Rogeria lirata

Reported as widespread throughout tropical South America (LaPolla and Sosa-Calvo 2006).

Identification
Kugler (1994) - germaini species group. As in Rogeria germaini but: 1) metapleural lobes larger, triangular, and 2) rugae on promesonotum more rounded and thicker than on head; one ruga begins near anteroventral corner of pronotum and continues unbroken to the metanotum.

Similar to Rogeria tonduzi.

Distribution
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru and Trinidad

This taxon was described from Colombia.

Castes
Males have not been collected.

Nomenclature

 *  lirata. Rogeria lirata Kugler, C. 1994: 43, figs. 28-30, 89-90 (w.q.) COLOMBIA.

Worker
Holotype and Paratype. TL 2.6-3.4 (3.3), HL 0.63-0.80 (0.78), HW 0.53-0.70 (0.67), SL 0.45-0.56 (0.55), EL 0.05-0.08 (0.08) (6-12 facets), 43 PW 0.39-0.51 (0.51), WL 0.65-0.87 (0.86), SpL 0.12-0.20 (0.175), PetL 0.31-0.47 (0.44), PpetL 0.17-0.23 (0.21)mm, CI 0.83-0.88 (0.86), OI 0.09-0.12 (0.12), SI 0.79-0.85 (0.82), PSI 0.19-0.23 (0.20). N=10

Dentition as in Rogeria germaini. Nuchal groove forms a weak notch in lateral view. No clear angle between anterior and dorsal faces of pronotum. Spiracle faces slightly caudad, posterior edge within one diameter of nearest edge of propodeum. Petiolar peduncle with a sharp, but not lamellate keel. Petiolar node profile angular. Postpetiolar node in dorsal view shaped as in Figs. 24 or 49; sternum flat. Sting apparatus as described for germaini.

Divergent longitudinal rugae on frontal lobes grade into areolate sculpture at level of eyes. Sculpture of posterior head transversely arching rugose to rugose-areolate. Laterodorsa and sides of head longitudinally rugose-areolate; sides may be effaced to nearly smooth. Head microsculpture vestigial; intervals nearly smooth, quite shiny. Anterior face of pronotum areolate, becoming vermiculate-rugose on disc. Thick, rounded rugae of pro meso no tum may merge, but are rarely joined by cross-ridges. Rugae on meso- and metapleura sharper and more separated. Anterior and dorsal faces of petiolar node smooth. Sides and posterior faces of node in holotype longitudinally rugose-areolate, but weaker and more rugose in Trinidad specimen and nearly smooth in specimens from Peru. Microsculpture weak or absent; integument shiny.

Scapes with decumbent to suberect hair (holotype) or with short, uniformly subdecumbenthair. Head dorsum with subdecumbent to erect hair. In most, mandibles, frontoclypeal region, antennae and legs brownish-yellow; other parts rusty brown, becoming darker, almost black, on dorsa of mesosoma and petiole. Trinidad and Guyana specimens lighter on all parts.

Queen
TL 3.6-3.7, HL 0.76-0.80, HW 0.69-0.70, SL 0.52-0.57, EL 0.14-0.15, PW 0.58-0.60, WL 0.95-1.00, SpL 0.18-0.20, PetL 0.46-0.52, PpetL 0.23-0.24mm, CI 0.88-0.90, SI 0.76-0.81, PSI 0.18-0.21. N=4.

Besides the usual features of an alate female, differing from the worker in the following ways. Mandible with 7 teeth or 3 teeth and 5 denticles. Parapsidal furrows not distinct from furrows in sculpture. Propodeal spines project caudad or posteroventrad. Rugae on sides of pronotum almost vertical to shoulder, then bend across the anterior face of the pronotum. Mesonotal rugae longitudinal with occasional fusions and cross-ridges. Wing venation most similar to that of Rogeria stigmatica. Radial sector and median veins long, nearly reaching wing margin; r-m vein present.

Etymology
The name lirata refers to the characteristic rugae of the mesosoma, which resemble the ridges thrown up by a plow.

Type Material
Holotype locality. COLOMBIA: 7km N Leticia, forest litter, 10-25-11-1972, #B-230 (S. and J. Peck).

Paratype localities. TRINIDAD: 3 workers, #191 (N. A. Weber) MCZ, ; 1 worker, Mayaro, Trinity Hills Reserve, 5-VIII-1976 (J. Noyes). GUYANA (British Guiana): 1 worker, R. Mazaruni Forest Settlement, 20-VIII-1935, #304 (N. A. Weber) MCZ. COLOMBIA: 2 workers, holotype locality [mouthparts, sting; one coated for electron microscopy], MCZ. PERU: 2 workers, Loreto Department, 15km WSW Yurimaguas, 5.59S 76.13W, 200m, 22-VII-1986, #8701-24 and #8701-25 (P. S. Ward) [mouthparts, sting], MCZ.

Additional References

 * LaPolla, J. S. and J. Sosa-Calvo. 2006. Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana. Zootaxa. 1330:59-68.