New species of Central American Rhopalothrix Mayr, 1870 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)
Author
Longino, John T.
Author
Boudinot, Brendon E.
text
Zootaxa
2013
3616
4
301
324
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3616.4.1
822c869c-474f-4f7d-a8a9-af82f3ed49ec
1175-5326
220287
3E0F52B9-EFFC-4197-A1FC-8AC5A4B4D506
Rhopalothrix therion
Longino & Boudinot
,
sp. nov.
(
Figs 1
A, 2A, 3E, 13, 16)
Type
material.
Holotype
worker
:
HONDURAS
, Olancho:
9 km
N Catacamas, 14.93693 -85.90535 ±
20 m
,
1360 m
,
10 May 2010
, mixed hardwood forest, ex sifted leaf litter (R.S.Anderson#2010-020) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0616292].
Paratypes
(workers): same data as
holotype
[USNM, CASENT0616286]; same data but 14.93465 -85.90662 ±
20 m
,
1330m
,
12 May 2010
,
Liquidambar
-hardwood forest, ex sifted leaf litter (R.S.Anderson#2010-026) [MCZC, CASENT0629584; INBio, CASENT0629585].
Geographic range.
Costa Rica
to
Honduras
.
Diagnosis.
Labrum broader than long, anterior margin bilobed on each side of medial notch, lateral lobule rounded and the same length as or shorter than medial lobule; first gastral tergite with abundant, short, strongly spatulate squamiform setae uniformly covering surface.
Description.
Worker
. HW 0.66–0.80 (n=6); mandible with two or three teeth on masticatory margin (can vary within individuals, with two teeth on one mandible and three teeth on the other), second tooth from base largest; subapical tooth with distinct reclinate denticle at base; subapical tooth about twice as long as apical tooth; intercalary teeth prominent, one closest to apical tooth about half as long as apical tooth; labrum trapezoidal, wider than long, anterior margin bilobed on each side of medial notch, lateral lobule rounded and the same length as or shorter than medial lobule; arcuate promesonotal groove and metanotal groove strongly impressed; propodeal tooth large, triangular, right-angled to acute, infradental lamella broad beneath tooth, narrowing ventrally; first gastral tergite with abundant, short, strongly spatulate squamiform setae uniformly covering surface.
The
queen
and
male
are unknown.
Biology.
This species occurs in rain forest and cloud forest habitats, from
550–1420 m
elevation. All specimens are from Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter. At three cloud forest sites in
Nicaragua
it occurred in 5–10% of 100 miniWinkler samples. In
Costa Rica
, it is known from one collection near Turrialba, a site on the Atlantic slope of the Cordillera Volcánica Central, yet is unknown from the intensively sampled Barva Transect a short distance away.
Etymology.
Referring to the fierce habitus and to the deep furrows and rugosities on the face and mesosoma.