Ocymyrmex flaviventris Santschi, 1981

Bolton, B., 1981, A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region., Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 43, pp. 245-307 : 268-269

Ocymyrmex flaviventris Santschi stat. n.

(Fig. 28)

Ocymyrmex hirsutus var. flaviventris Santschi , 1913: 431. Holotype worker, South West Africa: Windhoek (Viehmeyer) (NM, Basle) [examined].

Worker. TL 7.1 - 7.4, HL 1.64 - 1.80, HW 1.54 - 1.70, CI 93 - 97, SL 1.44 - 1.58, SI 90 - 96, PW 0.98 - 1.04, AL 2.04 - 2.28 (17 measured).

Anterior clypeal margin with a narrow but deep semicircular impression medially, the impression flanked by a pair of teeth. Occipital corners broadly rounded, the margin medially with a small indentation. Eyes with maximum diameter 0.38, about 0.22 x HW. Promesonotum in profile evenly shallowly convex, the propodeal dorsum posteriorly rounding narrowly into the declivity which is almost vertical. Metapleural glands swollen and projecting strongly to the rear, in profile concealing all but the extreme tips of the metapleural lobes; the projection of the metapleural glands enhanced by the near-vertical propodeal declivity. Peduncle of petiole ventrally with an elongate keel-like process which is semitranslucent and unsculp-tured, evenly shallow convex throughout its length. Petiole node small in profile, evenly rounded. In dorsal view the petiole node broader than long, the maximum width of the node about equal to the distance from the spiracle to the apex of the collar where the petiole articulates with the postpetiole. Postpetiole in dorsal view slightly longer than broad. Base of first gastral tergite constricted and forming a neck. Dorsum of head longitudinally very densely finely rugulose, the rugulae close-packed and irregular, being narrowly wavy or even minutely vermiculate in places. Ground-sculpture a conspicuous granulation or punctulation. Rugulae between and on median strip just behind the frontal lobes more regular than elsewhere. Dorsal alitrunk transversely densely rugose, the sculpture longitudinal only between the mesothoracic spiracles and on the arched portion of the pronotum. Sides of alitrunk rugose everywhere. Petiole with a few transverse rugae beneath the node and on the dorsum of the peduncle. Elsewhere on the petiole sculpture is vestigial to absent. Postpetiole unsculptured except for faint superficial patterning. All dorsal surfaces of head and alitrunk with numerous hairs of varying length. Propodeal dorsum with long hairs arising from a fairly dense mat of much shorter hairs. First gastral tergite with sparse scattered hairs which are much shorter than those on the alitrunk. Colour bright orange-yellow, the gaster lighter and more yellow than the head and alitrunk.

O. flaviventris is characterized by its light orange-yellow colour, keel-like process below the petiole peduncle, broad node, prominent metapleural glands and uneven cephalic sculpture. It is closest related to shushan and hirsutus , but in the former the promesonotum forms a conspicuous high dome and the latter lacks a keel-like subpeduncular process as well as having the cephalic sculpture transverse behind the level of the eyes.

Material examined Botswana: Damara Pan (G. U. Son); nr Nkata (G. U. Son).