Megalomyrmex iheringi

Brandão (1990) - At the Estacao Biologica de Boraceia I collected, under a rotten log, a colony with 260 workers, immatures (only larvae) and a dealated queen. The colony occupied hollow spaces among crevices and the soil beneath. I was not able to observe any definite entrances. Uiderwaldt (1926) described the nest of M. iheringi as: “found in the wild, among bromeliads and epiphytes, with approximately 200 workers”.

Identification
Brandão (1990) - The medium seta of the clypeus may be wanting in some workers. Also the antennal sockets may be circled by a faint striation, which can reach the lateral portions of the clypeus.

Distribution
M. iheringi is known only from localities above 800m at Serra do Mar, in the vicinity of the city of Sao Paulo.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil.

Nomenclature

 *  iheringi. Megalomyrmex iheringi Forel, 1911c: 304 (w.) BRAZIL. Borgmeier, 1930: 33 (q.). See also: Brandão, 1990: 424.

Worker
Brandão (1990) - Mandibles smooth; clypeus not carinate, with anterior margin round, not denticulate; frontal suture not impressed: club with 3 segments; occipital margin raised but not visible in frontal view; dorsal pronotal profile continuous: promesonotal suture impressed dorsally; mesosternum and metasternum without ventral processes: dorsal face and declivity of propodeum meeting laterally in an obtuse angle, dorsal face faintly impressed medially; declivity without rugosities: ventral face of petiole with anterior denticle; postpetiole without ventral process.

Pilosity: small suberect hairs (ca .1 mm) uniformly covering antennae, head capsule, mandibles, legs, anterior face of petiole and postpetiole nodes and gaster. Long hairs (ca. .2mm) at thorax dorsum and apex of petiole and postpetiole nodes.

Color: uniformly bright reddish-brown.

Borgmeier (1930) pointed out some inaccuracies in Forel's original description, especially as to the raised margin of vertex. Furthermore, I observed in all studied workers an anterior denticle on the ventral face of the petiole, contrary to Forel's statements.

Type Material
Parque Cajuru, Alto da Serra (municipio de Paranapiacaba), SP, Brasil (23°47'S, 46°19'W). Borgmeier, 1930: 33-34, est. 5, figs. 29-32, queen. Lectotype designation: Lectotype (Alto da Serra) and 14 paralectotypes (10 from Alto da Serra and 4 from Parque Cajuru) at Museu de Zoologia da USP; 1 paralectotype (Alto da Serra) at Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro: 3 paralectotypes (Alto da Serra) at Museum de Ia Ville de Geneve.

The female caste has been described by Borgmeier (op. cit.) from a dealated queen, possibly collected with the syntype workers. and labelled as a “cotype”. As Forel explicitly used only the worker and may have not even studied this particular female I added a label to the queen saying “nao consta da descricao original, Brandao, 1985”. All known queens of this species are dealated. Borgmeier's specimen has the largest ocelli in the series.