Odontomachus ferminae

This ant is locally abundant at lower elevations of Mt. Guiting-Guiting, Romblon Province, Philippines, specifically the area around "Camp 1", at about 300 meters above mean sea level. They can be seen foraging along the trail to Camp 1 and in the leaf litter and open ground in the Camp. They are evidently tolerant to some degree of disturbance since the area is a semi-permanent trail and campsite.

Identification
General (2018) - A member of infandus species-group; in full-face view, posterior dorsum of head entirely smooth (distinguishing characters in italics); median furrow deeply impressed; frons with striations radiating fan-like from frontal carinae to anterior edge of ocular ridge; apical and subapical mandibular teeth acute; in lateral view, mesopleuron mostly smooth, with some striations at anterior third of pleurite; petiolar spine long; first gastral tergite dorsally flattened, without a longitudinal impression; in dorsal view, pronotum transversely striate; head and body concolorously light orange; legs yellow.

The acute apical and subapical teeth of O. ferminae show it clearly belongs to the infandus species-group. It is easily distinguished within the group by the smooth posterior dorsum of the head, a mesopleuron that is mostly smooth, the transversely striate dorsum of the pronotum, a first gastral tergite flattened but without a longitudinal impression, and its distinctive coloration of light orange head and body coupled with yellow legs.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines.

Biology
This species is similar in size and colour to sympatric populations of Oecophylla smaragdina. This resemblance suggests Müllerian mimicry and the relationship between these two species should be further examined.

Nomenclature

 * . Odontomachus ferminae General, 2018: 158, figs. 1-8 (w.q.) PHILIPPINES (Romblon I.: Sibuyan I.).
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 14 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
 * Type-locality: holotype Philippines: Romblon Prov., Sibuyan I., Municipality of Magdiwang, Mt Guiting-guiting Natural Park, 4.vi.2016 (D.E.M. General); paratypes: 2 workers with same data, 12 workers, 1 queen with same data but 24-31.iii.2017 (C.C. Lucañas).
 * Type-depositories: UPLB (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC, NMPM, UPLB, USNM (paratypes).
 * Distribution: Philippines (Romblon).

Type Material

 * Paratypes: 2 workers, same data as holotype, UPLBMNH HYM-01647 through 01648 (deposited in, ); 12 workers, 1 alate female, PHILIPPINES: Romblon Province, Sibuyan Island, Municipality of Magdiwang, Mt. Guiting-guiting Natural Park, 24-31.III.2017, leg. C.C. Lucañas, UPLBMNH HYM-01649 through 01661 (one worker each deposited in , , , , , the rest of the workers and the alate female deposited in ). Non-type material: 2 workers, same data as holotype but with badly damaged or detached gasters, UPLBMNH HYM-01662 through 01663.
 * Paratypes: 2 workers, same data as holotype, UPLBMNH HYM-01647 through 01648 (deposited in, ); 12 workers, 1 alate female, PHILIPPINES: Romblon Province, Sibuyan Island, Municipality of Magdiwang, Mt. Guiting-guiting Natural Park, 24-31.III.2017, leg. C.C. Lucañas, UPLBMNH HYM-01649 through 01661 (one worker each deposited in , , , , , the rest of the workers and the alate female deposited in ). Non-type material: 2 workers, same data as holotype but with badly damaged or detached gasters, UPLBMNH HYM-01662 through 01663.

Worker
holotype (mean of 16 paratypes, the range shown in brackets): MdL 1.8 (1.8 [1.4-1.9]), HL 3.1 (3.2 [2.6-3.4]), HW 2.2 (2.2 [1.8-2.4]), SL 3.1 (3.1 [2.7-3.3]), ML 4.2 (4.4 [3.6-4.6]), PnW 1.3 (1.3 [1.0-1.4]), PtH 1.3 (1.3 [1.1-1.5]), PtL 1.3 (1.4 [1.2-1.5]), PtW 0.5 (0.5 [0.4-0.5]), GL 3.7 (3.8 [2.9-4.7]), TL 14.1 (14.5 [11.7-15.6]). Indices: CI 71 (69 [67-72]), MdI 58 (56 [52-61]), SI 141 (141 [135-150]).

In full-face view, head longer than broad, widest at level of eyes; posterior margin of head broadly marginate; emargination delineated by nuchal carina; posterior dorsum of head entirely smooth; temporal ridge low but distinct; extraocular furrow present; ocular ridge prominent; median furrow deeply impressed, terminating at striations of frons; compound eyes dorsolaterally positioned, not breaking the lateral margin of head; mandibles relatively short (mean MdL = 1.76 mm; mean MdI = 56); apical and subapical mandibular teeth acute; intercalary tooth acute and prominent, shorter than apical tooth; one row of mesal teeth present; mesal teeth triangular, decreasing in size posteriorly; second mesal tooth largest.

In lateral view, mesosoma long and slender; pronotum weakly convex; promesonotal suture prominent; anterior mesonotum higher than pronotum; metanotal groove impressed; propodeal dorsum much longer than propodeal declivity; metanotal spiracle large, situated dorsolaterally; propodeal spiracle small and slit-like, situated laterally, just above the interruption of the transverse striations of the lateral face of the posterior mesosoma; metapleural gland bulla prominent; metapleural gland orifice oval, directed dorsally; petiole supplanted by a sharp spine; anterior face of petiole sloping upward from a basal transverse carina (= anterior collar of Brown, 1976); posterior face sinuate; ventral petiolar process keel-like; first gastral tergite dorsally flattened but without a linear medial impression; sting long and functional.

Sculpture: frons with striations radiating fan-like from frontal carinae to anterior edge of ocular ridge; in lateral view, mesopleuron mostly smooth, with some striation at anterior third of pleurite; metapleuron transversely striate; in dorsal view, mesosoma and propodeal declivity transversely striate; petiole and gaster smooth.

Pilosity: a pair of erect hairs at center of frons; a tranverse row of four long, erect hairs at center of pronotum (one hair broken off in holotype); very short decumbent pilosity scattered on mandible, median clypeus, antennal scape, and dorsum of head and mesosoma.

Colour: antenna, head and body concolorously brownish orange; mandibles brown; legs yellow.

Queen
Alate: Head as in worker, but with the following differences: posterior margin of head more shallowly emarginate; 3 ocelli present at median apex of frons; each lateral ocellus behind erect hair at center of head; lateral ocelli separated by less than diameter of lateral ocellus.

In lateral view, full complement of flight sclerites present; wings present; dorsal outline of pronotum flat; promesonotal junction rigid but distinct; mesoscutum arched; mesoscutellum domed, higher than mesoscutum; metanotum a narrow transverse plate; propodeum, petiole, and gaster similar to that of worker.

Sculpture: pronotum dorsally transversely striate, laterally with curved striations forming a horseshoe shape; mesoscutum longitudinally striate; dome of mesoscutellum smooth; propodeum transversely striate; petiole and gaster smooth.

Pilosity: a long, obliquely directed erect hair arising just anterior to each lateral ocellus; a transverse row of four erect, somewhat flexuous, hairs arising slightly behind midlength of pronotum; very short decumbent pilosity scattered on mandible, median clypeus, antennal scape, and dorsum of head and mesosoma.

Forewing: pterostigma large; seven closed cells present; free abscissae present, Mf4-6 and CuAf4-5; Rsx abscissa absent, as depicted in Figure 7.

Hindwing: jugal lobe present; venation as depicted in Figure 8.

Colour: same as the worker.

Etymology
This species is lovingly dedicated to my late mother, Fermina M. General.