Thaumatomyrmex bariay

According to Fontenla (1995) T. bariay was collected in hojarasca de bosque semideciduo (litter of semideciduous forest).

Identification
Baroni Urbani and de Andrade (2003) - Sharing with Thaumatomyrmex mandibularis the long mandibles and marked body sculpture but differing from mandibularis by the smaller size (TL 4.20 mm instead of> 4.87 mm), by the HW1 narrower (CI1 126.3 instead of > 133.7), by the shorter mandibles (MI 131.6 instead of > 141.2) and by the shorter scapes (SI 84.2 instead of> 88.2).

We consider T. bariay to be closer to T. mandibularis but Fontenla (1995) attributed T. bariay to the Thaumatomyrmex cochlearis group of Kempf (1975). According to this author, bariay differs from Thaumatomyrmex cochlearis by the smaller size and longer scapes and legs. The examination of five specimens of cochlearis and the holotype of bariay shows that among these three characters the length of the scapes is the safest one to separate the two species.

Besides the differences above, the sole specimen of T. bariay differs from T. cochlearis also by the presence of a pair of basal mandibular teeth and by the sculpture, more impressed. Among the Thaumatomyrmex material examined, the basal teeth of the mandibles appear to be variable in size and we do not attribute much taxonomic value to this character.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Cuba.

Nomenclature

 *  bariay. Thaumatomyrmex bariay Fontenla Rizo, 1995c: 20 (w.) CUBA. See also: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2003a: 270.

Worker
Baroni Urbani and de Andrade (2003) - TL 4.20; HL 0.76; HW1 0.96; HW2 0.88; EL 0.24; SL 0.64; ML 1.00; WL 1.16; PeL 0.45; PeW 0.60; HFeL 0.80; HTiL 0.70; HBaL 0.61; CI I 126.3; CI2 115.8; SI 84.2; MI 131.6.

Head anteriorly 1/5 broader than long and with the sides gently converging posteriorly. Vertexal margin gently concave and carinate. Frontal lobes developed, largely surpassing the median clypeal border and slightly shorter than the lateral clypeal border. Median clypeal border straight. Eyes large, about 1/3 of the head length (mandibles excluded) and placed almost entirely on the anterior half of the head. Scapes shortly surpassing the vertexal margin. First funicular joint about 1/3 longer than broad. Joints 2-7 broader than long, joints 8-10 about as long as broad and last joint about as long as joints 7-10. Basal teeth small. Proximal teeth crossing each other on the clypeus. Intermediate teeth hidden apically by the frontal lobes. Apical teeth largely surpassing the maximum anterior head width and the eyes.

Mesosoma slightly longer than the maximum head length (mandibles included). Mesonotum very short and only superficially differentiated from the propodeum in dorsal view. Propodeum convex in profile. Dorsal area between the basal and declivous propodeal faces with traces of a superficial diverging margin. Petiole thick, 1/4 broader than long. Petiole in side view with convex dorsum and truncate anterior and posterior faces. Petiole in dorsal view with gently concave anterior face, the sides diverging on the anterior fourth and convex on the remaining sides. Ventral process of petiole anteriorly with a subround tooth and posteriorly straight and minutely crenulated. First gastral tergite in dorsal view with perpendicular anterior face and with convex sides.

Legs elongate. Hind tibiae about 1/8 shorter than the hind femora. Hind basitarsi about 1/7 shorter than the hind tibiae. Fore and hind tibiae with a pectinate spur each. Spurs of fore legs with a basal spine each. Mid tibiae with a small simple spur.

Sculpture. Head dorsum covered with very thin, longitudinal rugosities and minute, superficial piligerous punctures. Ventral face of the head smooth with very sparse, piligerous punctures on the genae. Mesosoma with small, piligerous foveae, sparser on the center of the pronotum and on the anterior half of the propodeal dorsum, smaller and more superficial on some parts of the pleurae. Declivous propodeal face with faint transversal rugosities. Anterior face, sides and dorsum of the petiole with sparse and minute piligerous punctures. Posterior face of the petiole with small piligerous punctures. Gastral tergites with sparse anastomosing canaliculation and piligerous foveae, the canaliculation denser on their sides. Legs minutely punctate.

Pilosity. Head, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole with sparse subdecumbent or decumbent, truncate long hairs. Antennae and legs with appressed short hairs. Funicular joints, neck and antenna! fossae with very short, appressed hairs. Clypeus dorsally with two pairs of hairs close to the frontal lobes, the lower external pair longer.

Colour. Head, mesosoma, petiole and gaster black. Antennae, frontal lobes, mandibles and legs orange-ferrugineous.

Type Material
Baroni Urbani and de Andrade (2003) - CUBA: Yaguajay Abajo, Banes, Holguin Province, 11.IV.1984, I worker (holotype), L. F. Armas. .

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Baroni Urbani C., and M. L. De Andrade. 2003. The ant genus Thaumatomyrmex in Cuba (Hymentoptera: Formicidae) with description of two new species. Mitt. Schweiz. Entomol. Ges. 76: 263-277.
 * Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
 * Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1995. Neuva especie de Thaumatomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Cuba. AvaCient. 13: 20-22.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.