Hylomyrma jeronimae

Hylomyrma jeronimae inhabits forested areas at elevations ranging from 180 to 950 m. Most known specimens were collected in the leaf-litter, which suggests that nests are located in fallen logs, rotten wood, between leaves, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers.

Identification
Regular to irregular striae on head dorsum diverge towards posterior margin; irregular striae of variable thickness on mesosoma assuming multiple directions, interspaces indistinguishable; reniform eye; metanotal groove distinguishable by a slight depression (LV) and altered sculpture (DV); dorsal margin of petiole continuous, convex, dorsum and lateral with same striation of mesosoma; subpostpetiolar process weak, convex; profemur posterior surface and protibia extensor surface weakly striate; striation on tergum of first gastral segment restricted to base.

Hylomyrma jeronimae is similar to Hylomyrma blandiens, Hylomyrma dentiloba and Hylomyrma macielae. Hylomyrma jeronimae and H. dentiloba are restricted to Central America (Figs. 84, 86), co-occuring in Barro Colorado Island, Panama, whereas H. blandiens has a broad distribution in northwestern South America, from Bolivia to French Guiana (Fig. 84), overlapping in part with the area of distribution of H. macielae (south Colombia and the center-north of Ecuador) (Fig. 86). Hylomyrma jeronimae can be distinguished from H. blandiens and H. dentiloba (characteristic of both in parentheses) by the regular to irregular, and divergent striae on the mesial region of head dorsum (vs. regular striae in part directed to posterior margin and in part anteriorly divergent and posteriorly convergent), the reniform eye (vs. drop-shaped), the striation on the mesosoml dorsum assuming multiple directions (vs. longitudinal striation), the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous), and the striae on tergum of the first gastral segment restrict to its basal region (vs. extending up to its first third). Hylomyrma jeronimae and H. macielae share the adjacent striae on the mesosoma, but the former differs from the latter in the reniform eye (vs. oval), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous).

After observing the images of H. cf. dentiloba sp.1 (CASENT0636001) from Costa Rica (Pierce et al. 2017), we understand that this species is Hylomyrma jeronimae n. sp. The authors stated that H. dentiloba and H. versuta are morphologically identical, being differentiated only in their geographical distribution. However, H. jeronimae (the H. cf. dentiloba sp.1) can be distinguished from H. versuta in the striation on the mesosomal dorsum assuming multiple directions (vs. logitudinal striation), the striae interspaces on the mesosoma indistinguishable (vs. distinguishable), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous). Also, we indicate five morphological differences between H. jeronimae and the true H. dentiloba (the H. cf. dentiloba sp.2) in the previous paragraph.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Panama.

Nomenclature

 * . Hylomyrma jeronimae Ulysséa, in Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 52, figs. 37, 38, 80F, 84 (w.q.) PANAM, COSTA RICA.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 28 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
 * Type-locality: holotype Panama: Cerro Campana, 950 m., 5.vi.1995, wet mountain, forest litter, #17833 (R. Anderson); paratypes: 7 workers, 1 queen with same data, 5 workers with same data but #17754, 10 workers with same data but 14-23.ii.1976 (A. Newton), 2 workers Costa Rica: Puntarenas, 10 km. W Rincón, 8°42’N, 83°31’W,180 m., 22.vi.1997, 18689B (R. Anderson), 2 workers Puntarenas, 17 km. NE Rincón, 8°45’N, 83°25’W, 250 m., 21.vi.1997, 18685D (R. Anderson), 1 worker with same data as last but 18685A, 1 worker with same data as last but 8°45’30’’N, 83°25’00’’W, 24.vi.1997, 18689.
 * Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); CASC, DZUP, MCZC, MZSP, USNM, UTEL (paratypes).
 * Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama.

Type Material

 * Holotype: PANAMA: [Panamá Oeste]: Cerro Campana, 950m, [ca. 8.73°N, 79.97°W (Branstetter, 2013)], 5.vi.95, R. Anderson [leg.], wet mountain, forest litter, #17833 (1W) [MCZC].
 * Paratypes: same data as holotype, #17833 (7W) (MZSP67337, MZSP67338) [MZSP]; #17833 (1Q) (MZSP67336) [MZSP]; #17754 (1W) [UTEP]; #17754 (2W) [USNM]; #17754 (2W, one covered with gold, without gaster) [DZUP]; 14-23.ii.1976, leaf litter, forest floor, A. Newton [leg.] (10W) (MCZENT00525548, MCZENT00525550, MCZENT00525555, MCZENT00525547, MCZENT00525493, MCZENT00525551, MCZENT00525552, MCZENT00525549, MCZENT00525494, MCZENT00525546) [MCZC]. COSTA RICA: Puntarenas: 10k W Rincón, 22.vi.1997, 180m, 8°42′N, 83°31′W, R. Anderson [leg.], ridge for., litter extr., 18689B (2W) (MZSP67339, MZSP67340) [MZSP]; 17k NE Rincón, 21.vi.1997, 250m, 8°45′N, 83°25′W, R. Anderson [leg.], lowland for., litter extr., 18685D (1W) [CASC]; same except 18685D (1W covered with gold) (MZSP67341) [MZSP]; 18685A (1W) (MZSP67342) [MZSP]; 24.vi.1997, 8°45′30″N, 83°25′00″W, lowland for., litter, 18689 (1W) (MZHY204) [MZSP].