Pogonomyrmex saucius

This species nests under stones in open dry areas. Several hundred workers form a colony.

Identification
See the introduction to the Key to North American Pogonomyrmex

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles, Haiti.

Biology
From Wheeler and Mann (1914): Each of the nests contained a little heap of stored grain. It no doubt ranges over the territory about Lake Assuei. It is a more timid ant than Pogonomyrmex schmitti. In the Dominican Republic nests are found in open areas under rocks along the edge of forested areas.

Nomenclature

 *  saucius. Pogonomyrmex (Ephebomyrmex) saucius Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914: 29, figs. 10, 11 (w.m.) HAITI. Combination in Ephebomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 106; in Pogonomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 341.

Worker
Length: 5-5.5 mm.

Head subrectangular, a little longer than broad, with straight sides and feebly excised posterior border and the eyes just in front of the middle of its sides. Mandibles with 6 subequal teeth and rather convex external borders. Clypeus with straight, entire anterior border and a blunt, tooth-like projection on its upper surface on each side near the lateral border. Frontal area small, elongate-triangular. Antennal scapes not reaching to the posterior corners of the head; joints 2-7 of the funiculi as broad as long. Thorax shaped as in P. Schmitti and with similar spines on the epinotum and metasterna. Postpetiole, petiole and gaster also similar in structure, but the anterior surface of the petiolar node rises a little less abruptly from the peduncle and the posterior surface is more convex and, when seen from above, its anterior border is more pointed or acuminate in the middle.

Mandibles, head and thorax opaque. Mandibles striated; clypeus, head and thorax regularly longitudinally rugose, the interrugal spaces being finely and densely punctate. On the cheeks the rugm are rather far apart but are denser and diverge posteriorly on the posterodorsal portion of the head. The space enclosed by the four thoracic spines, is concave, smooth and shining. Petiole, postpetiole and gaster also smooth and shining, with small, sparse piligerous punctures, except the dorsal surface of the petiolar node, which is densely punctate and longitudinally rugose, the rugae converging anteriorly to the apex of the node. Antennal scapes and legs finely shagreened, the former opaque, the latter somewhat shining.

Hairs dark brown, short, stiff, moderately abundant, erect on the body, somewhat more oblique on the scapes and legs. Gula without ammochaetae.

Brownish black; mandibles, except their teeth and borders, sides of clypeus, cheeks, antennm, legs, thoracic spines, peduncle of petiole, anterior border and sides of postpetiole and a band across the anterior border of the first gastric segment, red.

Tip of gaster and margins of posterior gastric segments narrowly yellowish.

Male
Length 4-4.5 mm.

Head slightly longer than broad, with large eyes and ocelli, narrowest through the cheeks, which are straight, rounded and broader behind the eyes. Mandibles like those of the worker but smaller. Clypeus convex, without lateral tooth-like projections. Antennal scapes scarcely four times as long as broad, somewhat curved and dilated at the base; first funicular joint a little longer than broad, second as long as the scape, joints 3-9 subequal, a little more than twice as long as broad; joints 10 and 11 shorter, terminal joint nearly as long as the two preceding together. Thorax robust, through the wing insertions as broad as the head. Mesonotum with well-marked Mayrian furrows, convex in front, flattened behind; epinotum and: metasterna unarmed, the former rounded without distinct bas3 and declivity. Petiole long; its node rounded in profile, constricted behind; its peduncle with III distinct ventral tooth. Postpetiole similar to that of the worker. Fore wing with a discal and two cubital cells.

Head, thorax and petiole opaque, finely and densely punctate, head and thorax also longitudinally rugulose above and on the sides of the epinotum. Mandibles, postpetiole and gaster shining, the mandibles coarsely and sparsely punctate and at the base finely striate. Legs rather shining, finely shagreened.

Pilosity similar to that of the worker.

Black; tips of mandibles, funiculi tibim, tarsi, bases and tips of femora, red; genitalia brown. Wings grayish hyaline, with brown veins and stigma.

Type Locality Information
Described from numerous workers and two males taken from a couple of colonies nesting in the ground beneath stones along the very arid trail leading from Manneville to the Dominican border, about half a mile from the former place.