Rogeria blanda

Nests have been found in trunks of cacao trees in Costa Rica and in a small rotten log suspended about 50cm above the ground in Peru. Collections have come from elevations between from 50m (Costa Rica) to 1000m (Venezuela).

Identification
Kugler (1994) - Most similar to but not quite like other species in the stigmatica species group. WL 0.87-1.15mm. Palpal formula 2,2. Eye rather large, oval. Propodeal spines long (PSI 0.20-0.29). Petiolar node long and low. Gaster with terminal segments rotated ventrad. Inferior petiolar process dentate. Head, mesosoma, and nodes densely areolate. Body rather densely covered with long, fine, soft, erect hair; no decumbent hair.

Rogeria ciliosa and Rogeria gibba from lowland South America resemble blanda in having long, soft, dense pilosity and areolate sculpture, but see the stigmatica group diagnosis.

Distribution
Southern Central America and in South America east of the Andes to southern Brazil.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

Nomenclature

 *  blanda. Myrmica blanda Smith, F. 1858b: 131 (w.) BRAZIL. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1989a: 325 (l.); Kugler, C. 1994: 37 (q.m.). Combination in Tetramorium: Mayr, 1886c: 359; in Rogeria: Emery, 1894c: 189. Senior synonym of foveata: Kempf, 1965: 185.
 * foveata. Irogera foveata Kempf, 1964e: 64, figs. 19, 20 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of blanda: Kempf, 1965: 185.

Worker
Kugler (1994) - TL 3.0-4.0, HL 0.73-0.92, HW 0.65-0.82, SL 0.49-0.62, EL 0.12-0.16 (27-59 facets), PW 0.48-0.63, WL 0.87-1. 15, SpL 0.20-0.30, PetL 0.35-0.49, PpetL 0.18-0.25mm, CI 0.85-0.91, OI 0. 18-0.21, SI 0.73-0.80, PSI 0.20-0.29. N=20

Additions to description and figures of Kempf (1964). Mandibles triangular, with 6 large teeth decreasing in size basad, then basal tooth larger than neighbor. One or two denticles sometimes added between basal teeth. Clypeal apron with a shallow median notch. Nuchal grooves not visible in lateral view. Metanotal groove weak (Fig. 83) to absent. Propodeal spiracle small, strongly directed caudad. Propodeal spines long, straight or weakly upturned at apex; distinctly longer in the two specimens from Ecuador (PSI 0.29) than in the others (PSI 0.20-0.25). Metapleural lobes triangular; apex blunt to subacute. Petiolar peduncle curved, with weak keel and dentate inferior petiolar process. Petiolar node widest in posterior half. Postpetiolar node highest in posterior half; shape from above as in Fig. 32 or Fig. 49. Gaster not enlarged (GW / / WL O.63-0.70); terminal segments rotated ventrad. Pygidial gland sculpture present. Sting apparatus nearly identical to that of Rogeria inermis.

Longitudinal rugae on frontal lobes rapidly give way to areolate sculpture usually by mid-eye level and continuing onto posterior head. Sides of head strongly sculptured: rugose-areolate in front of eye to areolate behind. Mesosoma and nodes also densely areolate, except for transverse carinulae between spines and smooth posterior face of propodeum. Some elongate cells on pronotal disc. Very apex of postpetiolar node sometimes smooth. No microsculpture.

Scapes with very long erect hairs and shorter hairs ranging from suberect to decumbent. Erect hair on terminal segments of gaster not brush-like. Legs with little decumbent or appressed pilosity.

Head, mesosoma, and waist black to yellowish-brown; appendages lighter. Gaster darker than rest of body. Head sometimes with black patches around and / or between eyes.

Queen
Kugler (1994) - TL 3.6-4.1, HL 0.79-0.87, HW 0.70-0.78, 5L 0.52-0.58, EL 0. 19-0.20, PW 0.61-0.70, WL 1.02-1.17, 5pL 0.24-0.30, PetL 0.40-0.52, PpetL 0.22-0.25mm, CI 0.87-0.90, SI 0.73-0.81, PSI 0.22-0.26. N=8

Median pronotum sometimes transversely rugose-areolate; mesonotum longitudinally rugose-areolate. Otherwise, differing from the worker only in the normal queen characters. Wing venation like that of Rogeria belti (Fig. 37).

Males
Kugler (1994) - TL 3.2-3.4, HL 0.60-0.62, HW 0.70-0.75, 5L 0.23-0.26, EL 0.32-0.35, PW 0.79-0.86, WL 1.10-1.24, PetL 0.34-0.35, PpetL 0.18-0.20mm, CI 1.16. 51 0.32-0.35. N=4

All males came from Rí Akabán, Venezuela. Mandibles with 4 subequal teeth. Anterior edge of clypeus with weak median notch. Frontal area a distinctly impressed triangle. No frontal lobes. Flagellomeres 2-11 straight, subequal in length and width. Habitus much like male of Rogeria belti, but junction of dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum has blunt lateral corners, and the propodeal spiracle faces more caudad.

Back of head microareolate with piligerous punctures in the pits; median vertex with additional longitudinal rugulae. Pronotum and mesopleura largely smooth. Mesonotum densely and finely rugulose with scattered punctures in intervals. Posterior face of propodeum, nodes, and gaster smooth. Genitalia as shown in Fig. 17. Hairs shorter, less flexuous than in worker; erect to suberect and moderately dense over much of body. Color dark brown with lighter brown appendages.

Type Material
Kugler (1994) - Syntype workers, BRAZIL: Amazonas, Ega (= Tefé) (4 syntypes examined).

Irogera foveata Holotype and paratype workers, BRAZIL: Amazonas, Manaus (K. Lenko)  (Paratype examined).

Additional References

 * Kugler, C. 1994. A revision of the ant genus Rogeria with description of the sting apparatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Hym. Res. 3: 17-89.