Hylomyrma macielae

This species was collected at elevations between 96 and 1430 m (Letícia and Territorio Kofán, both in Colombia) with winkler extractors or Berlese-Tüllgren funnels, which suggests that nests are located in leaflitter, fallen logs, rotten wood, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers. (Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021)

Identification
Head dorsum with regular and longitudinal striae, mesial striation in part directed to posterior margin and in part anteriorly divergent and posteriorly convergent, interspaces indistinguishable; mesosoma covered with irregular striae of variable thickness, assuming multiple directions, interspaces indistinguishable; metanotal groove discernible by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV); propodeal spine long; dorsal margin of petiole discontinuous, dorsum with the same striation of mesosoma lateral; subtriangular projection on mesoventral surface of petiole; subpostpetiolar process weak, convex; profemur and protibia mostly smooth, few irregular to regular striae on basal and apical regions; short striae on tergum of first gastral segment, shorter than postpetiole length.

This species is similar to Hylomyrma blandiens, Hylomyrma dentiloba, and Hylomyrma jeronimae, sharing the adjacent striation on the mesosoma, but can be distinguished from these three species in the long propodeal spine (vs. short). Also, H. macielae can be distinguished from H. blandiens (characteristic in parentheses) in the striae on the mesosomal dorsum that assumes multiple directions (vs. longitudinal); from H. dentiloba in the oval eye (vs. drop-shaped), and the convex dorsal margin of mesonotum (vs. straight); and from H. jeronimae in the oval eye (vs. reniform), and the discontinuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. continuous). Hylomyrma jeronimae and H. dentiloba are restricted to Central America (Figs. 84, 86), co-occuring in Panamá, whereas H. blandiens has a broad distribution in northwestern South America, from Bolivia to French Guiana (Fig. 84), overlaping in part with the area of distribution of H. macielae (south Colombia and the center-north of Ecuador) (Fig. 86).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 * . Hylomyrma macielae Ulysséa, in Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 68, figs. 46, 47, 86 (w.q.) COLOMBIA, ECUADOR.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 13 paratype workers, 3 paratype queens.
 * Type-locality: holotype Colombia: Nariño, Orito, Territorio Kofan, 00°30’N, 77°13’W, 1000 m., 25.ix.1998, winkler 3 (E.L. González); paratypes: 1 queen with same data, 1 worker with same data but winkler 6, 1 queen with same data but 1430 m., 23.ix.1998, 12 workers, 1 queen Ecuador: Pastaza, 22 km. SW Puyo, 15.vii.1976, B-362 (S. & J. Peck).
 * Type-depositories: IAVH (holotype); CASC, DZUP, IAVH, MCZC, MZSP, USNM (paratypes).
 * Distribution: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.

Type Material

 * Holotype: COLOMBIA:  Nariño:  Orito,  Territorio  Kofan,  00°30′N,  77°13′W,  1000m,  25.ix.1998,  E.L.  González  leg.,  winkler 3 (1W) [IHVL].
 * Paratypes: same data as holotype (1Q covered with gold) [IHVL]; same except winkler 6 (1W) (MZHY208) [MZSP]; 1430m, 23.ix.1998, winkler 1 (1Q) (MZSP67387) [MZSP]. ECUADOR: Pastaza: 22km SW Puyo, 15 July 1976, B-362, S. & J. Peck (1W) (MCZENT00525515) [CASC]; same data (1W) (MCZENT00525513) [DZUP]; (1W) (MCZENT00525509) [IHVL]; (1W) (MCZENT00524684 MZSP67390) [MZSP]; (7W 1Q) (MCZENT00524682, MCZENT00524683, MCZENT00525508, MCZENT00525511, MCZENT00525512, MCZENT00525514, MCZENT00525516, MCZENT00525507) [MCZC]; (1W) (MCZENT00525510) [USNM].