Hylomyrma mariae Ulysséa, 2021

Ulysséa, Mônica Antunes, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Hylomyrma Forel, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of fourteen new species, Zootaxa 5055 (1), pp. 1-137 : 75-77

Hylomyrma mariae Ulysséa new species

Figures 50 , 88 (map)

Holotype: COLOMBIA: [Magdalena]: Cincinnati, Feby 1924, W.M. Mann (1W) [ USNM] . Paratypes: same data as holotype (3W) [ CASC, DZUP, IHVL]; (2W, one covered with gold) ( MZSP67393 , MZHY205) [ MZSP]; (4W) [ USNM]; San Pedro de La Sierra — Pico Yerbabuena, C. Kugler col., 2200m, berlesate rot. wood & humus, 18.feb.77, vial 13 (1W) [ MCZC]; same except 1730m, berlesate humus & lf. Litter, 18.feb.77 (1Q) [ MCZC] .

Diagnosis. Irregular and longitudinal striae on head dorsum diverge towards posterior margin; rugose striae on mesosoma and petiole; promesonotal junction and metanotal groove distinguishable by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV); dorsal margin of petiole discontinuous; subtriangular projection on mesoventral surface of petiole; node ventral surface striate transversely; profemur posterior surface entirely striate; striae transverse and well-marked; protibia extensor surface entirely striate, striae weakly marked; long striae on first gastral tergite.

Description. WORKER (n=6) ( Fig. 50A–C ): HL (0.99–1.04); HW (0.92–0.96); ML (0.60–0.65); SL (0.65–0.68); MOD (0.20–0.22); PNW (0.64–0.68); WL (1.26–1.32); PSL (0.32–0.37); PL (0.62–0.64); PW (0.25–0.27); PPL (0.30–0.32); PPW (0.34–0.36); GL (1.04–1.30); TL (4.85–5.23); CI (91.34–94.11); SI (69.47–70.83); OI (20.83– 23.91). Midsized. Shiny integument. Light brown body, darker gaster, yellowish leg. Thin and unbranched setae, long to midsized, suberect to subdecumbent.

Head subquadrate; posterior margin slightly concave at middle. Mandible masticatory margin with 6 teeth. Anterior margin of clypeus slightly convex medially, with a pair of medium teeth laterally; median area of clypeus with 8–10 irregular and longitudinal striae converging to a point on the anterior margin, interspaces distinguishable. Frontal triangle with 2–3 striae. Short scape, not reaching head posterior margin; apical antennomere slightly shorter than previous 3 antennomeres together. Frontal carina slightly concave posterior to antennal socket. Eye dropshaped, small-sized, larger diameter with 10 ommatidia. Irregular and longitudinal striae on head dorsum, divergent towards posterior margin, interspaces between thicker striae filled with thinner striae. Head lateral and laterodorsal regions with irregular striae converging to eye margin; rugose striae on anterior part of laterodorsal region; gena striate, 3–4 regular and semicircular striae circumscribe the torulus, not reaching eye margin. Interspaces between striae on head ventral surface distinguishable.

Mesosoma covered with rugose striae of uniform thickness, mostly transverse on pronotum anterior region (DV), longitudinal in other regions (DV)., interspaces between rugose striae smooth. Promesonotal junction and metanotal groove distinguishable by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV). Transverse carina inconspicuous. Dorsal margin of mesosoma slightly discontinuous, convex. Propodeal lobe bidentate, dorsal tooth slightly longer and sharper than shorter and blunt ventral tooth; dorsal tooth length around 1 / 2 of propodeal spine length. Propodeal spine long, straight (LV), divergent (DV), sculptured on base. Procoxa striae of uniform thickness; irregular and transverse striae on C2 and C3. Profemur ventral surface smooth, transverse striae well-marked on posterior surface; apical region of anterior and dorsal surfaces with irregular striae. Protibia extensor surface entirely striate.

Dorsal margin of petiole discontinuous. Subtriangular projection on mesoventral surface of petiole. Convex node; transverse striae on ventral and anterior surfaces weakly marked; rugose striae on lateral and dorsal surfaces. Postpetiole and subpostpetiolar process with regular and longitudinal striae; subpostpetiolar process weak, convex.

First gastral segment striation similar to postpetiole striae; longitudinal striae on tergum slightly longer than postpetiole length; sternite entirely striate on basal region.

QUEEN (n=1): HL 1.06; HW 1.01; ML 0.66; SL 0.70; MOD 0.24; PNW 0.80; WL 1.50; PSL 0.42; PL 0.70; PW 0.30; PPL 0.36; PPW 0.42; GL 1.26; TL 5.54; CI 95.28; SI 69.30; OI 23.76. Large-sized. Color, pilosity, and some sculpture characters shared with conspecific workers, only slightly larger. Larger diameter of eye with 13 ommatidia. Longitudinal and irregular striae on scutum going from an anterior central point towards transcutal suture. Longitudinal and regular to irregular striae on anepisternum and katepisternum. Axilla and scutellum with same sculpture of scutum. Scutoscutellar sulcus inconspicuous. Transverse and regular striae on propodeum (DV). Lateral of mesosoma with irregular to vermicular striae directed partly to propodeal dorsum and partly to propodeal spine. Wings unknown.

MALE Unknown.

Etymology. The epithet mariae is a Latin noun in the genitive case created by adding the singular Latin genitive case suffix -e to the first name of a female person. The specific epithet is named after Maria do Espírito Santo da Silva (1956–2011), a Brazilian conservationist and environmentalist who campaigned against logging in the Amazon rainforest. Maria and her husband, José Cláudio Ribeiro da Silva (1957–2011), extracted sustainable rainforest products, such as oils and nuts. Both were murdered for their activism in name of the Brazilian Amazon conservation.

Comments. Hylomyrma mariae is similar to H. adelae and H. dandarae . Hylomyrma mariae differs from H. adelae (characteristics in parentheses) in the irregular divergent-longitudinal striae on the head dorsum (vs. rugose striae), the distinct metanotal groove (vs. indistinct), the longer propodeal spine (vs. shorter), the profemur posterior surface with striae weakly marked (vs. well-marked), and the dorsum of petiole with rugose striae (vs. irregular and transverse striae). The two species are allopatric; Hylomyrma mariae occurs in northern Colombia ( Fig. 88 ), and H. adelae in Bolivia ( Fig. 83 ). Hylomyrma mariae differs from H. dandarae in the drop-shaped eye (vs. oval), the shorter petiolar node (vs. longer), and the long striae on tergum of the first gastral segment that extends up to its first third (vs. short striae). The two species occur in Colombia ( Figs. 83 , 88 ).

Distribution. Hylomyrma mariae is known from northern Colombia ( Fig. 88 ).

Natural history. This species is only known from its type locality, and inhabits areas at elevations between 1340 and 2200 m. Most specimens were collected from rotten wood, humus, and leaf-litter submitted to Berlese-Tüllgren funnels.

Additional material examined (19 workers): COLOMBIA: [Magdalena]: Cincinnati [pueblo, 11°09′N 74°08′W], Feby 1924, W.M. Mann (3W, two without head, one without postpetiole and gaster) [ USNM] ; Cuchilla S.[San] Lorenzo, vic. El Campano, 1340m, rainf., C. Kugler & W.L. Brown cols. (15W) [ MCZC] ; El Campano, 1740m, 16.june.1976, Brown & Kugler cols., berlesate (1W) [ MCZC].

Figures

FIGURE 50. Holotype worker of Hylomyrma mariae (COLOMBIA: Cincinnati, Feby 1924, W.M. Mann [USNM]). A) frontal view; B) dorsal view; C) lateral view. Photos by Ricardo Kawada.

FIGURE 83. Distribution records of Hylomyrma adelae, H. dandarae, H. longiscapa, H. montana, and H. sagax.

FIGURE 88. Distribution records of Hylomyrma immanis, H. mariae, H. primavesi, and H. versuta.