Dacetinops cibdelus

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea.

Nomenclature

 *  cibdelus. Dacetinops cibdela Brown & Wilson, 1957: 4, figs. 1-3 (w.q.) NEW GUINEA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1957a: 1 (l.). See also: Taylor, 1985: 53.

Worker
Holotype. TL 2.7, HL 0.64, HW 0.59 (CI 91), ML 0.16 (M25), WL 0.76, petiole L 0.22 mm. Index of cephalic depression (ICD) is about 62. Measurements and indices are the ones used in recent works on Dacetini by Brown (see especially Brown, 1953, Amer. MidI. Nat., 50: 7-15).

Form of head and mandibles as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Scrobes sharply defined, each divided partially by a fine anterior carina, and able to receive the entire antenna except the apical part of the club; upper scrobe margins narrowly lamellate. Pronotum margined in front, submarginate along the sides; humeral angles obtuse, but distinct, subtuberculate. Propodeal region of alitrunk short, tapering rapidly behind promesonotum; propodeal declivity weakly concave from side to side, bounded above by an ogival margin, and marginate laterally. Propodeal teeth acute, feebly down-curved toward their apices, their bases separated· by about 4 times their length. Propodeal spiracles not far under the teeth on the lateral margins of the declivity, facing posterolaterad. Petiolar node seen from above approximately as broad as long, with strongly rounded sides, widest near midlength. Postpetiole about half again as broad as long, ellipsoidal or subreniform as seen from above, the more strongly rounded margin posterior. Gaster with a short, straight anterior margin opposite the postpetiole, the sides rounded away on each side.

Spongiform appendages of petiole, postpetiole and gaster finely areolate, apparently composed of cuticular material, not arranged in distinct lobes like those of the dacetines, but narrowed medially below, where masses of opposite sides are joined (Fig. 2).

About 10 coarse, fairly distinct longitudinal costae across the head between the ends of the scrobes, these converging and anastomosing anteriad between the frontal lobes, and joined by short transverse ridges to form a coarse reticulum (not shown in the figures). The bottoms of the large pits or foveolae thus enclosed are sculptured finely and are stibopaque. Disposition of costulae on clypeus shown in Figure 1; interspaces here finely sculptured and subopaque. Underside of head coarsely rugo-reticulate. Mandibles coarsely striate at base, becoming smooth and shining apicad, with scattered punctures. Dorsum of alitrunk with smooth, straight, heavy longitudinal costae running from anterior pronotal margin to the beginning of the propodeal declivity (10 costae across pronotal dorsum), shining and with more or less shining interspaces. Sides of alitrunk and dorsal surface of petiolar node coarsely rugo-reticulate. Basal half of postpetiole and of gaster with coarse longitudinal costae (9-10 across gastric base), remainder of gaster, postpetiole, declivity and concave lateral faces of propodeum smooth and shining, often with scattered punctures. Legs, antennae, scrobes and a band along each side of the first gastric sternum densely punctulate, opaque.

Long, fine, tapered hairs scattered over dorsum of head (those nearest the cephalic borders are shown in Figure 1), alitrunk, both nodes and gaster as well as a few on the gular surface of the head, on the coxae and on the underside of the femora; length ranging about 0.12-0.19 mm. Short, fine, appressed to decumbent hairs forming a pubescence on the legs, antennae and sternum and apex of gaster; similar hairs are sparsely distributed over both surfaces of head, mostly one hair to a foveola, and over mandibles.

Basic body color deep brownish red; mandibles, legs and antennae, especially the club and the first funicular segment, more yellowish.

Total maximum variation for all series: TL 2.2-2.6, HL 0.54-0.63, HW 0.50-0.57 (CI 91-93), ML 0.15-0.16 (MI 24-27), WL 0.65-0.76, petiole L 0.18-0.22 mm. Greatest intranidal variation occurs in series No. 1052: TL 2.2-2.5, HL 0.54-0.62, HW 0.50-0.56 (CI 91-92), ML 0.15 (MI 25-27), WL 0.65-0.75 mm. Very little variation among the workers of these lots. Sculpture, particularly of cephalic dorsum, varies in minor details; spongiform appendages a trifle more voluminous in some specimens than in others.

Queen
Paratypes, dealate. 3 specimens, taken with workers (Nos. 942, 1052, 1113, the last in alcohol, not measured). Deposited in the Museum of Comparative Zoology and elsewhere with the workers. Queen variation (Nos. 942 and 1052): TL 2.6-2.8, HL 0.58-0.62, HW 0.56-0.60 (CI 96-97), ML 0.17-0.19 (MI 29-30), WL 0.79-0.85 mm.

Larva
A single medium larva was preserved in alcohol. This specimen is short and thick, with head turned ventrad. Without proper preparation, none of the details of this larva can be made out, except that the hairs are varied in length, with some of the longer dorsal ones anchor-tipped. This larva has been sent to Dr. G. C. Wheeler for expert study (See Breviora No. 78).

Additional References

 * [[Media:Brown & Wilson 1957a.pdf|Brown, W. L., Jr.; Wilson, E. O. 1957a. Dacetinops, a new ant genus from New Guinea. Breviora 77: 1-7 PDF]]