Megalomyrmex goeldii

With the assistence of Jorge Diniz I collected 4 colonies of M. goeldii in Petropolis under stones, within rotten logs and litter. Population sizes ranged from 300-400 workers, 1 to 4 dealate queens and all stages of immatures. (Brandão 1990)

Identification
Brandão (1990) - Non-type specimens may present the lateral portions of clypeus and antennal sockets faintly sculptured. Also some individuals present a long, narrow and translucid flange at the ventral face of petiole enclosing or not at its anterior end a small denticle. Specimens from Varginha and Santos Dumont (MG, Brasil) always present the anterior denticle, while in other localities this may be wanting. At the southern end of M. goeldii distribution (state of Sao Paulo) the epipetiolar carina is not complete over the foramen. Workers from Petropolis have the scarser pilosity from all samples.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  goeldii. Megalomyrmex goeldii Forel, 1912g: 14 (w.) BRAZIL. Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 29 (m.); Borgmeier, 1930: 34 (q.). See also: Brandão, 1990: 423.

Worker
Brandão (1990) - Mandibles smooth; clypeus not carinate with anteromedium denticle; frontal suture not impressed; 3-segrnented antennal club; occipital margin not raised: pronotal elevation low, promesonotal suture faintly impressed dorsally: mesosternum and metasternum without ventral processes; dorsal face and declivity of propodeum meeting in smooth angle; declivity smooth; ventral face of petiole in general not denticulate nor laminate; postpetiole ventral face with a round and not very prominent process.

Pilosity: long hairs (ca. .2mm) at clypeus, frontal carina, vertex, dorsal faces of petiolar and postpetiolar nodes and gaster apex. Small hairs (ca. 1mm) at mandibles, antennae, sides of head, legs and basal segments of gaster.

Color: uniformly shinny yellow-brown, mandible teeth brown.

Male
Brandão (1990) - To Wheeler's original description of M. goeldii males I should add that the scape is slightly shorter than the head capsule, the mesonotum does not have notaulus nor parapsidal sutures and the epipetiolar carina is not complete over the foramen. Rs and Mf3 are well developed (called branches of cubitus by Wheeler).

Borgmeier (1930) described the female caste from a specimen collected among rotten leaves in Petropolis, RJ, Brasil. I compared this specimens with the other 5 available and noticed that in all of them the posterior ocelli are vestigal, the mesonotum has no impression at all and the dorsal face of the propodeum is longitudinally depressed. A queen from Redencao da Serra, SP, Brasil presents a flange ventral to be petiole but no denticle nor the acute tooth under the postpetiole, which might be abraded.

Ettershank (1966) figure of female's wings, although identical to the male wings I have in hand, may not belong to this species, as the specimen he figured came from Manaus, a locality farther north from the known distribution of M. goeldii.

Type Material
Brandão (1990) - Colonia Alpina (munic. Teresopo lis), RJ, Brasil (22°26'S, 42°59'W). Lectotype designation Lectotype and paralectotype Museum de la Ville de Geneve, paralectotype Naturhistorisches Museum Basel, paralectotype Museu de Zoologia USP.