Rogeria besucheti

Paraguayan specimens come from gallery forest with some bamboo. Peruvian specimens are from mixed broadleaf primary forest on a steep hillside at 1000m. In both localities collections resulted from Berlese and Winkler sampling of leaf litter and rotten wood.

Identification
Kugler (1994) - stigmatica species group. WL 0.67-0.75mm. Eye small (8-10 facets). Propodeal spiracles small, more than 3/4 diameter from infradental lamella. PSI 0.17-0.20. Metapleural lobes well developed. Inferior petiolar process a small step. Head, mesosoma, nodes and gaster with abundant decumbent pilosity and more sparse erect hairs.

Rogeria besucheti differs from Rogeria ciliosa, Rogeria gibba, Rogeria prominula, and Rogeria blanda in pilosity. It differs from Rogeria stigmatica and Rogeria megastigmatica in mesosoma shape, propodeal spine length, and generally smaller eye size.

Distribution
Paraguay and Peru.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Paraguay.

Castes
Known only from workers.

Nomenclature

 *  besucheti. Rogeria besucheti Kugler, C. 1994: 36, figs. 15-16 (w.) PARAGUAY.

Worker
Holotype and Paratype - TL 2.7-3.1 (2.85), HL 0.65-0.71 (0.66), HW 0.59-0.63 (0.60), SL 0.43-0.49 (0.44), EL 0.05-0.08 (0.06) (8-10 facets), PW 0.42-0.46 (0.43), WL 0.67-0.75 (0.69), SpL 0.12-0.15 (0.13), PetL 0.30-0.34 (0.32), PpetL 0.16-0.18 (0.18)mm, CI O.87-0.90 (0.90), OI 0.08-0.13 (0.10), SI 0.72-0.78 (0.72), PSI 0.17-0.20 (0.18). N=7

Holotype mandible with 5 visible teeth decreasing in size basad. In paratypes, mandibles always with 3 apical teeth, but basal teeth may have additional denticles or be replaced by pairs of denticles. Palpal formula 3,2. Clypeal apron truncate; body of clypeus projecting enough to block view of apron in full dorsal view. Pronotal shoulders rounded. Shallow metanotal groove shallow present on dorsum and sides of mesosoma. Propodeum lacking a distinct transverse carina at anterior border. Peduncle of petiole with weak ventral keel; inferior process reduced to a small step. Petiolar node bulbous, wider than long. Postpetiolar node widest in anterior half (as in Fig. 74). Postpetiolar sternum short, anterior lip not greatly prominent. GW /WL 0.91-0.98. Terminal segments of gaster slightly rotated ventrad, but not enough to make T3 the distalmost point of the gaster. Sting apparatus much like that of ciliosa (Fig. 3), but: 1) anterior apodeme of spiracular plate widest mid length, 2) anterodorsal corner of quadrate plate longer, narrower, 3) anterior apodeme of oblong plate longer, 4) gonostylus a little longer, with two companion setae and less distinct gap in setation and 5) sting base lower and without anterolateral processes (Fig. 16).

Longitudinally rugose macrosculpture on frontal lobes becomes rugose-areolate on middorsum. Laterodorsa, sides, and posterior head areolate with rather small areolae; intervals smooth and shining, except for piligerous punctures. Pronotal disc varies from all rugose-areolate to all areolate. Rest of promesonotum slightly less coarsely areolate. Intervals smooth, except for piligerous punctures. Dorsal face of Propodeum densely microareolate, with or without overlying transverse rugulae.

Dorsum and anterior face of petiolar node smooth; rest of petiolar and postpetiolar nodes effaced areolate. Gaster predominantly smooth and shiny; T1 and Sl with piligerous punctures that in some specimens become weaker caudad. Remaining terga and sterna very weakly roughened and shiny.

Paraguayan specimens have suberect hair on scapes; others do not. Head dorsum with suberect hairs. Pilosity on mesosoma dorsum and nodes ranges from short and decumbent to long and erect; all curving quite strongly toward midline. Gaster T1 similar, but with no erect hairs. Terminal segments of gaster with rather dense erect hair and decumbent pilosity. No hair on ventral petiole.

Extremities and mandibles light brownish yellow. Rest of body brown with more yellowish than reddish accents; frontoclypeal area and terminal segments of gaster lighter.

Type Material
Holotype locality. PARAGUAY: Alto Parana Province, Puerto Santa Teresa, 3-XI-1979 (F. Baud, et al.).

Paratype localities. COLOMBIA: 3 workers, Putumayo Department, Villa Garzón, 23-VII –1977 (D. Jackson). PERU: 2 workers, Pasco Department, near Pozuzo, 1000m (c. Kugler and R. R. Lambert) [mouthparts, sting],. PARAGUAY: 1 worker, San Benito Province, Itapua, 29-X-1982 (F. Baud, et al.) MHNG.

Etymology
This species is named for Claude Besuchet, who as director of the in Geneva was most helpful and patient in loaning material valuable for this work.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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 * Dias N. D. S., R. Zanetti, M. S. Santos, M. F. Gomes, V. Peñaflor, S. M. F. Broglio, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2012. The impact of coffee and pasture agriculture on predatory and omnivorous leaf-litter ants. Journal of Insect Science 13:29. Available online: http://www.insectscience.org/13.29
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 * Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, F. Petitclerc, B. Corbara, M. Leponce, R. Cereghino, and A. Dejean. 2017. Litter-dwelling ants as bioindicators to gauge the sustainability of small arboreal monocultures embedded in the Amazonian rainforest. Ecological Indicators 82: 43-49.
 * Pires de Prado L., R. M. Feitosa, S. Pinzon Triana, J. A. Munoz Gutierrez, G. X. Rousseau, R. Alves Silva, G. M. Siqueira, C. L. Caldas dos Santos, F. Veras Silva, T. Sanches Ranzani da Silva, A. Casadei-Ferreira, R. Rosa da Silva, and J. Andrade-Silva. 2019. An overview of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the state of Maranhao, Brazil. Pap. Avulsos Zool. 59: e20195938.
 * Santos M. S., J. N. C. Louzada, N. Dias, R. Zanetti, J. H. C. Delabie, and I. C. Nascimento. 2006. Litter ants richness (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in remnants of a semi-deciduous forest in the Atlantic rain forest, Alto do Rio Grande region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 96(1): 95-101.
 * Siqueira de Castro F., A. B. Gontijo, P. de Tarso Amorim Castro, and S. Pontes Ribeiro. 2012. Annual and Seasonal Changes in the Structure of Litter-Dwelling Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Atlantic Semideciduous Forests. Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/959715
 * Siqueira de Castro F., A. B. Gontijo, W. Duarte da Rocha, and S. Pontes Ribeiro. 2011. As comunidades de formigas de serapilheira nas florestas semidecíduas do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Minas Gerais. MG.BIOTA, Belo Horizonte 3(5): 5-24.
 * Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.