teotônio; 15 Oct. 2011; F.D. Santana leg.; #5696; CPDC .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Holotype: HL 5.73; HW 5.6; MDL 4.53; SL 5.54; MSL 8; HFL 7.8; HBL 6.5; PL 2.35; PH 3.3; PW 1.7; ATS 7.76; BL 28.38 (mm); CI 0.97; SI 1.03; DPI 0.62. Non-types (n = 10): HL 5.48–6.64; HW 5.54–5.96; MDL 4.47–5.04; SL 5.98–6.64; MSL 8.2–9.2; HFL 7.92–8.8; HBL 6.4–7.5;

PL 2.38–2.63; PH 3.32–3.42; PW 1.59–1.89; ATS 7.6–9.2; BL 28.86–32.51 (mm); CI 0.89–0.98; SI 1.05–1.13; DPI 0.63–0.72.

HEAD. Malar area with weak longitudinal to oblique striae that do not reach anterior eye margin. Gena smooth, with bluish iridescence; usually without rugulae. Golden appressed pubescence present between eye and frontal lobe, extending posteriorly to frons. Frons smooth, with bluish iridescence; with flexuous, golden, decumbent to suberect hairs, longer than scape diameter; pubescence densest laterally. Occipital corner smooth and with bluish iridescence. Antennal scape weakly microareolate and silky; antenna with decumbent to suberect hairs, except for 5–6 apical segments. Ventral surface of head mostly smooth, with bluish iridescence; longitudinal strigulae present on anterolateral cephalic margin, including hypostomal tooth. Labrum without median longitudinal sulcus, transverse rugulae absent. Mandibular dorsum weakly longitudinally strigulate on inner base, sculpture gradually fading apicad.

MESOSOMA. Dorsal margin of pronotum in lateral view convex, dorsoposterior swelling sometimes very pronounced, anteroventral corner of pronotum forming obtuse angle, never toothed. Pronotal dorsum smooth, with bluish iridescence. Metapleural-propodeal suture well-marked and straight.

METASOMA. Petiolar node in lateral view elongate (DPI <0.8), antero- and posterodorsal corners at same level, anterior and posterior margins broadly convex, dorsal margin convex, antero- and posterodorsal corners rounded. Node lateral face smooth, with bluish iridescence. Node lateral margin in dorsal view broadly convex, anterior and posterior margins convex. Abdominal tergite III mostly smooth, with bluish iridescence; laterally and dorsally with evenly distributed punctulae; densely covered by golden, flexuous, suberect hairs and sparse pubescence evenly distributed on dorsal and lateral surfaces.

Male

Unknown.

Remarks

The main difference between D. nicinha sp. nov. and other species of Dinoponera is in the shape of the petiolar node. This character has proven to be useful for separating species in this genus, as its shape is generally constant within the species. Specimens of this species were found in collections identified as D. longipes , but besides the node shape they can also be separated by the ratio of the length of the hind basitarsus to the head width, which in D. longipes is greater (always> 1.3 in D. longipes and <1.3 in D. nicinha sp. nov.). Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov. can also be confused with the sympatric D. mutica , but the pilosity is not golden in D. mutica and abdominal tergite III has dense pubescence on its side (sparse in Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov.). The node in D. mutica has the anterior and dorsal margins in lateral view meeting at a blunt angle, slightly lower than the posterodorsal angle. Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov. has rounded antero- and posterodorsal node angles, both at the same level.

Biology

Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov. occurs in forest environments with high rainfall and dense coverage of medium to large trees, with a maximum of six months of drought during the year (IBGE 2012). Its natural history is unknown, except for the fact that most specimens were collected in pitfall soil traps.

Distribution ( Fig. 29B )

Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov. is only known from the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Rondônia. The northernmost record is Manaus, Amazonas, and the southernmost record is in Ji-Paraná, Rondônia.

Figures

Fig. 24. Dinoponera nicinha sp. nov., holotype, ☿ (Porto Velho, Rondônia, Brazil; DZUP 549810). A. Full-face view. B. Full body in lateral view. C. Full body in dorsal view.

Fig. 29. Distribution maps for species of Dinoponera Roger, 1861. Red symbols indicate type specimens examined here. A. D. longipes Emery, 1901 and D. lucida Emery, 1901. B. D. nicinha sp. nov. and D. quadriceps Kempf, 1971.