A taxonomic revision of the Neotropical myrmicine ant genus Lachnomyrmex Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author
Feitosa, Rodrigo M.
Author
Brandão, Carlos Roberto F.
text
Zootaxa
2008
1890
1
49
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.184304
fe0befe7-de27-4b06-b1ea-0f7f79b6b024
1175-5326
184304
Lachnomyrmex plaumanni
Borgmeier, 1957
Figures 14
,
19
Lachnomyrmex plaumanni
Borgmeier, 1957: 125
, fig. 47.
Syntypes
,
BRAZIL
: Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaya,
i.1956
, Dr. Barth col. (
2 workers
and 1 gyne) [MZSP] (examined); Santa Catarina: Nova Teutônia,
iv.1954
, F. Plaumann col. (
3 workers
and 1 gyne) [MZSP] (examined,
1 worker
here designated
lectotype
in order to improve nomenclatural stability); same locality,
xi.1954
, F. Plaumann col. nos. 66111/64824 (
1 worker
and 1 gyne) [USNM] (examined); same data (
1 worker
) [MZSP] (examined); same data (
2 workers
) [MCZC] (not examined).
Worker diagnosis.
Body sparsely covered by short, fine rugae; promesonotum elevated minimally above propodeum level; apex of propodeal spines curved downwards; teeth of propodeal lobes swollen and extremely reduced; dorsum of postpetiole with about six long hairs; first tergite of gaster entirely devoid of long flexuous hairs.
FIGURE 13.
Holotype worker of
Lachnomyrmex platynodus
from Mt. Ayanganna, Guyana: A, head in full face view; B, lateral view; C, dorsal view. Image by Michele Esposito, specimen CASENT0173881.
Lectotype
measurements.
HL 0.65; HW 0.63; ML 0.19; SL 0.38; EL 0.11; WL 0.71; PSL 0.14; PL 0.30; PPL 0.14; GL 0.79; TL 2.77; CI 97; SI 60; OI 17.
Worker measurements
(n=58). HL 0.57–0.69; HW 0.57–0.68; ML 0.17–0.20; SL 0.35–0.42; EL 0.09– 0.14; WL 0.61–0.80; PSL 0.13–0.15; PL 0.25–0.35; PPL 0.11–0.14; GL 0.68–0.93; TL 2.51–3.07; CI 96–101; SI 56–65; OI 14–22.
FIGURE 14.
Worker of
Lachnomyrmex plaumanni
from São Paulo, Brazil: A, head in full face view; B, lateral view; C, dorsal view. Image by Michele Esposito, specimen CASENT0173876.
Gyne measurements
(n=20). HL 0.58–0.71; HW 0.58–0.71; ML 0.17–0.25; SL 0.36–0.44; EL 0.13– 0.19; WL 0.73–0.91; PSL 0.13–0.16; PL 0.30–0.39; PPL 0.13–0.16; GL 0.79–1.02; TL 3.45–2.70; CI 97–102; SI 58–62; OI 21–28.
Worker description.
Color light reddish-brown to dark brown, with appendages lighter. Body sparsely covered by irregular short rugae, somewhat longer and longitudinal on head dorsum; mandibles with short longitudinal striae restricted to basal portion; petiole and postpetiole finely and irregularly rugose. Abundant pilosity on head and promesonotum dorsum; dorsum of petiolar node and postpetiole with about four and six long hairs, respectively; first gastral tergite entirely devoid of long flexuous hairs.
Head as long as broad, with vertexal margin strongly convex; frontal lobes laterally rounded; eyes with about six facets on maximum diameter. Promesonotum moderately convex in profile, only discretely higher than level of propodeum; metanotal groove shallow to virtually obsolete; apex of propodeal spines distinctly curved downwards; teeth of propodeal lobes swollen and reduced, with less than one-third of propodeal spines length. Petiolar node moderately elevated, dorsally rounded, and with the posterior face weakly sloped in lateral view; postpetiole feebly convex dorsally and without ventral processes.
Gyne.
Differing from worker by the larger eyes, with around 12 facets at maximum diameter; propodeal spines relatively wider basally and with the apexes only minimally curved downwards.
Etymology.
Father Thomas Borgmeier (1957) named this species in honor of the Lithuanian entomologist, Fritz Plaumann (
1902–1994
), collector of the
L. plaumanni
type-series and known for his exhaustive work on the insect fauna of the state of Santa Catarina,
Brazil
. Plaumann is considered the most important insect collector of Latin
America
in the 20th century.
Comments.
Lachnomyrmex plaumanni
is one of the smallest species in the genus and can be immediately recognized by the combination of sparse sculpturation, propodeal spines curved downwards, and dorsum of postpetiole with about six long hairs.
This is species has been collected from northern
Argentina
to southeastern
Brazil
, along the submontane areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (
400–1200m
).
Despite the constant presence of
L. plaumanni
in leaf liter samples from the Atlantic Forest, all attempts to maintain colonies in artificial conditions so far have failed. Gynes and workers usually die a few days after capture. There is a single record of a
L. plaumanni
worker foraging in the vegetation. It was collected manually in a bromeliad fixed in a high live tree from Serra do Itapeti, state of São Paulo,
Brazil
(M.S. Morini, pers. comm.).
Additional material examined.
ARGENTINA
: Missiones
:
20km
SE Pto. Iguazu,
31.xii.1990
, S. Peck & J. Peck cols, no. 1660/CASENT0006151 (
1 worker
, examined by images) [
CASC
];
BRAZIL
: Paraná
: Morretes, P.E. do Pau-Oco,
25º34'05''S
48º53'19''W
,
6–11.v.2002
, R.R. Silva & B.H. Dietz cols, nos. 22/24 (
2 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Tunas, P. das Lauráceas,
24º51'16''S
48º43'00''W
,
21–29.ii.2001
, R.R. Silva & F. Eberhardt cols, nos. 1/
6/19/34
/42 (
5 workers
and 2 gynes) [
MZSP
];
Santa Catarina
: Blumenau, P.E. das Nascentes,
27º06'15''S
49º09'14''W
,
20–27.x.2000
, R.R. Silva & F. Eberhardt cols, no. 31 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; same locality, 27º01–06'S, 49º01–10'W,
10.ii.2001
, F. Eberhardt col., no. 10 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; Chapecó, vii-viii.1960, F. Plaumann col., no. 8333 (
5 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Concórdia,
ix.1959
, F. Plaumann col., no. 8296 (
2 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Ibicaré,
viii.1959
, F. Plaumann col., no. 3128 (
3 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
ix.1960
, no. 3619 (
2 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Linha Facão,
v.1957
, F. Plaumann col. (
1 worker
e 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; Morro do Serro,
xii.1958
, F. Plaumann col., no. 8318 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; Nova Teutônia,
ix.1954
, F. Plaumann col., no. 8216 (
8 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; same locality, v-xii.1957, F. Plaumann col. (
9 workers
and 2 gynes) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
vii.1958
, F. Plaumann col. (
1 worker
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
v.1960
, F. Plaumann col. (
2 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
vi.1963
, F. Plaumann col., no. 3755 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
iv.1972
, F. Plaumann col., no. 8000 (
1 worker
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
vi.1963
, F. Plaumann col., no. 3755 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
iv.1976
, F. Plaumann col., no. 13629 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; Palhoça, P.E. da Serra do Tabuleiro,
27º44'28''S
48º41'50''W
,
2–10.vi.2003
, R.R. Silva, B.H. Dietz & A.A. Tavares cols, nos. 2/
9/10/14
(
4 workers
) [
MZSP
]; São Bento do Sul, A.P.A. Rio Vermelho,
26º21'51''S
49º16'16''W
,
30.iii–4.iv.2001
, R.R. Silva & F. Eberhardt cols, nos.
4/25/29
/31/32/33/34/35/38/44/46/48/49 (
12 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; same data, no. 25 (
1 worker
) [
INBC
]; same data, no. 29 (
1 worker
) [
MIZA
]; same data, no. 46 (
1 worker
) [
MPEG
]; Seara,
viii.1958
, F. Plaumann col. (
3 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality, v-xii.1998, R.R. Silva col. (
4 workers
) [
MZSP
];
São Paulo
: Cananéia, P.E. da
Ilha
do Cardoso,
18– 24.xi.2002
,
25º05'48''S
47º55'47''W
, R.R. Silva, C.R.F. Brandão & C. Scott cols, nos. 1/
7/13/16
/18/25/28/34/ 43/48 (
8 workers
and 3 gynes) [
MZSP
]; same data, no. 7 (
1 worker
) [
AMNH
]; same data, no. 13 (
1 worker
) [
BMNH
]; same data, no. 25 (
1 worker
) [
CASC
]; same data, no. 28 (
1 worker
) [
CPDC
]; same data, no. 43 (
1 worker
) [
ICNC
]; same data, no. 48 (
1 worker
) [
IHVL
];
Cunha
, P.E. da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Indaiá,
23º15'03''S
45º00'26''W
,
21–22.iv.2001
, R.R. Silva & A.A. Tavares cols, nos.
5/11/19
/32/43 (
7 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; Iguape, E.E. Juréia-Itatins, Núcleo Rio Verde,
24º32'39''S
47º14'08''W
,
5–15.ii.2001
, R.R. Silva & A.A. Tavares cols, nos.
4/22/25
/27 (
3 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; Miracatu, Serra do Mar, Clube Pesca & Cia,
4–7.ix.2004
, R.M. Feitosa col., nos. 1/
9/11/12
(
10 workers
and 2 gynes) [
MZSP
]; Mogi das Cruzes, P.N.M. da Serra do Itapeti,
20.v.2003
,
23º29'22''S
46º11'55"W
, M.S. Morini col., no. 8 (
1 worker
) [
MSMC
]; Praia Grande, P.E. da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Pilões,
23º58'31''S
46º32'24''W
,
26–27.v.2001
, R.R. Silva & A.A. Tavares cols, nos.
5/10/13
/24/35/36/39/41 (
12 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Ribeirão Grande, P.E. Intervales, Barra Grande,
24º18'30''S
48º25'10''W
,
2.ii.1999
, A.A. Tavares col., nos. T1 3/
7/16/17
/22/23–T2 1/4/
7/ 12/ 13
/14/15/17/18 (
21 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
]; Salesópolis, E.B.B. Boracéia,
23º31'S
45º50'W
,
2– 6.v.1997
, D. Agosti, C.R.F. Brandão & C.I. Yamamoto cols, nos. 5/7/
9/15/16
(
8 workers
and 2 gynes) [
MZSP
]; same data, no. 5 (
1 worker
) [
MUSM
]; same data, no. 15 (
1 worker
) [
USNM
]; same data, no. 16 (
1 worker
) [
WMPC
]; same locality,
12–17.vi.1997
, B.H. Dietz & C.I. Yamamoto cols, nos.
7/10/13
/14/16/17/25 (
15 workers
and 2 gynes) [
MZSP
]; same locality
5–7.vii.1997
, C.I. Yamamoto col., no. 9 (
2 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
20–26.x.1997
, C. Klingenberg & C.I. Yamamoto cols, nos.
10/13/21
(
3 workers
) [
MZSP
]; Serra dos Agudos Grandes,
xi.1963
, F. Plaumann col., no. 3865 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; Tapiraí,
24º01'55''S
47º27'56''W
,
8–14.i.2001
, R.R. Silva & F. Eberhardt cols, nos. 1/2/5/
8/11/12
/13/14/15/16/22/23/ 24/27/29/31/33/34/36/39/40/24/44/47/50 (
35 workers
and 6 gynes) [
MZSP
]; Ubatuba, P.E. da Serra do Mar, Núcleo Picinguaba,
23º20'10''S
44º50'15''W
, C.R.F. Brandão
et al.
cols, nos. 23/24 (
2 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
23º18'21''S
44º48'25''W
,
5.i.2006
, C.P. Scott & E.F. Santos cols, nos. 2/7 (
3 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
23º17'54''S
44º47'49''W
,
23.i.2006
, C.P. Scott & E.F. Santos cols, nos. 1/7 (
5 workers
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
23º17'49''S
44º47'31''W
,
26.i.2006
, C.P. Scott & E.F. Santos cols, no. 9 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; same locality,
23º17'56''S
44º47'13''W
,
7.iii.2006
, C.P. Scott & E.F. Santos cols, nos. 3/8/9 (
6 workers
and 1 gyne) [
MZSP
];
Rio Janeiro
: Nova Iguaçu, ReBio Tinguá,
22º34'14''S
43º24'51''W
,
4.ii.2002
, A. Mayhé & S. Veiga- Ferreira cols, no. A32 (
1 worker
) [
MZSP
]; Sta. Maria Madalena, P.E. do Desengano,
21º58'41''S
41º57'00''W
,
x.2002
, A. Mayhé & S. Veiga-Ferreira cols, nos. 1/
2/14/18
/22 (
5 workers
) [
MZSP
].