Rogeria innotabilis

Workers come from moist forest litter at 1000-1200m elevation. Collection sites for queens range from 10-1200m.

Identification
Kugler (1994) - creightoni species group. WL 0.66-0.73mm. Mandibles triangular to slightly sub triangular. Palpal formula 2,2. Clypeal apron convex or slightly flattened medially. Eye small, elliptical. Nuchal groove clearly visible in lateral view, but not notching ventral outline of head. Mesosoma with nearly flat dorsal profile; a strong carina marks anterior edge of propodeum; MHI 0.90-1.00. Propodeal spines straight, wide. Petiolar keel moderate to large. Postpetiole subrectangular in dorsal view; sternum weakly to strongly prominent. Spiracular plate of sting apparatus with long spine on posteroventral corner. Sides of head areolate-rugose; mesosoma predominantly rugose; microareolate sculpture distinct on mesosoma sides. No erect hair on scapes or extensor surfaces of tibiae.

For comparison with related species, see Rogeria creightoni, Rogeria leptonana, and Rogeria alzatei and specifically for queens creightoni and Rogeria curvipubens.

Distribution
If the queens truly belong to innotabilis, this species ranges from Chiapas to northern Colombia (Kugler 1994). Workers have also been collected from Guyana and Suriname.

This taxon was described from Mexico.

Castes
Males have been collected but have not been described.

Nomenclature

 *  innotabilis. Rogeria innotabilis Kugler, C. 1994: 51, figs. 55-57, 97-98 (w.q.) MEXICO.

Worker
Holotype and Paratype. TL 2.4-2.7 (2.7), HL 0.60-0.65 (0.65), HW 0.50-0.57 (0.54), SL 0.40-0.45 (0.43), EL 0.06-0.08 (0.08) (7-13 facets), PW 0.37-0.41 (0.41), WL 0.66-0.73 (0.72), SpL 0.10-0.15 (0.13), PetL 0.26-0.30 (0.29), PpetL 0.14-0.16 (0.16)mm, CI 0.83-0.87 (0.84), OI 0.1 1-0.15 (0.15), SI 0.76-0.80 (0.78), PSI 0.15-0.20 (0.18), MHI 0.90-1.00 (0.98) N=10

Mandible with 5-7 teeth. If 5 or 6 teeth, it may have 1-3 denticles among proximal teeth. If 7 teeth, 4 proximals small. Basal tooth equal to or larger than penultimate tooth. Body of clypeus not projecting to anterior edge of apron. Eye small, elliptical. Posterior outline of head strongly to weakly convex. Metanotal groove absent or weak. Propodeal spines wide, straight; a bisecting line passes through or below anteroventral corner of pronotum. Petiolar keel weak or absent. Petiolar node evenly rounded from front to back, or apex somewhat flattened. Postpetiolar node highest in posterior half; node in dorsal view much as in Fig. 53. Sting apparatus like that of inermis, except for spiracular plate shape.

Head macrosculpture areolate on laterodorsa; areolate to transversely arching rugose-areolate on posterior head. Areolae on posterior head are larger and ridges sharper than elsewhere on head. Head d orsum slightly dulled by vestigial microsculpture; intervals smooth and shiny on sides and back. Anterior pronotal disc with 1-2 transverse rugae; rest of promesonotal dorsum longitudinally rugose with lateral spurs to rugose-areolate. Lateral pronotum areolate; meso- and meta pleura mixed rugose and rugoseareolate. Anterior edge of propodeum marked by weak to strong transverse carina; dorsal face crossed by one or more transverse, sometimes branching, rugulae. Dorsum with vestigial microsculpture, but ventral sides quite distinctly microareolate. Macrosculpture on sides and back of petiolar node very weakly areolate; microsculpture vague and effaced. Postpetiolar node shiny, almost completely smooth.

Color golden brown with yellowish appendages to brown with slightly lighter frontoclypeal area, mandibles, mesosoma sides, gaster, and legs.

Queen
Possible Queens. TL 2.6-2.9, HL 0.59-0.61, HW 0.52-0.54, SL 0.40-0.41, EL 0.11-0.13, PW 0.44-0.50, WL 0.72-0.83, SpL 0.13-0.14, PetL 0.28-0.31, PpetL 0.14-0.17mm, CI 0.88-0.89, 01 0.21-0.24, SI 0.75-0.77, PSI 0.16-19, MHI 1.15-1.22. N=3

Collected outside known range of innotabilis workers, but have innotabilis traits: shapes of clypeus, nuchal groove, and postpetiole, and lack of erect/suberect hair on scapes and tibiae.

Differing from the worker by normal caste differences and the following. Parapsidal furrows indistinguishable from furrows in sculpture. Pronotum with 2-3 transverse rugae mesad, becoming longitudinally rugose to rugose-areolate on mesosoma sides; anterior katepisternum smooth. Mesonotum longitudinally rugose. Venation nearly identical to that of Rogeria belti.

Etymology
The name innotabilis (L., not remarkable) reflects my inability to identify any one salient feature on which to base the name for this species.

Type Material
Holotype locality. MEXICO: Chiapas State, 12 mi. NW Ocozocoautla, 3200 ft., 4-5-IX-1973, forest leaf litter (A. Newton).

Paratype Localities. MEXICO: 7 workers, holotype locality [mouthparts, sting, 1 coated for SEM], MCZ, ; 10 workers, Chiapas, 6-XII-1951, #51 11574 (Cary) [2 mouthparts, stings]. NICARAGUA: 2 workers, Km 139 near Matagalpa, Hotel Selva Negra, ca. 1200m, 18-VI-1978, forest leaf litter (C. Kugler & J. Hahn) [mouthparts, sting], MCZ.

Additional References

 * LaPolla, J. S. and J. Sosa-Calvo. 2006. Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana. Zootaxa. 1330:59-68.