Eurhopalothrix mabuya

This species is apparently endemic to Cuba and is known from montane forests of the southern mountain ranges near Santiago. Specimens are known from 8 Winkler samples, all between 1000–1660 m elevation. (Longino 2013)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Cuba.

Nomenclature

 *  mabuya. Eurhopalothrix mabuya Longino, 2013: 125, figs. 2F, 9A, 22 (w.q.) CUBA.

Worker
HW 0.63–0.71, HL 0.60–0.70, SL 0.39–0.44, SLL 0.07–0.09, CI 102–109, SLI 18–20 (n=3). Labrum much broader than long, anterolateral gibbosities of basal portion developed as acute, ventrally-directed teeth, apical portion very short, flexed dorsally, anterior margin slightly emarginate medially but not distinctly bilobed; apex of labrum with fringe of pointed setae; mandible triangular, dorsal surface convex, roughened, dull, rounding into ventral surface; interior surface concave, smooth and shining; masticatory margin with two tooth rows, an outer row of 10 teeth and an inner row of 3 long needle-shaped teeth, behind outer teeth 3–6 and projecting beyond them, nearly 2x length of flanking outer teeth; tooth 1 of outer row broader than others, low, blunt; tooth 2 long and acute; teeth 3–6 low, blunt; teeth 7 and 10 long and needle-shaped, similar to teeth of inner row; teeth 8–9 shorter; scape with well-developed basal lobe; scrobe deep, sharply delimited dorsally and ventrally, abutting deep antennal socket; surface of scrobe foveolate; eye with about 5 ommatidia across greatest diameter; clypeus convex posteromedially, sloping to slightly concave anterior apron, posterior portion roughened, grading to more smooth and shining anteriorly; juncture of clypeus and frons impressed; sides of head above eyes moderately angulate; surface of face uniformly convex, minutely and confluently punctate posteriorly, grading to shallowly roughened anteriorly, anterior frons with moderately developed longitudinal medial carina; occipital carina strongly developed and sharp dorsally, obsolete laterally, reemerging ventrally as weak longitudinal carinae extending short distance onto genal surface; ventral border of occipital foramen delimited by distinct carina; undersurface of head punctate posteriorly, punctatorugose anteriorly; postgenal suture a well-developed longitudinal trough.

Pronotal profile evenly curved from anterior face to dorsal face; promesonotal suture slightly impressed, such that mesonotum slightly differentiated as separate convexity; metanotal groove weakly and broadly impressed; dorsal face of propodeum variably convex, often with shallow transverse trough immediately anterior to base of propodeal spines; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum distinct, meeting at obtuse angle, dorsal face subequal in length to posterior face; propodeal spine acute, ventral margin curving into narrow infradental lamella that extends down posterior face to propodeal lobe; propodeal spiracle distinct, directed posteriorly; most of mesosoma, including posterior face of propodeum, uniformly covered with small, confluent puncta; circular region at anterior junction of anepisternum and katepisternum smooth with a few coarse rugae; metapleural gland bulla punctate or smooth; with or without feeble transverse carinulae between propodeal spines.

Petiolar peduncle joins anterior face of petiolar node at obtuse angle; petiolar node subquadrate, anterior face rounding into dorsal face; transverse carina separates dorsal face and short, concave posterior face; ventral margin of petiole with variably developed short anteroventral tooth, sometimes absent; postpetiole low and broad, with a shallow longitudinal sulcus dorsally; first gastral sternite lacking anterior sagittal keel; petiole, postpetiole, first gastral tergite covered with dense, small, puncta, interspaces less than or equal to width of puncta; first gastral sternite similar, but puncta and interspaces larger.

Dorsal surface of scape with sparse, short, appressed, flattened but thin setae; leading edge of scape with projecting setae, shortest near apex, gradually lengthening to longest on basal lobe; ground pilosity sparse, thin, appressed, uniformly distributed across face, frontal lobes, and clypeus; undersurface of head with ground setae like those on face; projecting specialized setae weakly clavate, much longer than wide, full complement 16, with anterior row of 6, transverse median row of 6 extending from outermost posterolateral angles of head, and posterior row of 4 on vertex margin; ground pilosity similar to that on face on promesonotal dorsum, dorsa of petiolar node and postpetiole, much sparser on first gastral tergite; 3 pairs projecting weakly clavate setae on promesonotum; legs with moderately abundant, flattened, appressed to decumbent setae on apices of femora, posterior face of foretibia, entire midtibia, anterior face of hindtibia, somewhat sparser on other surfaces; apex of foretibia with 1 larger clavate seta, apices of mid and hind tibia with 2; basitarsus and remaining tarsomeres with abundant, clavate setae; two clavate setae on hind margin of dorsal face of petiolar node; row of 4 clavate setae on hind margin of postpetiole; specialized setae of first gastral tergite clavate, full complement 4 pairs in two longitudinal rows and 1 pair flanking posteriormost pair (4 setae along posterior margin).

Color dark brown.

Queen
HW 0.72, HL 0.70, SL 0.45, SLL 0.09, CI 104, SLI 19 (n=1). Similar to worker in most respects; ocelli present; compound eye much larger than worker eye; anepisternum separated from katepisternum by U-shaped groove; metapleuron separated from propodeum by broad U-shaped groove; most of mesosoma punctate, katepisternum with smooth patch anterodorsally; axilla separated from scutellum by broad transverse trough with coarse longitudinal rugae; pronotum with 1 pair clavate setae; mesoscutum with 7 clavate setae on single available queen, anterior pair, transverse row of 4 at midlength, 1 unmatched seta between anterior and posterior rows; axilla with clavate seta; scutellum with 1 pair clavate setae; first gastral tergite with 7 clavate setae on observed queen, full complement probably similar to worker.

Type Material
Holotype worker: Cuba, Santiago de Cuba: Parque Nacional Gran Piedra, near La Isabélica, 20.003 -75.613, ±150 m, 1075 m, 27 Jan 2012, wet pluviselva, ex sifted leaf litter (R. S. Anderson 2012-008) CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0630049. Paratype workers, queens: same data as holotype but near Museo Isabélica, 20.007 -75.619, ±150 m, 1115 m, 26 Jan 2012 (R. S. Anderson 2012-003), CASENT0629855; , CASENT0630107]; same data but near La Isabélica, 20.004 -75.619, ±150 m, 1130 m (R. S. Anderson 2012-004) , CASENT0629856; , CASENT0630129; , CASENT0630118; same data as holotype , CASENT0630055 (dealate queen); , CASENT0629854 (dealate queen)]; same data but near La Isabélica, 20.007 -75.619, ±150 m, 1115 m, 29 Jan 2012 (R. S. Anderson 2012-013) , CASENT0630292.

Etymology
The name is based on a Taino word for bad spirit. It is a noun in apposition and thus invariant.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Longino J. T. 2013. A review of the Central American and Caribbean species of the ant genus Eurhopalothrix Brown and Kempf, 1961 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a key to New World species. Zootaxa 3693(2): 101-151.