Leptogenys foraminosa

The Panama ant was taken from litter berlesate, and the Chocó ant was taken in mangrove and secondary forest, in a malaise trap (Lattke 2011).

Identification
Lattke (2011) - Cephalic dorsum with fine striae anterad, densely areolate posterad; eye laterally placed on head; Median clypeal process broadly triangular, apically with 2 – 3 setae; prothorax smaller in size than rest of mesosoma; procoxa smooth in lateral view with series of punctae along longitudinal axis of coxa; propodeal dorsum areolate-rugulose anterad, posterad densely punctate to imbricate, laterally ruglose-punctuate to striate-punctuate.

A member of the elongata species group.

Distribution
This taxon is known from Costa Rica – northwestern Colombia.

Castes
Queen, male. Unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  foraminosa. Leptogenys foraminosa Lattke, 2011: 159, fig. 16 (w.) COSTA RICA.

The Colombian specimens have a slightly smaller HL, though with such few specimens at hand this could not be called a trend. The ant from Chocó lacks antennae and has a more subquadrate head, with the posterior cephalic margin well differentiated from the lateral margin, inconspicuous lateral clypeal lobe, and weak posterior propodeal lobe. The Bolívar specimen has punctae on the node dorsum forming deep irregular sulci.

Worker
Metrics, holotype (non-type specimens, n=3): HL 1.65 (1.45-1.55); HW 1.15 (1.01-1.08); ML 0.91 (0.78-0.84); EL 0.34 (0.27-0.30); SL 1.85 (1.79-1.79); PW 0.94 (0.84-0.91); WL 2.63 (2.39-2.46); PH 1.11 (0.91-0.98); PL 0.98 (0.78-0.91); DPW 0.74 (0.67-0.67) mm. CI 0.69 (0.68-0.70); MI 0.79 (0.75-0.83); OI 0.29 (0.27-0.28); SI 1.62 (0.00-1.77); LPI 1.14 (1.07-1.17); DPI 0.76 (0.74-0.87).

Head in full-face view elongate, slightly wider anterad than posterad, posterolateral margins form inverted “U”, posterior margin convex, lateral margin broadly convex. Median clypeal process broadly triangular, apically with 2 – 3 setae, lateral lobe with sinuate lateral margin, wider anterad than posterad, forming obtuse angle with lateral margin of median lobe; anterior clypeal margin without translucent lamella. Eye laterally placed, slightly closer to median cephalic length than to mandibular insertion, eye length just under one-third that of lateral cephalic margin. Scape densely punctuate, surpassing posterior cephalic border by over one-third its length; second antennal segment more than half the length of third, length of third segment at least 3 x apical width, funicular segments subcylindrical, weakly narrower basad than apicad. Cephalic dorsum with fine oblique striae between eye and clypeus, posteromedially becoming areolate-rugulose and areolate towards vertex, shallow piligerous punctae sparsely impressed; clypeus mostly striate. Head ventrad of eye shallowly punctuate with space between depressions slightly wider than on frons, ventral cephalic surface with fine arching parallel striae and sparse punctae, devoid of areolae; stipes longitudinally striolate, labium smooth. Mandible elongate, basal and external margins subparallel, weakly widening apicad; basal margin broadly convex, basal angle well developed, masticatory margin broadly concave; dorsal surface with sparse punctae and weak longitudinal strigulae.

Mesosoma with dorsal margin divided by deeply impressed metanotal groove in lateral view, prothorax dwarfed in size by rest of mesosoma; pronotal dorsal margin convex, mesonotal margin broadly convex to straight, propodeal dorsal margin broadly convex, rounding smoothly to declivitous margin, propodeum unarmed. Meso-metapleural suture distinctly impressed, scrobiculate; metapleural-propodeal suture well impressed. Most of pronotum areolate-rugulose to areolate-striate, becoming smooth lateroventrad, anteriorly transversely striae; most of mesometapleuron with fine striae, striae arching and oblique on anterior mesopleuron. Propodeal spiracle elongate to oval, facing posterad laterad; declivitous face flat, with fine transverse parallel striae. Mesonotum wider than long, anteriorly convex, posteriorly concave, areolate-rugulose; propodeal dorsum areolate-rugulose anterad, posterad densely punctate to imbricate, laterally rugulose-punctuate to striate-punctuate. Propleuron with oblique, parallel strigae; weak carina separates mesopleuron from mesosternum.

Petiolar node subquadrate in lateral view, anterior margin weakly convex, dorsal margin straight, posterior margin straight, slightly inclined anterad. Dorsum of node coarsely imbricate with sparse punctae, sculpturing smoothens laterad, lateral margins of node in cross-section at mid-length convex. Node subrectangular in dorsal view, slightly widest posterad. Postpetiolar anterior margin mostly vertical, weakly convex in lateral view; gaster shining with abundant piligerous punctulae, constriction between abdominal segments III & IV weak, stridulitrum visible on pretergite of abdominal segment IV. Body with abundant appressed pilosity and standing hairs; scape with appressed pilosity and few standing hairs. Head, mesosoma, and most of gaster black; mandible, scape, legs, and gastral apex dark brown; funiculus mostly ferruginous. Apex of meso- and metatibia each with single external seta, procoxa smooth in lateral view with series of punctae along longitudinal axis of coxa.

Type Material
Holotype worker. Costa Rica, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 1350 m, 10°18′N 84°49′W, 18.v.1988, J. Longino, No. 2095 collector. One worker deposited in the. Paratype. Panama, Barro Colorado, 3.xi.1976, S. Levings. One worker deposited in the.

Etymology
The species name alludes to the abundant depressions formed by punctae and areolae on the body of this ant, and is derived from the Latin adjective foraminosus, which means full of holes.