Oxyopomyrmex polybotesi

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification
Salata and Borowiec (2015) - Worker. Oxyopomyrmex polybotesi belongs to the species group that has a distinctly punctate propodeum. It is distinguished from Oxyopomyrmex emeryi and Oxyopomyrmex oculatus by the longitudinal striae covering whole frontal surface of the head and the presence of the rugosity and longitudinal striae on dorsal surface of the pronotum; from Oxyopomyrmex negevensis it differs in the lack of transverse striation on dorsal surface of the pronotum, the shiny abdomen and the more dense and thicker hairiness at the scape and legs. At first glance O. polybotesi is very similar to Oxyopomyrmex pygmalioni but it differs in following features: the shiny gena without rugosity (while O. pygmalioni has the gena dull and distinctly rugose), the occurrence of distinct longitudinal striae on the lateral surfaces of the pronotum (in O. pygmalioni the lateral surfaces of the pronotum are rugose with a slight longitudinal striae) and the dorsal surface of pronotum is shinier, weaker rugulose with longitudinal striae at the posterior edge (in O. pygmalioni the dorsal surface of pronotum is distinctly rugulose to rugose, and striation, if present, is oblique).

Distribution
Greece: Dodecanese; Turkey.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Greece.

Castes
Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

 *  polybotesi. Oxyopomyrmex polybotesi Salata & Borowiec, 2015b: 50, figs. 58-60, 83 (w.) GREECE.

Worker
(n=30): HL: 0.705 ± 0.017 (0.681-0.732); HW: 0.66 ± 0.012 (0.648-0.69); SL: 0.467 ± 0.013 (0.447-0.48); EL: 0.221 ± 0.01 (0.201-0.234); EW: 0.12 ± 0.008 (0.106-0.134); ML: 0.818 ± 0.02 (0.785-0.849); PSL: 0.18 ± 0.008 (0.162-0.19); SDL: 0.114 ± 0.009 (0.094-0.128); PL: 0.328 ± 0.013 (0.302-0.341); PPL: 0.224 ± 0.014 (0.201-0.24); PH: 0.216 ± 0.008 (0.201-0.223); PPH: 0.203 ± 0.012 (0.19-0.223); PNW: 0.457 ± 0.007 (0.444-0.475); TL: 0.497 ± 0.011 (0.48-0.52); TW: 0.108 ± 0.005 (0.101-0.117); PW: 0.165 ± 0.01 (0.145-0.179); PPW: 0.244 ± 0.01 (0.229-0.268); HI: 93.6 ± 1.5 (91.4-96.8); SI1: 66.2 ± 1.2 (64.5-68.9); EI: 54.1 ± 5.0 (45.3-63.2); SI2: 70.7 ± 1.4 (68.8-73.4); MI: 179.8 ± 4.3 (171.0-187.8); SPI: 154.6 ± 14.7 (136.6-184.0); PI1: 151.6 ± 5.2 (142.5-158.2); PI2: 36.7 ± 1.9 (34.2-39.8); PPI1: 110.6 ± 9.2 (97.1-126.3); PPI2: 54.0 ± 1.6 (51.3-56.4); HTI1: 75.3 ± 1.6 (72.6-77.6); HTI2: 21.7 ± 1.05 (20.4-23.8).

Head, thorax and abdomen black. Antennal scapes smoked black to brown on the apex, funiculus segments 1-7 brown, 7-10 smoked black. Mandibles black to brown. Femora and tibiae smoked black to brown at the edges, tarsi brown.

Head rectangular, longer than wide, lateral surfaces below eyes straight, slightly rounded on the posterior edges. Anterior margin of the clypeus shiny with longitudinal striae, slightly curved downward at the central part. Eyes elongate, strongly narrowing downward, reaching anteroventral margin of head, 0.3 times as long as length of the head. Scape short, 0.7 times as long as width of the head, at base 0.7 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, slightly bent downward. Funiculus short, 1.6 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, triangular, 2.0 times as long as wide on apex, 2.6 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments 100:39:28:39:44:44:56:100:111:156, apical segments 1.9 times as wide as basal segments. Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with long, dense, semierect setae.

Promesonotum as long as wide, convex in profile. Promesonotal suture distinct, the border between dorsal and posterior surfaces of the promesonotum curved in profile view. Propodeum quadrate, 0.9 times as long as wide, propodeal spines short, triangular, the upper edge parallel to the dorsal surface of propodeum. Petiole rounded with short peduncle, its anterior face straight, node rounded on dorsal surface in profile. Posterior face straight. Ventral margin of petiole smooth. Postpetiole regularly rounded in profile. Postpetiole 0.9 times as long as wide in dorsal view, regularly widened from base to top, apical half with gently rounded sides.

Mandibles rounded, with outer and dorsal edges straight and smooth, inner margin with 7-8 teeth, the apical tooth massive and long. Clypeus on entire surface shiny, micropunctate with longitudinal striae. Frontal carinae short, extending to 1/3 length of eye; antennal fossa deeply impressed, microreticulate, frontal lobes rugulose with thick longitudinal striae, shiny between rugosities. Frons shiny, all surface with thick longitudinal striae and dense rugulose. Area above eyes shiny with thick longitudinal striae and dense rugulose. Ventral surface of the head with distinct striation, gena shiny, rugulose with fine striation. Entire head bearing setae, posterior margin with sparse erect setae directed forward, lateral surfaces of the head with appressed setae directed toward anterior margin, frontal area with dense appressed to semierect setae placed transversely, directed to the center of the head, ventral surface of the head with a prominent psammophore and appressed to erect long setae. Pronotum punctate with longitudinal striae, lateral surfaces strongly punctate with longitudinal striae. Dorsal suface of pronotum punctate with longitudinal striae, the central surface with striation and weak punctation or without punctation, shiny. Mesonotum strongly punctate on the dorsal surface, lateral surfaces punctate with longitudinal striae. Dorsal suface of propodeum strongly punctate to punctate, below spiracles strongly punctate with fine longitudinal striae at the posterior edge. Dorsal suface of mesosoma with at least five long erect setae in theon anterior half, mesonotum and anterior propodeum with a few long setae. Base of petiole and postpetiole on the entire surface punctate, nodes of the petiole punctate on the dorsal and lateral surfaces, postpetiole node punctate, smooth with sparse punctation on the top, covered with several setae. Gaster shiny and shagreened, bearing dense, erect to semierect setae.

Legs short, hind femora 0.7 times as long as mesosoma length, hind tibia 0.9 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.3 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with short, sparse, semierect setae, inner margin with a row of the sparse, long, semierect setae, tibiae bearing long, semierect setae on the entire surface, inner margins with a row of long semierect setae

Type Material
Moni Evangelistrias, Nisyros Is., Greece.

Holotype worker: GREECE, Dodecanese, 270 m Nisyros, Moni Evangelistrias 36,601 N /27, 151 E 1 VI 2001, M. Chatzaki ; 45 paratype workers: the same data as holotype (DBET, SSC).

Etymology
Named after giant Polybotes. According to the Greek mythology, during the Gigantomachy Polybotes was crushed under Nisyros (type locality of the species), which was thrown at him by Poseidon.