Nylanderia esperanza

This species has been collected from leaf-litter and sifted soil

Identification
Brownish-yellow to yellow with distinctly darker brownish-yellow to brown macrosetae; propodeal dorsal face anteriorly flat not rounded or higher than mesonotum.

Compare with: Nylanderia guatemalensis

This species is most likely to be confused with N. guatemalensis. In fact, for some time, we considered it as variation within N. guatemalensis. But upon closer inspection there are two relatively easy ways to distinguish the two species from each other. The propodeal dorsal face of N. esperanza is distinctly flat not rounded or higher than the mesonotum as is seen in N. guatemalensis. Additionally, N. esperanza possesses macrosetae on the pronotum that are both abundant and distinctly of varying heights. In N. guatemalensis, the macrosetae are neither as abundant nor of such distinctly varying heights.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic.

Nomenclature

 *  esperanza. Nylanderia esperanza LaPolla & Kallal, 2019: 417, figs. 28-30 (w.) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

Worker
(n=4): TL 2.30–2.70; HW: 0.51–0.61; HL: 0.59–0.75; EL: 0.13–0.15; SL: 0.67– 0.76; WL: 0.74–0.88; GL: 0.85–1.04; SMC: 20–29; PMC: 5–6; MMC: 3–4. indices: CI: 81–90; REL: 20–24; SI: 124–137; SI2: 18–21.

Head: sides of head in full face view nearly parallel; posterolateral corners rounded; posterior margin straight and slightly emarginate medially; anterior clypeal margin relatively convex; ocelli absent; eye well-developed. Mesosoma: in lateral view, pronotum subangular; anterior margin of mesonotum more or less even with posterior pronotal margin; metanotal area with a short flat area before spiracle; dorsal face of propodeum relatively flat and short immediately posterior to metanotal area; dorsal face of propodeum shorter than declivitous face. Color and pilosity: body brownish-yellow; head and gaster sometimes slightly darker yellow; macrosetae on head, mesosoma and gaster distinctly darker brownish-yellow to brown contrasting with body; macrosetae on scapes yellow to white; macrosetae on pronotum abundant and of varying heights; cephalic pubescence sparse; mesosoma with pubescence dorsally on pronotum, mesonotum and anterior portion of propodeum, gastral tergites I & II with dense pubescence.

Type Material
Holotype worker, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Parque Nacional del Este nr. Boca de Yuma, 18° 21.872’N, 68° 37.077’ W, elev. 8 m, sifted soil under rocks, 02.viii.2009, J.S. LaPolla & S.A. Schneider, 2 paratype workers same locality data as holotype (specimens are from the same nest as holotype). 3 paratype workers, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Parque Nacional del Este, N 18° 19.884, W 68° 48.693’, elev. 36m, from sifted litter, 30 March 2004, L.R. Davis (300304-14) (NMNH & ).

Etymology
Species epithet is a Spanish given name (noun) meaning hope.

Determination Clarifications
This species was also included within the phylogeny of Gotzek et. al (2012) (listed as Nylanderia n.sp. DR3), where it is nested well within a clade of West Indian Nylanderia and sister to a clade of Nylanderia bibadia + Nylanderia metacista. More recent unpublished phylogenomics data suggests this species is the sister to Nylanderia caerula.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * LaPolla J. S., and R. J. Kallal. 2019. Nylanderia of the World Part III: Nylanderia in the West Indies. Zootaxa 4658: 401-451.