Rogeria brunnea

Little is known about this rarely collected species.

Identification
Kugler (1994) - creightoni species group. WL 0.61-0.91mm. Clypeal apron convex. Eye small, elliptical. Nuchal groove weakly visible in lateral view. MHI 0.84-0.99. Pronotal shoulders well rounded. Propodeal spines straight, inclined. Propodeal spiracle less than 1 diameter from edge of infradental lamella. Postpetiole long (PpetL/PW 0.42-0.49), subtrapezoidal in dorsal view; sternum with long, flat profile and receding anterior edge (except Dominican Republic). Both macro- and microsculpture weak overall (stronger in. Dominican Republic). Rugae fine, low on head and mesosoma; vestigial on petiole. Erect hair sometimes sparse and only slightly longer than decumbent hair. Scapes have erect hairs; extensor surfaces of legs do not.

Workers of this species have two disjunct sizes. In the smaller size range (WL 0.62-0.70mm) are three specimens from (Cuba) Pinar del Río Province (including brunnea syntypes), one from Soledad (scabra syntype), one from I. Pinas, three from Dominican Republic, and one from Bahamas. The larger workers (WL 0.80-0.91mm) are from Sierra del Rosario (Rogeria cubensis holotype), Soledad, Playa Marianao (Rogeria habanica holotype), Sierra Maestra, and Sierra Anale. Aside from size, the smaller workers show little consistent difference from the larger workers, and in ways that often vary within Rogeria species: 1) slightly more macrosculpture on petiolar node, and 2) slightly more extensive microareolate sculpture on sides of mesosoma. The specimens from Dominican Republic differ from the rest in having a more compact mesosoma, more distinct postpetiolar node and sternum in side view, and slightly stronger sculpture.

Workers of Rogeria creightoni from San Jose, Costa Rica have the same size as larger brunnea and much the same pilosity, nuchal groove, and shape of mesosoma and petiole. Rogeria creightoni specimens from Yucatan and Chiapas have size, eye size, postpetiole, and pilosity like the larger brunnea, and the Yucatan specimen has similar mesosoma shape. But brunnea workers can be distinguished by the combination of characters in the diagnosis.

Distribution
Known from Cuba, Dominican Republic and Bahamas.

This taxon was described from Cuba.

Castes
Males have not been collected.

Nomenclature

 *  brunnea. Rogeria (Rogeria) curvipubens st. brunnea Santschi, 1930e: 79 (w.) CUBA. Kugler, C. 1994: 49 (q.). Raised to species: Santschi, 1936b: 201. Senior synonym of caraiba, cubensis, habanica, scabra: Kugler, C. 1994: 48.
 * scabra. Rogeria (Rogeria) scabra Weber, 1934a: 27, fig. 2 (w.q.) CUBA. Junior synonym of brunnea: Kugler, C. 1994: 48.
 * caraiba. Rogeria (Irogera) caraiba Santschi, 1936b: 198, fig. 5 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of brunnea: Kugler, C. 1994: 48.
 * cubensis. Rogeria (Irogera) cubensis Santschi, 1936b: 199, figs. 3, 4 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of brunnea: Kugler, C. 1994: 48.
 * habanica. Rogeria (Irogera) cubensis var. habanica Santschi, 1936b: 200 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of brunnea: Kugler, C. 1994: 48.

Worker
Kugler (1994) - TL 2.3-3.3, HL 0.57-0.80, HW 0.45-0.70, SL 0.36-0.52, EL 0.06-0.09 (9-18 facets), PW 0.35-0.49, WL 0.61-0.91, SpL 0.09-0.15, PetL 0.25-0.34, PpetL 0.15-0.22mm, CI 0.79-0.87, OI 0.12-0.16, SI 0.73-0.89, PSI 0.15-0.17, MHI 0.84-0.94. N=16

Mandibles with 5-7 teeth; basal tooth equal to or slightly larger than penultimate basal; a denticle may occur between basal teeth. Body of clypeus not projecting over apron. Posterior outline of head convex to weakly concave. Mesosoma with broadly rounded shoulders; metanotal groove a weak impression or absent; no ridge at anterior of propodeum. Propodeal spines narrow, moderately long; a bisecting line passes dorsal to propodeal spiracle and through or below anteroventral corner of pronotum. Metapleural lobes low, angular. Petiolar peduncle with strong keel; node large and somewhat bulbous. Postpetiolar node with long, low profile and weakly defined posterior and anterior faces (more distinct in Dominican Republic).

Laterodorsa and sides of head rugose-areolate; in most Cuban specimens ridges become very weak on sides, even absent in spots. Posterior head with transversely arching rugose-areolate macrosculp-ture. Anterior pronotal disc transversely rugose to rugose-areolate; rest of pronotum longitudinally rugose, usually with incomplete cross-ridges between rugae. Mesonotum more rugose-areolate. Pronotal sides basically rugose (areolate-rugose in Dominican Republic); meso- and metapleura confused rugose-areolate with some smooth patches. Dorsal face of propodeum transversely rugose. Vague rugosities on sides and / or posterior petiolar node; postpetiolar node smooth.

Color brown to yellowish-brown, with lighter, more yellowish appendages and frontoclypeal region.

Queen
Kugler (1994) - TL 2.8-3.4, HL 0.59-0.74, HW 0.52-0.65, SL 0.39-0.50, EL 0.1 1-0.15, PW 0.45-0.52, WL 0.81-0.95, SpL 0.10-0.16, PetL 0.26 (estimated)-0.40, PpetL 0.17-0.22mm, CI 0.86-0.89, SI 0.74-0.78, PSI 0.13-0.16, MHI (Cuban only; could not measure in Bahamian) 0.97-1.06. N=3

Apparently collected as strays, so not definitely associated with workers described above. The Bahamian queen distinctly smaller (all of the smallest measurements above); Cuban queens nearly identical in size. Mandible with 6 teeth; basal and penultimate tooth subequal in size. Clypeus evenly convex. Posterior outline of head medially concave. Mesosoma of Cuban queens robust, shaped like that of scobinata, but larger and with more prominent, angular metapleural lobes. Mesosoma of Bahamian queen seems like that of Cuban queens, but is obscured by legs. Waist as in workers, except for lack of keel on the petiolar peduncle in Cuban specimen. PpetW / PpetL 1.05-1 .14. Sculpture much as in workers. Macrosculpture on sides of head weak. Most of ventral half of mesopleura smooth. Pilosity and color as in workers.

Type Material
Kugler (1994) - Syntype workers, CUBA: Pinar del Río, Sierra de los Organos, Rángel (A. Bierig) (Both syntypes examined). N. comb.

Rogeria scabra Weber 1934:27, Fig, 2. Syntype workers, queen, CUBA: Cienfuegos, Soledad, Limones Seboruco (Darlington and Weber) (Queen and 1 of 2 worker syntypes examined).

Rogeria caraiba Santschi 1936:198, Fig. 5. Syntype workers, CUBA: Habana, Playa de Marianao (NHMB) (All 8 syntypes examined).

Rogeria ceubensis Santschi 1936:199, Figs. 3-4. Holotypeworker, CUBA: Pinar del Río, Sierra del Rosario (A. Bierig) (NHMB) (Holotype examined).

Rogeria eubensis habaniea Santschi 1936:200. Holotype worker, CUBA: Playa de Marianao (Bierig) (NHMB) (Holotype examined).

Additional References

 * Deyrup, M. 1998. Composition of the ant fauna of three Bahamian Islands. Pages 23-31 in T. K. Wilson, editor. Proceedings of the 7th symposium on the natural history of the Bahamas. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas.