Carebara lignata species complex

Based on Fernandez 2004.

Species

 * Carebara anophthalma
 * Carebara bicarinata
 * Carebara bruchi
 * Carebara coeca
 * Carebara elongata
 * Carebara globularia
 * Carebara incierta
 * Carebara longiceps
 * Carebara mayri
 * Carebara minuta
 * Carebara panamensis
 * Carebara reticulata
 * Carebara stenoptera
 * Carebara tenua

Related Pages

 * Key to Western Hemisphere Carebara species complexes
 * General discussion of Carebara species groups
 * Carebara

Diagnosis
Workers Monomorphic and dimorphic. The minor workers very small; the major workers with massive heads (sometimes with ocellae and/or eyes) and more larger than workers. Dinergatogynes sometimes present. Antennae 9 segmented with club 2-segmented. Mandibles with 4 or 5 teeth. Eyes always absent in minor workers. Setation pattern in minor worker: Two to four standing hairs in the head, near to occipital margin, four in the anterior margin of pronotum, two to four in the propodeum (C. anophthalma secondarily naked). Metanotal groove developed. Propodeum unarmed. Propodeal spiracle large and round. Propodeal lobes small, continued up as lamelated carinae.

Queens Strongly larger than workers. Antennae 10 segmented, the apical segments thicker than basal segments. Palps 3,2. Basal segment of the maxillary palp elongated laterally. Mandibles with 4-6 teeth. Propodeum rounded. Postpetiole very broadly attached to the gaster. Marginal cell closed.

Males Scape short, shorter than each flagelomere. Clypeal median area semiglobular. Notauli absent, parapsidial furrows distinct. Genitalia “prominently exserted; parameres massive, semicircular in section, subtriangular in side view, curving in to meet on the midline; tenth tergite and ninth sternite produced to cover the bases of the parameres; digit long, narrow, flattened; aedeagus small, not serrate ventrally” (Ettershank 1966).