Pogonomyrmex schmitti

Wheeler and Mann (1914) reported: nests in the ground in crater nests, but sometimes also under stones. It is a harvesting ant like the other species of the genus, and like these is also fond of eating insects, for the junior author often saw workers carrying whole insects or fragments of them into the nest.

Identification
See the introduction to the Key to North American Pogonomyrmex

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic, Haiti.

Biology
When foraging these ants are very fast moving and difficult to capture. In the Dominican Republic colonies can be found in dry forest habitat.

Nomenclature

 *  schmitti. Pogonomyrmex schmitti Forel, 1901e: 339 (w.) HAITI. Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914: 28 (q.). Combination in P. (Ephebomyrmex): Wheeler, W.M. 1902c: 390; in Ephebomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 106; in Pogonomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 341. Current subspecies: nominal plus aterrimus, darlingtoni, sublaevigatus.

Worker
From Wheeler and Mann (1914): Length 3.5-4 mm.

Head subrectangular, a little longer than broad, as broad in front as behind, with rather straight sides and feebly excised posterior border. Mandibles convex, with 6 subequal teeth. Clypeus short, convex; its anterior border entire and broadly rounded. Frontal area elongate, triangular. Antennre rather stout, their scapes not reaching to the posterior border of the head ; joints 2-7 of the funiculi somewhat broader than long. Thorax short and broad, but little longer than the head, with the mandibles, including the neck nearly twice as long as broad, evenly convex above in profile, without promesonotal and mesoepinotal sutures. Epinotum sloping, its base and declivity subequal, bearing two short, stout spines, which are directed backward, upward and outward and are longer than broad at their bases and shorter than their distance apart. Metasterna prolonged upward and backward into a pair of similar but somewhat shorter spines, which are slightly curved forward. Petiole from above fully twice as long as broad, with a slender peduncle occupying half its length and provided with a stout, triangular tooth on its ventral surface. The node, which is as broad as half the length of the whole segment, when seen in profile has a straight anterior surface rising at a right angle from the peduncle and half as long as the sloping posterior surface. The two surfaces meet at a sharp ridge, which, seen from above, forms the broadly rounded anterior margin of the node; its sides are straight and converge posteriorly to the postpetiole, which is broader than the petiole, a little broader than long, campanulate and provided with a large swelling on its anteroventral surface. Gaster slender, elongate-elliptical, with a powerful sting. Legs long and stout.

Mandibles and head opaque, the former and the clypeus rather finely and regularly longitudinally rugose, the head somewhat more coarsely, the rugre with reticulate-punctate spaces between them and diverging somewhat from the median line on the posterior portion of the head. Thorax still more coarsely and somewhat more irregularly and reticulately, longitudinally rugose. Petiole, postpetio􀋵e and basal third or half of first gastric segment opaque and densely punctate the posterior surface of the petiolar node also longitudinally rugulose. Posterior portion of- first gastric segment and the remaining segments shining, very superficially shagreened or reticulate, with small, sparse, piligerous punctures. Legs and scapes densely punctate, the former feebly shining, the latter opaque.

Hairs short, stiff, pointed, dark brown or blackish, moderately abundant, erect on the body, somewhat more reclinate on the legs and scapes. Gula without ammochretre.

Black; mandibles, tip of gaster, tarsi beyond the first joint and sometimes also the peduncle of the petiole, the legs and clypeus (in immature specimens?), deep red.

Queen
From Wheeler and Mann (1914): Length 5.5 mm.

Closely resembling the worker, but differing in the following characters. The rugre on the mesonotum, scutellum and pleurae are more regularly longitudinal and the epinotum and posterior surface of the petiolar node are coarsely reticulaterugose. The epinotal spines are stouter and proportionally longer than the metasternal spines, and the gaster, though small, is proportionally broader than in the worker.

Etymology
Dedicated to Rev. P. J. Schmitt, O. S. B.