Odontomachus schoedli, Sorger, D. M. & Zettel, H., 2011

Sorger, D. M. & Zettel, H., 2011, On the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Philippine Islands: V. The genus Odontomachus Latreille, 1804., Myrmecological News 14, pp. 141-163 : 151

Odontomachus schoedli sp.n. (Figs. 4, 10, 16, 47)

Etymology: This species is named for our late colleague Stefan Schödl, former curator for Hymenoptera at the Natural History Museum Vienna, who collected a major part of the type series.

Type material: Holotype worker (UPLB): Luzon : Mountain Province : south of Sagada , Bagnen , slopes of Mt. Polis , 1600 m, 26.II.1999, leg. S. Schödl ( 23 ). Paratypes(24 workers (BMNH, CZW, NHMW, UPLB): same locality data as holotype, 13 ∑∑, leg. H. Zettel (189), 6 ∑∑. B e n g u e t: west of Baguio, at km 7 of Asin Road, 17.II. 1999, leg. S. Schödl (11), 2 ∑∑, leg. H. Zettel (179), 2 ∑∑; Baguio, leg. C.F. Baker, 1 ∑.

Description of worker: Measurements: holotype worker: CI 72, HL 2.95, HW 2.12, MdI 58, MdL 1.70, MsL 4.17, PnW 1.25, PtH 1.18, PtL 1.12, PtW 0.49, SI 146, SL 3.08, TL 16.25; paratype worker with smallest HW: CI 72, HL 2.98, HW 2.13, MdI 55, MdL 1.65, MsL 4.00, PnW 1.20, PtH 1.18, PtL 1.18, PtW 0.51, SI 144, SL 3.07, TL 12.75; paratype worker with largest HW: CI 73, HL 3.60, HW 2.62, MdI 59, MdL 2.13, MsL 5.93, PnW 1.52, PtH 1.48, PtL 1.53, PtW 0.56, SI 137, SL 3.58, TL 16.13.

Structures: Head striate; striation reaching occipital margin. Pronotum with fine, transverse striation. Mesopleuron with fine transverse striation. Petiole stout, with short spine, bent backwards only very slightly.

Pilosity: Pubescence sparse, long.

Colour: Head and mesosoma medium brown, petiole and gaster dark brown.

Distribution (Fig. 47): Endemic to the Philippines: only in the north of Luzon: Mountain Province, Benguet.

Habitats: This species was collected at higher elevations in strongly degraded forests.

Notes: Odontomachus schoedli sp.n. is only known from the western mountain ranges of northern Luzon. In Benguet it is sympatric with O. infandus . Main differences between these two species are the striation of the pronotum, which is transverse in O. schoedli sp.n. but more or less longitudinal in O. infandus , and the shape of the petiole, which is remarkably short and with a very straight anterior face of the node (including spine) in O. schoedli sp.n., whereas it has a longer, curved spine in O. infandus (only weakly developed in the smallest specimens). The uniformly light chocolate brown colour of head and mesosoma of O. schoedli sp.n. is striking, but we have seen a few specimens of O. infandus from northern Luzon with the same colouration.