Oxyopomyrmex laevibus, Sebastian Salata & Lech Borowiec, 2015

Sebastian Salata & Lech Borowiec, 2015, A taxonomic revision of the genus Oxyopomyrmex André, 1881 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Zootaxa 4025 (1), pp. 1-66 : 22-25

Oxyopomyrmex laevibus sp. nov.

( Figs. 19, 20, 21, 76)

Oxyopomyrmex krueperi: Borowiec & Salata 2012: 526 (misidentification).

Oxyopomyrmex santschii: Borowiec & Salata 2013: 363 (misidentification).

Etymology. Named after the smooth and shiny surface at the center of the pronotum and the reduced sculpture on dorsal surface of the head and genae (lat. leavibus = smooth).

Type locality: Kato Daratso n. Chania, Crete, Greece .

Type material. Holotype worker: GREECE W Crete 20-25 m | Kato Daratso n. Chania | 35 ° 30 ’ N / 23 ° 58 ’E, littoral | 30 IV 2011 L. Borowiec || Collection L. Borowiec | Formicidae | LBC-GR00417 ( DBET) ; 7 paratype workers: the same data as lectotype ( DBET) ; 1 paratype worker: GREECE Crete: | Kato Daratso, n. Chania | 35 ° 30 ’ N / 23 ° 59 ’E | 10-15 m, 6.v. 2011 | littoral L. Borowiec || sweeping | vegetation || ANTCAT | CASENT | 0 106267 ( CASC) .

Gyne. Unknown.

Male. Unknown.

Worker. Description. Measurements: Workers (n= 8): HL: 0.664 ± 0.026 (0.603-0.682); HW: 0.628 ± 0.026 (0.575-0.659); SL: 0.435 ± 0.021 (0.38-0.45); EL: 0.258 ± 0.05 (0.223-0.363); EW: 0.124 ± 0.009 (0.106-0.14); ML: 0.783 ± 0.06 (0.648-0.835); PSL: 0.15 ± 0.008 (0.142-0.17); SDL: 0.092 ± 0.008 (0.078-0.101); PL: 0.291 ± 0.008 (0.279-0.302); PPL: 0.17 ± 0.008 (0.156-0.179); PH: 0.209 ± 0.015 (0.19-0.229); PPH: 0.197 ± 0.006 (0.19- 0.207); PNW: 0.408 ± 0.012 (0.391-0.43); TL: 0.457 ± 0.009 (0.446-0.469); TW: 0.098 ± 0.007 (0.084-0.106); PW: 0.155 ± 0.006 (0.148-0.165); PPW: 0.234 ± 0.004 (0.229-0.24); HI: 94.5 ± 1.7 (91.8-97.5); SI 1: 65.4 ± 1.2 (63.0- 66.9); EI: 54.2 ± 6.6 (45.3-63.7); SI 2: 69.2 ± 1.7 (66.1-71.3); MI: 191.6 ± 10.8 (165.7 -200.0); SPI: 163.9 ± 13.2 (143.6-185.9); PI 1: 139.7 ± 10.1 (130.6-158.9); PI 2: 38.0 ± 1.8 (36.0- 41.4); PPI 1: 86.1 ± 4.9 (78.8-91.3); PPI 2: 57.5 ± 2.0 (54.7-61.4); HTI 1: 71.7 ± 1.3 (70.7-74.3); HTI 2: 21.5 ± 1.6 (18.8-23.7).

Head, thorax and abdomen black. Antennal scapes smoked brown, apex of the scapes and first 6 segments of funiculus brown to yellowish, segments 7–11 smoked brown. Mandibles smoked brown to brown. Femora and tibiae smoked brown, knees and tarsi brown to yellowish brown ( Figs. 19, 20, 21).

Head rectangular, longer than wide, lateral surfaces below eyes straight, slightly rounded on the posterior edges ( Fig. 21). Anterior margin of the clypeus smooth and slightly emarginated at the central part. Eyes longitudinal, strongly narrowing downward, reaching anteroventral margin of head, 0.4 times as long as length of the head. Scape short, 0.7 times as long as width of the head, at base 0.9 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, slightly bent downward. Funiculus short, 1.7 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, triangular, 2.0 times as long as wide on apex, 2.5 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments: 100: 40: 35: 35: 40: 45: 50: 80: 90: 160, apical segments 1.8 times as wide as basal segments ( Figs. 20, 21). Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with long appressed pubescence.

Promesonotum 1.2 times as long as wide, convex in profile. Promesonotal suture distinct, the border between dorsal and posterior surfaces of the promesonotum gently curved in profile view. Propodeum quadrate, 1.0 times as long as wide, propodeal spines very short, triangular, rising obliquely upwards ( Fig. 20). Petiole rounded with short peduncle, its anterior face slightly convex, node sharply rounded on dorsal surface in profile. Posterior face slightly convex. Ventral margin of petiole with lobe projection ( Fig. 20). Postpetiole regularly rounded in profile. Postpetiole 0.9 times as long as wide in dorsal view, regularly widened from base to top, apical half with gently rounded sides ( Fig. 20).

Mandibles rounded, with outer and dorsal edges straight and smooth, inner margin with 7-8 teeth, the apical tooth long. Clypeus shiny with longitudinal striae. Frontal carinae short, extending to upper edge of antennal fossa; antennal fossa deeply impressed, microreticulate with striation, frontal lobes rugulose with thin longitudinal striae, shiny. Frons shiny, all surface with thin longitudinal striae and rugulose in central part to rugulose and finely striation near eyes. Area above eyes shiny with longitudinal striae and rugulose. Ventral surface of the head with microreticulation, gena shiny with fine microreticulation ( Fig. 21). Entire head bearing setae, posterior margin with sparse erect setae directed forward, lateral surfaces of the head with sparse appressed setae directed toward anterior margin, frontal area with dense appressed to semierect setae placed transversely, directed to the center of the head, ventral surface of the head with a prominent psammophore and appressed to erect long setae. Pronotum shiny and smooth in the centre, fine striation and reticulation on the edges, lateral surfaces rugulose to punctate. Dorsal suface of pronotum shiny, central part smooth with microreticulation, edges with fine longitudinal striae. Mesonotum rugulose to punctate on the top, lateral surfaces gently rugulose with a few fine striae on the posterior surface. Dorsal suface of the propodeum punctate to smooth, punctate or rugulose with longitudinal striae below spiracles ( Figs. 19, 76). Dorsal suface of mesosoma with at least 5 semierect, long setae on anterior half, mesonotum and anterior propodeum with a few shorter, erect setae. Base of petiole and postpetiole on the entire surface punctate to rugulose, nodes punctate, on the top shiny and smooth with micropunctae, covered with several setae. Gaster shiny with a fine, sparse micropunctation, bearing dense, erect setae.

Legs short, hind femora 0.8 times as long as mesosoma length, hind tibia 0.8 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.4 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with long, sparse, appressed setae, inner margin with a row of the sparse, appressed setae. Tibiae covered with long, appressed setae on the entire surface, inner margins with a row of semierect setae ( Fig. 20).

Biology. Specimens were collected by sweep net in arid littoral habitat, located on a small peninsula close to the sea. The peninsula was vegetated by pine grove and Mediterranean scrubland. Other ant species collected at the site were: Aphaenogaster simonellii Emery , Camponotus candiotes Emery , C. gestroi Emery , C. kiesenwetteri (Roger) , Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel , Crematogaster ionia Forel , C. sordidula (Nylander) , Lasius turcicus Santschi , Lepisiota nigra (Dalla Torre) , Messor cf. structor , M. wasmannii Krausse , Monomorium creticum Emery , M. subopacum (F. Smith) , Pheidole teneriffana Forel , Plagiolepis pallescens sensu Radchenko , P. pygm ea (Latreille), Temnothorax exilis (Emery), T. cf. graecus , T. specularis (Emery) , T. cf tuberum, Tetramorium cf caespitum, Trichomyrmex perplexus (Radchenko).

Distribution. Greece: Crete.

Differential diagnosis. Worker. Oxyopomyrmex laevibus belongs to a group of species characterized by having the head with longitudinal striae on the entire frontal surface. Oxyopomyrmex laevibus is distinguished from workers of O. krueperi by the more gentle curved border between dorsal and posterior surfaces of the promesonotum (in the profile view), lacking striation on dorsal surface of the head and gena, and lack of rugae on the center of the dorsal surface of its mesonotum; from O. nitidior it is distinguished by lack of smooth and shiny sculpture at the center of its frons and the lack of distinct rugosity and striation on dorsal surface of the pronotum; from O. pygmalioni and O. polybotesi it is distinguished by lacking punctation and rugosity at the centre of the pronotum and the gena are devoid of rugosity; from O. magnus is distinguished by the HI<100 and the lack of the distinct striation and rugosity at the gena, posterior margin of the head and pronotum; from O. saulcyi and O. nigripes is distinguished by the convex promesonotum, lacking striation and distinct rugosity at the thorax and by the darker body colouration.