Oxyepoecus browni, Albuquerque, Nicolas Lavor De & Brandão, Carlos Roberto F., 2004

Albuquerque, Nicolas Lavor De & Brandão, Carlos Roberto F., 2004, A Revision Of The Neotropical Solenopsidini Ant Genus Oxyepoecus Santschi, 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). 1. The Vezenyii Species- Group, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 44 (4), pp. 55-80 : 60-62

Oxyepoecus browni sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 a-c)

Oxyepoecus browni Albuquerque and Brandão. Holotype worker, Brasil: Minas Gerais: Atalaia [18°03’S 41°06’W], 27.i.[19]94, I[van] Cardoso col., deposited in MZSP (coated with gold for SEM examination).

Paratype: same data as holotype, deposited in CPDC (coated with gold for SEM examination) .

Etymology: In memory of the late myrmecologist William (Bill) L. Brown Jr.

Worker. Holotype, paratype within brackets t.l.= 2.29 (2.62); h.l.= 0.57 (0.58); h.w.= 0.46 (0.49); s.l.= 0.31 (0.40); m.l.e.= 0.09 (0.10); m.w.pr.= 0.42 (0.41); a.l.= 0.63 (0.74); h.f.l.= 0.38 (0.49); m.w.p.= 0.25 (0.32); m.w.pp.= 0.31 (0.34); c.i. 81 (84). Color reddish ferruginous. Integument smooth and shining, with the following exceptions: some moderately coarse costulae between the frontal carinae ( Fig. 1a ), obliquely prolonged caudad, surpassing the level of the superior margins of the compound eyes where the costulae become faint to vestigial, not reaching the occiput; the two patches of costulae separated by a smooth stripe; genae with few longitudinal rugae that do not reach the inferior orbit of the compound eyes; promesonotum with superficial, fine, and longitudinal costulae on disc, specially near the shoulders, reaching the sides of mesonotum; dorsal face of the propodeum with 10-12 transverse well marked costulae; meso and metapleuron covered by longitudinal irregular costulae, the costulae prolonged over the metapleural gland region. Hairs moderately abundant, short to long, suberect on head, dorsum of mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster; subdecumbent hairs also present on head disc; most hairs inclined mesad dorsally on discs, forwards on the sides; decumbent on the mandibles.

Head as shown in Fig. 1a (f.f.v.); mandibles elongate with a broad and relatively shallow diastema between the basal and subbasal tooth. Anterior teeth of the clypeus directed inwards with lateral external lobelike denticles. Frontal carinae gently convex over the antennal sockets, posteriorly and obliquely prolonged laterad, the maximum width between their outer edges always less than one fourth of the head width. Compound eyes with 5-7 facets r.g.d., which is less than the distance between the anterior orbit and the mandibu- lar insertion; total number of ommatidia not exceeding 20. Antennal scape failing to reach the occipital corner by a distance less than the scape maximum thickness. Funicular segment I longer than II-IV combined, segments II-VII distinctly broader than long, VIII and IX as long as broad.

Mesosoma as shown in Fig. 1b (p.v.). Dorsal disc of pronotum elevated and marginate, with the dorsal surface separated from the sides by well marked angles. Margination continuous until the metanotal groove. Metanotal groove shallowly to not at all impressed; distinct by a break in the sculpture before the transverse costulae of the propodeum (d.v.). Dorsal face of the propodeum immarginate on sides, curved and convex as seen from the side; posteriorly with two obliquely pointed and very small teeth. Small declivous face well marginate and carinate laterally.

Petiole as shown in Figs. 1 b-c, node high and convex, antero-posteriorly compressed and laterally expanded in a scalelike fashion (d.v.); subpetiolar process with the shape of a sinoidal curve in profile, in the form of a shallow sagital keel, with an anterior small blunt tooth pointing obliquely forwards (p.v.). The postpetiole is broad, a little broader than the petiole (d.v.); subpostpetiolar process in the shape of two parallel crests which when seen from the side appear as distinct swellings, with the two crests of equivalent size.

Gyne unknown.

Male unknown.

Diagnosis, distribution and comments

The exclusive character that separates workers of O. browni is the very modified shape of the dorsal face of the very convex propodeum. O. browni is known from one locality (shown in fig. 8) in Central Brasil, collected by submitting leaf litter to Berlese funnels. We took notes on the color pattern before both type specimens were coated with gold for SEM exam.

Examined material: Brasil: Minas Gerais: Atalaia [18°03’S 41°06’W] (2 workers: Holotype and Paratype) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scanning electron micrograph of the workers of O. browni sp.nov.; a) head in full-face view; b) mesosoma in profile view; c) petiole in dorsal view.