Rogeria gibba

Types were collected from the eastern side of the central cordillera in northern Colombia (one worker), with the rest from about 1000km away on the western slope of the Andes and the coastal range of northern Ecuador. In all three areas they were collected at 300-800m elevation in natural rain forest, probably by Berlese sampling.

Identification
Kugler (1994) - WL 0.85-0.93mm. Mandibles sub triangular. Clypeal apron slightly convex medially, with sharp corners on either side. Eyes with 16-20 facets. Mesosoma profile humpbacked. Propodeal spines short « 0.15mm), not strongly inclined. Propodeal spiracle rather large, within one diameter of posterior edge of mesosoma. Metapleural lobes reduced to short carinae, sometimes nearly absent. No inferior petiolar process . Dorsal head, mesosoma and gaster densely covered with long flexuous hairs.

Similar to Rogeria ciliosa. Like Rogeria stigmatica in many features, but differs in pilosity and shape of promesonotum.

Distribution
Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador.

This taxon was described from Ecuador.

Nomenclature

 *  gibba. Rogeria gibba Kugler, C. 1994: 32, figs. 5-6 (w.q.) ECUADOR.

Worker
Holotype and Paratype. TL 3.5-3.8 (3.7), HL 0.78-0.85 (0.83), HW 0.73-0.81 (0.78), SL 0.54-0.60 (0.59), EL 0.09-0.10 (0.10) (15-22 facets), PW 0.51-0.57 (0.55), WL 0.85-0.96 (0.93), SpL 0.11-0.14 (0.11), PetL 0.40-0.49 (0.46), PpetL 0.21-0.23 (0.22)mm, CI 0.91-0.96 (0.94), OI 0.12-0.13 (0.13), SI 0.72-0.77 (0.76), PSI 0.12-0.15 (0.12). N=10

Mandibles with 5 teeth diminishing in size basad. Palpal formula 3,3. Body of clypeus does not project over apron. Head capsule about as wide as long. Nuchal grooves visible from below or behind. Promesonotal dorsum almost flat and dropping abruptly to metanotum (Fig. 5). Petiolar peduncle lacks inferior petiolar process. Petiolar node distinct, bulbous, wider than long. Postpetiole node subrectangular from above; sternum short. Gaster large (GW/WL 0.90-0.97). Sting apparatus like that of ciliosa, except for: 1) a longer fulcral arm on the oblong plate (like inermis Fig. 42), 2) no companion seta on gonostylus, 3) more enlarged lancet apex, and 4) no anterolateral processes on sting base (Fig. 6).

Middorsum of head longitudinally rugose becoming rugose-areolate behind level of eyes. Laterodorsa, posterior, sides, and ventral surfaces of head areolate with minutely granulate ridges; intervals smooth except for some piligerous punctures. Promesonotum with the same sculpture as sides and back of head. Meso- and metapleura with more confused areolate sculpture, but similar ridges and intervals. Metanotal groove scrobiculate. Dorsal face of propodeum and part of posterior face transversely rugulose. Rest of posterior face shagreened. Petiolar peduncle colliculate; anterior face of node smooth, except for piligerous punctures. Rest of petiolar node and all of postpetiolar node transversely areolate-rugose, with granulate ridges and smooth to weakly punctured intervals, as on head and promesonotum. Gaster smooth and shiny, dotted by numerous small, shallow piligerous punctures.

Dorsum of head, mesosoma, top and sides of waist, and all sides of gaster densely covered with long, flexuous, erect to suberect hairs and without interspersed shorter pilosity.

Body rusty-brown, gaster slightly darker. Antennae, legs and mandibles yellowish-brown to yellow.

Queen
TL 4.2-4.3, HL 0.83-0.85, HW 0.80, SL 0.58-0.59, EL 0.19-0.20, PW 0.72-0.73, WL 1.14-1.15, SpL 0.15-0.17, PetL 0.49-0.53, PpetL 0.24-0.25mm, CI 0.94-0.96, SI 0.73-0.74, PSI 0.13-0.15. N=4

Queens differ from the workers in the usual and the following ways. Short parapsidal furrows present. Longitudinal areolate-rugose sculpture on median head extends to posterior of head. Median pronotum transversely rugose. Mesoscutum with longitudinally rugose sculpture that becomes more areolate on mesoscutellum.

Type Material
Holotype locality. ECUADOR: Pichincha Province, 4 km E. Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 22-VI -1975, #B-304 (S. and J. Peck).

Paratype localities. COLOMBIA: 1 worker, Antioquia Department, near El Bagre, Providencia, Estación Biológica, Zona Buenos Aires, 30-31-XII-1977 (c. Kugler) MCZ; 1 worker, Chocó Department, Río Napipi, 1968 (P. A. Silverstone). ECUADOR: 5 workers, holotype locality, 22-VI-1975 and 8-VII-1976 (S. and J. Peck) [2 mouthparts, stings], , MCZ, ; 2 workers, Pichincha Province, 47km S. Santo Domingo, Río Palenque Station, 23-V-1976 (S. and J. Peck MCZ; 1 worker, Pichincha Province, Tinalandia, 16km SE. Santo Domingo de los Colorados, 4-VI-1976 (S. and J. Peck) MCZ.

Etymology
The name gibba is from Latin meaning humpback.