Cylindromyrmex meinerti

Forel (1905) reported meinerti from an old tree. Other specimens have noted being collected in termite nests.

Identification
De Andrade (1998) - C. meinerti is the sister species of Cylindromyrmex longiceps and differs from it in the worker and gyne by the frontal carinae as long as the anterior border of the clypeus instead of shorter.

C. meinerti, from my cladistics analysis, results as the sister species of longiceps although it resembles more Cylindromyrmex antillanus in body shape. This is because longiceps and meinerti share synapomorphically the HFeI ≥ 50 and the broad hypostomal bridge, the first of which is of doubtful phylogenetic importance.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  meinerti. Cylindromyrmex meinerti Forel, 1905b: 155 (w.) VENEZUELA. Combination in C. (Hypocylindromyrmex): Kempf, 1972a: 91. Senior synonym of parallelus: De Andrade, 1998a: 645. See also: Brown, 1975: 38.
 * parallelus. Cylindromyrmex parallelus Santschi, 1932e: 410, fig. 1 (q.) PANAMA. Combination in C. (Hypocylindromyrmex): Kempf, 1972a: 91. Junior synonym of meinerti: De Andrade, 1998a: 645. See also: Brown, 1975: 38.

Worker
De Andrade (1998) - TL 5.32-6.58; HL 1.20-1.28; HW 0.88-0.94; EL 0.11-0.15; SL 0.40-0.41; SW 0.17; WL 1.32-1.50; PeL 0.44-0.51; PeW 0.52-0.62; HFeL 0.53-0.60; HFeW 0.26-0.30; HTiL 0.44-0.49; HTiW 0.19-0.21; HBaL 0.22-0.25; HBaW 0.07-0.08; CI 72.0-73.4; SI 41.5-42.15; HFeI 49.0-50.1; HTiI 41.7-43.2; HBaI 30.4-32.0.

Head ca. 1/4 longer than broad and with parallel sides. Occiput very low. Vertexal angles round. Frontal carinae at most slightly broader than 1/3 as the maximum head width. Anterior third of the frontal carinae diverging, remaining parts parallel and reaching the eyes posteriorly. Dorsum of the frontal carinae with a median sulcus anteriorly. Frontal carinae as long as the clypeus. Anterior border of the clypeus laterally convex, medially concave and bearing a pair of small denticles. Compound eyes very small, flat and on the mid of the dorsolateral part of the head. Ocelli reduced to superficial pits, more developed in large specimens. Scapes not reaching the anterior border of the eyes. Proximal fourth of the scapes 1/2 narrower than the distal parts. Mandible flat. Masticatory margin of the mandibles with 4 irregular denticles followed by an apical tooth. Hypostomal bridge broad, with the antero-lateral margin convex.

Mesosoma gently convex dorsally and slightly shorter than the head (mandibles included). Mesosoma 2/3 longer than height. Sides of the mesosoma parallel. Propodeal side gently convex. Declivous face of the propodeum ca. 1/2 of the length of the basal face. Basal face of the propodeum separated from the declivous one by a faint margin. Petiole subquadrate. Petiolar side diverging backwards. Anterior face of the petiole very short and concave: dorsal face of the petiole slightly convex. Ventral process of the petiole very large and subround. Postpetiole broader than long. Postpetiolar stemite antero-medially with traces of a triangular “lip” pointing backwards. Pygidium truncate; it sides with a row of small teeth converging to a pair of larger teeth separated by a variably impressed notch over the sting.

Legs. Femora and tibiae inflated. Hind basitarsi ca. 1/2 shorter than the maximum length of the tibiae. Outer apical edge of the hind and of the mid basitarsi with 3 spine-like setae.

Sculpture. Head dorsum covered by thin longitudinal striae, fainter and thinner on the antennal scrobes. Anterior half of the ventral part of the head with longitudinal striae as thick as those on the posterior part of the head dorsum but sparser; posterior half of the ventral part of the head with striae similar to those on the antennal scrobes. Mesosoma with longitudinal striae similar to those on the posterior part of the head dorsum. Pronotum with 20-21 striae. Pleurae and petiolar sides with longitudinal striae similar to those on the antennal scrobes. Petiolar dorsum with 17-19 striae similar to those on the mesosoma. Declivous face of the propodeum and anterior face of the petiole minutely punctate. Dorsum of the postpetiole covered by striae thinner than those on the petiole. First gastric tergite colored by striae thinner than those on the postpetiole. Second gastric tergite with thin and very superficial striae on the center only. Remaining gastric tergites and sternite, sparsely and minutely reticulate and densely punctate. Legs with very superficial. minute punctures. Hind coxae cowed by longitudinal striae: mid coxae with similar sculpture but fainter and sparser.

Pilosity. Body with pointed hairs of at least of three lengths and distributed as follows: (1) long, erect to suberect, one pair between the frontal carinae and clypeus, one close to on each pronotal angle, rare on the on the gaster, sparse on the pygidium; (2) shorter than the type (1) and sparsely distributed on the whole body: (3) shorter than the type (2), sparse and suberect on the head dorsum and on the mesosoma, sparse and subdecurnbent on the pedicel, and on the first gastric tergite, decumbent but sparse on the ventral part of the head and on the legs, dense on the postpetiolar and on the remaining gastric sternites. In addition, the hypostomal bridge surrounded by a layer of hairs similar to the type (1) but appressed and apically curved.

Colour black. Mandibles and anterior third of the head dark ferrugineous. Antennae, coxae, femora, tarsi and tarsomeres light brown. Tibiae yellowish.

Queen
De Andrade (1998) - TL 7.56-8.60; HL 1.24-1.44; HW 0.86-1.00; EL 0.40-0.41; SL 0.41-0.42; SW 0.18; WL 1.96-2.24; PeL 0.71-0.72; PeW 0.70-0.72; HFeL 0.56; HFeW 0.28-0.32; HTiL 0.48-0.56; HTiW 0.20-0.23; HBaL 0.26-0.31; HBaW 0.09-0.10; CI 69.3-70.0; SI 42.8-43.9; HFeI 50.0-50.8; HTiI 41.1-41.8; HBaI 32.2-34.6.

Very similar to the worker but differing from it in the following details: compound eyes very large; ocelli well defined; impar ocellus higher than the posterior border of the compound eyes; mesosoma broad medially; parapsidal furrows superficially impressed; petiole as broad as long; pronotum with about 22-27 striae as thick as in the worker; mesonotum; scutellum smooth or with striae on the anterior half only; propodeal striae thinner than on the pronotum.

Male
De Andrade (1998) - TL 7.90-8.30; HL 1.08-1.16; HW 0.92-1.04; EL 056-0.59; SL 0.22; SW 0.13; WL 2.48-2.64: PeL 0.70-0.72; PeW 0.64-0.68; HFeL 0.77-0.84; HFeW 0.20-0.24; HTiL 0.68-0.82; HTiW 0.18-0.19; HBaL 0.52-0.61; HBaW 0.07-0.08; CI 85.2- 89.6; SI 59.1; HFeI 26.0-28.6: HTiI 23.2-26.5; HBaI 13.1-13.5.

Head longer than broad. Vertexal margin convex. Ocelli protuberant. Compound eyes broadly convex and largely on the anterior part of the head. Frontal carinae with raised borders and partially covering the antennal socket. Sides of the frontal carinae subparallel anteriorly, slightly convex medially, and strongly converging and almost touching each other posteriorly. Frons concave anteriorly, raised medially and declivous posteriorly. Anterior border of the clypeus gently convex medially. Mandibles long; their masticatory margin edentated and with a pointed apical tooth. Scapes slightly less 1/2 longer than broad. Funicular joints stouts.

Mesosoma robust. Pronotum in dorsal view with subparallel sides. Mesonotum slightly convex. Scutellum at the same level as the mesonotum. Pair Mayrian and parapsidal furrows superficially marked. Impar Mayrian furrow absent. Basal face of the propodeum separated from the declivous one by a developed and well marked carina.

Petiole subcylindric: anteriorly truncate and dorsally convex. Ventral process of the petiole small and subtriangular. Postpetiole broadening backwards and smaller than the first gastric tergite.

Legs. Femora not inflated. Mid and hind basitarsi long.

Sculpture. Head dorsum covered striae converging from the internal border of the eyes to the ocelli: striae behind the pair ocelli thinner, tranversal, irregular and mixed with small piligerous foveae. Ventral part of the head variably punctate and with small, piligerous foveae: some specimens with diverging striae on the anterior part only. Pronotum punctate and with transversal, irregular striae, sometimes mixed with irregular piligerous foveae. Mesonotum and scutellum smooth and with minute punctures, denser on the mesonotum. Basal face of the propodeum, metapleurae and petiole covered by longitudinal striae. Declivous face of the propodeum smooth; some specimens with tranversal striae on the middle of the posterior half only. Propleurae punctate and with traces of thin, longitudinal striae. Mesopleurae smooth, minutely punctate and with rugosities on the posterior border. Postpetiole, first gastric segment and legs smooth and with sparse, superficial punctures; some specimens with longitudinal, irregular rugosities on the postpetiole. Remaining gastric segments superficially reticulate-punctate; this sculpture more impressed posteriorly.

Pilosity. Body covered by pointed hairs of three types: (1) long, sparse, subdecumbent, denser on the gaster, rare on the head; (2) shorter than the type (1), sparse on the head and legs, dense on the mesosoma and gaster; (3) short and thick on the funicullus.

Colour. Head, mesosoma and petiole black. Anterior third of the head dorsum, mandibles, antennae and legs yellowish to light brown. Postpetiole, first and second gastric segments dark brown, remaining gastric segments lighter.

Type Material
De Andrade (1998) - Worker. Venezuela. Type material: 4 workers, two of which labelled: “C. meinerti, type, Forel, Las Trincheras, Venezuela, Meinert, in altem Baume”, in, , and examined.