Myrmicocrypta erectapilosa

Identification
Sosa-Calvo & Schultz (2010) - Worker body covered with erect simple hairs; hypostomal teeth short, triangular, and acute; sculpture on mesosoma reduced; frontal lobes triangular and partially covering the antennal insertions.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  erectapilosa. Myrmicocrypta erectapilosa Sosa-Calvo & Schultz, 2010: 189, figs. 16-22 (w.q.) BRAZIL.

Worker
TL = 3.22 (3.23-3.33); WL = 0.87 (0.84-0.91); HL = 0.67 (0.66-0.71); HW = 0.58 (0.57-0.63); SL = 0.60 (0.61-0.65); ML = 0.46 (0.44-0.47); EL = 0.05 (0.05-0.06); PL = 0.36 (0.29-0.33); PPL = 0.16 (0.15-0.16); GL = 0.70 (0.76-0.78); CI = 87 (86-89); SI = 103 (103-107); MI = 69 (63-68); FLD = 0.22 (0.21-0.24) (n = 4).

Head. In full-face view 1.13X - 1.15X as long as wide (excluding mandibles); cephalic margin with shallow median concavity, posterior corners evenly convex, lacking sharp angles, spines, or tubercles; frontal carinae vestigial, past level of eyes merging with abundant scabrous sculpture; eyes very small (six to eight ommatidia total) and in full-face view located approximately midway between posteriormost margin of head and insertion of mandibles; antenna with 11 segments; antennal scape slightly wider at midpoint; hairs on antennal scape long and erect or semierect; antennal scapes surpassing cephalic margin by nearly 1.8X their apical width; clypeal apron evenly convex, transparent, and shiny with shallow transverse striae and with five pairs of simple, long, slender, appressed hairs that originate on posterior margin of clypeal apron and overhang mandibles; medially with unpaired long (0.14-0.16 mm), thick seta; frontoclypeal teeth prominent, triangular, dentiform, and covered with simple erect hairs; mandibles with six to seven teeth increasing in size from base to apex; dorsal surface of mandibles striate and bearing hairs, shorter and more appressed on lateral margins, longer and suberect toward tips. Frontal lobes, in full face view, triangular and partially covering antennal insertions; hypostomal teeth short, triangular, and acute; hypostoma glabrous, smooth, and shiny; occiput not extended into a “neck” or “collar.” Head covered mainly with erect and suberect hairs; integument evenly reticulate-rugose. Mesosoma: pronotal humeral and lateral spines reduced to eroded tubercles occurring at intersections of carinae; anterior pronotal spines absent; dorsum of pronotum with a median longitudinal carina arising at anterior pronotal margin and extending posteriorly at least to level of lateral pronotal spines; dorsum of pronotum sometimes with low wrinkles; inferior pronotal margin evenly rounded; propleuron adjacent to inferior pronotal edge with one or two very small tubercles, each bearing a simple hair; all mesonotal spines reduced to carinae; anterior propodeal spines absent; posterior portion of propodeum with short, blunt teeth; base of propodeum, in profile, flat and as long as declivity of propodeum; declivity of propodeum with a very reduced but conspicuous lamella on each side. Metasoma: petiole pedunculate; ventrally with a pair of closely approximated longitudinal median carinae that end anteriorly in a slightly raised process that, when viewed laterally, looks like a single longitudinal carina ending in a very small tooth; node of petiole in profile rounded, in dorsal view ellipsoidal and with a longitudinal carina; postpetiole in profile longer than high and dorsally convex; posterior edge of postpetiole in dorsal view slightly emarginate and with distinct lateral corners; postpetiole wider than long (1.6-1.9X). In lateral view, base of abdominal segment IV at junction with postpetiole ventrally evenly convex and smooth; in dorsal view, base of abdominal segment IV at junction with postpetiole with a transverse carina with lateral corners; laterally a few short carinae extend posterad from these corners. Dorsum of abdominal segment IV punctulate-reticulate.

Individuals uniformly brown ferruginous; antennal scapes, head, and mesosoma covered with simple, erect hairs restricted mainly to carinae or tubercles; hairs on dorsum of abdominal segment IV hook-like.

Queen
TL = 4.24; WL = 1.19; HL = 0.81; HW = 0.71; SL = 0.75; ML = 0.51; EL = 0.12; PL = 0.46; PPL = 0.22; GL = 1.05; CI = 88; SI = 106; MI = 63; FLD = 0.28. (n = 1).

Characters similar to those in worker with modifications expected for caste and with following differences: Head: Frontal carina extending posterad to almost level of mid-ocellus and splitting into two low carinae, vertexal ones being more conspicuous; eyes large, containing eight ommatidia in largest row, ~45 ommatidia in total; ocelli small (maximum length of middle ocellus = 0.06); occipital collar (neck) moderately developed laterally, with both upper and lower extensions small and blunt, lower one slightly larger than upper. Mesosoma: Dorsum of pronotum conspicuously rugose; humeral and lateral pronotal tubercles present; propleuron adjacent to inferior pronotal edge somewhat angulate and bearing several curved hairs; mesoscutum overall rugose; mesoscutal sulcus, in dorsal view, conspicuous and short, not extending > one third length of mesoscutum; notauli absent; parapsidal lines conspicuous and extending nearly to anterior margin of mesoscutum; transscutal articulation conspicuous; scutellum posteriorly bidentate, dorsally rugose; propodeum with a pair of short denticles; declivity of propodeum with a conspicuous lamella on each side. Metasoma: Petiole as in worker; postpetiole 2.5x wider than long, with projecting latero-posterior corners; dorsum of abdominal tergite IV densely reticulate, basally with widely spaced, short costulae and with conspicuous antero-lateral carinae, as in worker. Individual’s body dark yellow or light brown; pilosity as in worker.

Type Material
HOLOTYPE. Worker, labeled: “Brazil: Amazonas, Manaus, BR. 174 Km 45 EEST 51, 13-IX-1991, (AY Harada and AG Bandeira).” USNM ENT No. 00537304.

Paratypes. 2 workers, same locality as holotype; one dealate gyne, same locality as holotype. (INPA) USNM ENT No. 00537305; one worker labeled: “Brazil: Amazonas 4832, Manaus, Dimona Camp, RS 2108, 21-X-93, plot C-5, (AB Casimiro) P. Colecao do Laboratorio de Myrmecologia # 62 ” USNMENT No. 00537329.

Etymology
The name erectapilosa derives from the latin erecta = standing and pilosa = hairy and refers to the erect hairs present in this species, the first such species to come to our attention.