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 andersoni
Longino & Boudinot
,
sp. nov.
(
Figs 1
A, 2B, 3F, 5, 16)
Type
material.
Holotype
,
worker
:
HONDURAS
, Olancho:
9 km
N Catacamas, 14.93512 -85.90739 ±
20 m
,
1350 m
,
11 May 2010
, tropical montane forest, ex sifted leaf litter (R.S.Anderson#2010-025) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0629582].
Paratype
(worker): same data, but 14.93849 -85.90665 ±
20 m
,
1440 m
,
10 May 2010
, mixed hardwood forest, ex sifted leaf litter (R.S.Anderson#2010-022) [JTLC, CASENT0629580].
Geographic range.
Honduras
.
Diagnosis.
Anterior labral lobe bilobed, with lateral lobule longer than medial lobule; masticatory margin of mandible with three teeth; squamiform setae of first gastral tergite abundant, short, 2 × longer than wide; HW 0.63–0.70.
Description.
Worker
. HW 0.63–0.70 (n=3); mandible with three teeth on masticatory margin, second tooth from base largest; subapical tooth with distinct reclinate denticle at base; subapical tooth about 3 × as long as apical tooth; intercalary teeth distinct, one closest to apical tooth about half as long as apical tooth; labrum trapezoidal, anterior margin bilobed, lateral lobule triangular, longer than medial lobule, medial lobules rounded, flanking semicircular median notch; arcuate promesonotal groove and metanotal groove distinctly impressed; propodeal tooth large, acute, infradental lamella wide and forming a secondary convex lobe below tooth; squamiform setae abundant on first gastral tergite, uniformly covering entire tergite; gastral setae relatively short, 2 × longer than wide, tapering evenly from apex to base.
The
queen
and
male
are unknown.
Biology.
This species occurs in cloud forest, from
1300–1440 m
elevation. It is known from two montane sites: Sierra de Agalta in eastern
Honduras
, where it is sympatric with
R. therion
, and Cusuco National Park in northwestern
Honduras
. The three known specimens are from Winkler samples of sifted leaf litter.
Etymology.
Referring to Robert S. Anderson, coleopterist extraordinaire.