Blepharidatta fernandezi

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Blepharidatta fernandezi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Blepharidatta
Species: B. fernandezi
Binomial name
Blepharidatta fernandezi
Brandao, Feitosa & Diniz, 2015

Brandão et al. 2015 Fig 1f.jpg

Blepharidatta fernandezi is known only from two localities in Colombian Amazon and a single record in the Brazilian Amazon. Nothing is known about its biology.

Identification

Brandão et al. (2015) - (worker). Comparatively large species (Total length almost 5.5mm). Body predominantly black. Body mostly sparsely and irregularly covered by thin rugae. Eye weakly projecting, concealed by the frontal carina in full face view. Propodeal spine as long as the entire petiole in lateral view. Petiole strongly pedunculate, subcylindrical.

This species can be separated from the others in the genus by its larger size, the tumuliform subtriangular projection on the head dorsum, chaotic sculpturation pattern, and the extremely long propodeal spines. Also, this is the only species in the genus in which the eyes are inconspicuous in frontal view. All other species in the genus present bulging eyes.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • fernandezi. Blepharidatta fernandezi Brandão, Feitosa & Diniz, 2015: 52, figs. 1G-H, 9 (w.) COLOMBIA, BRAZIL (Amazonas).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 16 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Colombia: Amazonas, Río Ayo, 1°35’S, 69°31’W, 12.vi.2002 (F. Quevedo); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: ICNB (holotype); CPDC, DZUP, ICNB, INPA, MCZC, MZSP, UFGB (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Fernández & Serna, 2019: 845.
    • Distribution: Brazil, Colombia.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. HL 1.15; HW 1.25; SL 0.8; ML 0.4; WL 1.4; PL 0.85; Ppl 0.3; Hfl 1.45; GL 1.3. (n=6): HL 1.15–1.3; HW 1.15–1.25; SL 0.7–0.8; ML 0.35–0.4; WL 1.25–1.4; PL 0.7– 0.85; Ppl 0.25–0.3; Hfl 1.25–1.45; GL 1.2–1.3.

Dark-brown, with slightly lighter appendages. Body finely vermiculate-rugose, especially on mesosoma; gaster mostly shining, sculpture almost inconspicuous. Mandible longitudinally striate. Clypeus without conspicuous striae or rugae. Antennal scrobe almost entirely smooth and shining, especially at the central portion; scape with a weak reticulation near the antennal insertion and at apex. Central dorsal surface of head and frontal carinae irregularly striate; striae cover a tumuliform and subtriangular central elevation with posterior margin near the vertex and lateral margins converging towards the posterior margin of clypeus. Frontal carina, area between ventral margin of scrobe and ventral margin of head in lateral view covered by polygonal cells formed by irregular striation. Ventral surface of head microreticulate and predominantly shining. Mesosoma coarsely sculptured, with completely irregular striation and fine areolae concentrated at mesopleuron and propodeal sides. Petiole and postpetiole entirely areolate and covered by faint longitudinal irregular rugulae. Gaster almost entirely smooth and shining, with feeble areolae on anterior third of first segment. Appendages entirely areolate.

Body covered by cream to brown colored long hairs; hairs suberect, slightly curved apically, and almost filiform. Anterior margin of clypeus with a row of four equally spaced short hairs. Dorsum of mandible with subdecumbent flexuous hairs. Frontal carina with about 15–17 regularly spaced and upwards bent hairs. Pilosity on mesosoma abundant, including the dorsum of propodeal spines. Dorsum of petiole, postpetiole, and gaster covered by abundant and regularly spaced hairs, except the petiolar peduncle. Appendages covered by short and subdecumbent to appressed hairs.

Head subtriangular in frontal view, with lateral margins gently converging towards mandible. Posterior margin of head slightly convex, with the occipital corners strongly expanded, broad and laterally rounded. Anterior margin of clypeus irregular and slightly convex; central disc feebly concave to flat. Antennal scrobe considerably deep and wide, able to receive the whole scape at rest; frontal carina totally covering the scrobe in frontal view. Compound eye weakly projecting, inconspicuous with head in frontal view, and with about twelve very small facets along maximum diameter. Ventral surface separated from the sides of head by a discrete carina better seen in lateral view.

Dorsal outline of mesosoma continuous and visibly convex in lateral view. Dorsum of promesonotum not interrupted by carinae or angles and elevated well above the level of propodeum. Pronotal humeral corner subquadrate, discretely projecting in dorsal view; anteroventral corner with robust anteriorly directed spine. Posterior portion of mesonotum with two conical projections directed laterally. Metanotal groove obsolete in lateral view; mesometapleural suture well–marked, clearly separating meso– and metapleuron. Dorsal profile of propodeum short and concave; propodeal spiracle directed backwards and connected to the bulla of metapleural gland by a conspicuous carina; propodeal spine as long as the entire petiole in lateral view and strongly divergent in dorsal view, forming a “V”; infraspinal lamella present and fused to the propodeal lobe; propodeal lobe wide basally, with acute apex in side view.

Petiole strongly pedunculate, subcylindrical; petiolar node elongate, with anterior face weakly sloped and posterior face virtually vertical in lateral view; ventral portion of peduncle with discrete anterior process. Postpetiole distinctly convex dorsally and more than three times shorter than petiole, without ventral processes. Gaster somewhat elongate, tergum I anterolaterally rounded in dorsal view.

Type Material

Holotype worker: COLOMBIA: Amazonas, Río Ayo, 1°35’S 69°31’W, Malaise trap, 12.vi.2002, F. Quevedo leg. ICNC. Paratypes: 16 workers (1 sputtered with gold), same data as holotype 2 Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau, 2 Coleção Entomológica Pe. Jesus Santiago Moure, 2 HCJG, 2 ICNC, 2 Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, 2 Museum of Comparative Zoology, 4 Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo.

Etymology

This species is named in honor of the Colombian colleague Dr. Fernando C. Fernández for his important contributions to Neotropical Myrmecology and for loaning us the material here described for this species.

References