Carebara urichi

This minute ant was previously known only from the type specimens collected in nests of the Guacharos (Steatornis), in a cave in Trinidad. Very recently Prof. A. S. Pearse has sent me two specimens which he found on bat guano in a cave in Yucatan. Its occurrence in leaf-mold in Cuba is not surprising since other minute cave-insects are known to live occasionally in similar situations, but we should expect it to be more abundant in some of the many bat-infested caves of the island. (Wheeler 1937)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Castes

 * Major Worker

Nomenclature

 *  urichi. Spelaeomyrmex urichi Wheeler, W.M. 1922c: 45, fig. 1 (w.) TRINIDAD. Fernández, 2004a: 206 (s.q.m.). Combination in Erebomyrma: Wilson, 1962a: 63; Wilson, 1986b: 61; in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 300; in Carebara: Fernández, 2004a: 205. Senior synonym of eidmanni, morai, nevermanni: Fernández, 2004a: 205.
 * nevermanni. Erebomyrma nevermanni Mann, 1926: 103 (w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 124; in Erebomyrma: Wilson, 1986b: 61; in Oligomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 299. Junior synonym of urichi: Fernández, 2004a: 205.
 * morai. Erebomyrma morai Menozzi, 1931b: 271, fig. 7 (w.) COSTA RICA. Combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 124; in Erebomyrma: Brandão, 1991: 343; in Oligomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 299. Junior synonym of urichi: Fernández, 2004a: 205.
 * eidmanni. Erebomyrma eidmanni Eidmann, 1936: 47 (attributed to Menozzi) (s.w.q.) BRAZIL. Combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 123; in Erebomyrma: Wilson, 1986b: 61; in Oligomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 299. Junior synonym of urichi: Fernández, 2004a: 205.

Worker
Fischer et al. (2014) - Major (n=4): HW 0.97–0.99 (0.98), HL 1.01–1.06 (1.04), SL 0.41–0.44 (0.43), MDL 0.53–0.54 (0.53), EL 0.08, WL 0.97–1.02 (0.99), PNH 0.53–0.57 (0.54), PNW 0.56–0.61 (0.58), MNH 0.64–0.68 (0.66), PDH 0.42–0.46 (0.45), PTL 0.42–0.46 (0.44), PPL 0.25–0.26 (0.26), PTH 0.35–0.38 (0.37), PPH 0.26–0.30 (0.28), PTW 0.31–0.35 (0.33), PPW 0.38–0.43 (0.41), PSL 0.11–0.14 (0.13), MFL 0.58–0.61 (0.60), MTL 0.44–0.46 (0.45), CI 93–95 (94), SI 43–44 (44), MDI 54–55 (55), EI 8–9 (8), FI 60–62 (61), PSLI 12–14 (13), LPpI 88–96 (91), DPpI 152–167 (161), PpWI 124–132 (127), PpLI 57–60 (58), PpHI 74–80 (77).

Head slightly longer than wide (CI 93–95), in full-face view nearly subquadrate. Posterior margin of head with deep, V-shaped emargination, posterolateral corners rounded, sides subparallel and almost straight. Mandibles with five teeth. Anterior margin of clypeus nearly straight, sides convex. Frontal carinae absent to inconspicuous. Antenna with eleven segments, scapes short and reaching to about midlength of head (SI 43–44). Eyes present, multi-faceted, and comparatively large (EI 8–9).

In profile, promesonotum queen-like with moderately high pronotum, comparatively long scutum, and short scutellum, the latter slightly to strongly raised above convex to weakly convex dorsal outline of mesosoma. Promesonotal suture on dorsum present as broad impression, metanotum small and obliquely raised posteriorly. Propodeum higher than long in profile, with dorsal face oblique, declining posteriorly, propodeal spines and posterolateral lamella absent to reduced to slightly raised, posterior corners bluntly angulate, posterior declivity subvertical with well-developed lobe. Propodeal spiracle roundly convex and situated closer to dorsum of propodeum than to its center, not close to posterior declivity.

Petiole with relatively short peduncle, anteroventrally concave, with very conspicuous, short to relatively long, finger-like anterior process, posteroventrally convex, petiole node high, anteriorly oblique to weakly concave, posteriorly vertical and weakly concave, dorsum straight with a rounded angle anteriorly and a sharp right angle posteriorly. Postpetiole in profile squarish with rounded corners and lower than petiole (PpHI 74-80), with shallow, anteriorly angulate ventral process, anterior face almost vertical, dorsum almost straight and posterior face short and oblique. In dorsal view, petiole node much wider than long and anteroposteriorly flattened, anteriorly slightly convex, posterioly transverse and sharply marginate, postpetiole with wide, lamellate processes extending lateroventrally (PpWI 124-132), the node itself narrower than petiole and slightly wider than long, with convex sides, and anterior and posterior margins almost transverse.

Mandibles smooth and shiny, laterally weakly striate and with scattered punctures. Clypeus smooth and shiny, with several weak lateral carinae. Sculpture on frons and anterior sides of head with strong, irregular rugae, posterior parts of face coarsely rugoreticulate, interspaces weakly to superficially punctate, ventral side of head with long, parallel, longitudinal rugae. Mesosoma mostly coarsely and very irregularly rugoreticulate with punctate ground sculpture, rugoreticulate sculpture can be reduced on lateral surfaces, anepisternum sometimes with smooth and shiny area posteriorly. Petiole node and postpetiole dorsally smooth and shiny to faintly punctate, gaster shagreened or superficially punctate. Head and body usually with abundant, erect to suberect hairs of varying length and shorter decumbent to suberect pilosity, scapes and tibiae with appressed to decumbent pilosity and long suberect to erect hairs along outer edge. Color reddish brown, appendages and gaster light brown.