Oxyopomyrmex insularis

Borowiec collected this species in the desert wadi located near El Médano. Despite the low temperature (15° C) and windy, arid climate of the wadi, which is vegetated by a sparse, halophilic vegetation, worker ants were active, and could be caught between clumps of saline herbs. (Salata and Borowiec 2015)

Identification
Salata and Borowiec (2015) - Worker. Oxyopomyrmex insularis belongs to a species group that has a longitudinal striae on the head limited to the center of the frons. Oxyopomyrmex insularis differs from Oxyopomyrmex emeryi and Oxyopomyrmex oculatus in lacking punctation on dorsal and lateral surfaces of the pronotum and by occurrence of smooth and shiny surface at the center of the dorsal surface of its pronotum and mesonotum; from Oxyopomyrmex nitidior it differs in the lack of rugosity on dorsal surface of its pronotum and the lack of shiny and smooth surface at the center of its frons.

Male. Oxyopomyrmex insularis is the only species known to have the posterior margin of the head distinctly rugulose and completely devoid of striation. Only the center of the frons has a few, fine and oblique wrinkles. These two features easily distinguish the male of O. insularis from other Oxyopomyrmex males.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Palaearctic Region: Canary Islands.

Nomenclature

 *  insularis. Oxyopomyrmex insularis Santschi, 1908: 523, fig. 7 (w.m.) SPAIN (Canary Is). Senior synonym of major: Barquin, 1981: 103.
 * major. Oxyopomyrmex insularis var. major Santschi, 1923f: 326 (w.) SPAIN (Canary Is). Junior synonym of insularis: Barquin, 1981: 103.

Worker
Salata and Borowiec (2015) - (n=17): HL: 0.706 ± 0.026 (0.659-0.737); HW: 0.667 ± 0.03 (0.603-0.704); SL: 0.524 ± 0.019 (0.492-0.558); EL: 0.254 ± 0.014 (0.229-0.282); EW: 0.135 ± 0.007 (0.123-0.145); ML: 0.879 ± 0.048 (0.771-0.961); PSL: 0.189 ± 0.01 (0.17-0.207); SDL: 0.125 ± 0.009 (0.109-0.145); PL: 0.341 ± 0.023 (0.302-0.369); PPL: 0.27 ± 0.027 (0.212-0.324); PH: 0.236 ± 0.014 (0.212-0.254); PPH: 0.238 ± 0.013 (0.218-0.257); PNW: 0.439 ± 0.027 (0.391-0.48); TL: 0.557 ± 0.032 (0.469-0.603); TW: 0.1 ± 0.006 (0.089-0.109); PW: 0.171 ± 0.009 (0.156-0.19); PPW: 0.265 ± 0.02 (0.232-0.313); HI: 94.4 ± 1.8 (91.5-98.3); SI1: 74.0 ± 1.5 (71.6-77.1); EI: 53.1 ± 2.7 (47.9-58.5); SI2: 78.2 ± 1.8 (75.9-82.2); MI: 201.7 ± 3.3 (196.8-208.5); SPI: 152.5 ± 8.9 (131.0-164.3); PI1: 144.5 ± 7.1 (130.9-156.6); PI2: 39.4 ± 2.3 (36.1-43.0); PPI1: 113.7 ± 12.7 (95.1-146.6); PPI2: 60.2 ± 2.2 (57.9-65.2); HTI1: 83.2 ± 2.6 (77.8-88.5); HTI2: 17.8 ± 1.4 (15.6-21.1).

Head and abdomen black. Thorax black to dark brown. Antennal scapes black, apex of the scapes and funiculus brown to yellowish brown. Legs dark brown, knees and tarsi brown to yellowish brown. Mandibles dark brown to yellowish brown.

Head oval, longer than wide. Anterior margin of the clypeus smooth and slightly curved in central part. Eyes elongate, gently narrowing downward, reaching anteroventral margin of head, 0.4 times as long as length of the head. Scape short, 0.7 times as long as width of the head, at base 0.6 times as wide as in apex, gradually widened, slightly bent downward. Funiculus short, 1.6 times as long as scape, first segment elongate, triangular, 2.2 times as long as wide on apex, 2.75 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments 100:36:36:36:32:45:54:72:81:163, apical segments 1.6 times as wide as basal segments. Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with short and semierect setae.

Promesonotum 1.1 times as long as wide, gently, regularly convex in profile. Promesonotal suture indistinct, in profile the border between dorsal and posterior surfaces of the promesonotum gently curved. Propodeum quadrate, 1.1 times as long as wide, propodeal spines triangular, rising obliquely upwards, peaks gently curved downward. Petiole rounded with short peduncle, its anterior face slightly concaved, node angulated in profile. Posterior face slightly concave. Ventral margin of petiole with distinct ventral lobe. Postpetiole in profile regularly rounded. In dorsal view postpetiole as long as wide, regularly widened from base to top, apical half with gently rounded sides.

Mandibles rounded, with outer and dorsal edges straight and smooth, inner margin with 7-8 teeth, the apical tooth massive and long. Clypeus on entire surface smooth and shiny. Frontal carinae short, extending to 1/3 length of eye, antennal fossa area deeply impressed, shiny and smooth, frontal lobes with thin longitudinal rugae, microreticulate but shiny between rugosities. Frons shiny, in central part with longitudinal striae, on sides with distinct reticulation. Area above eyes shiny and finely rugulose, ventral surface of the head with indistinct microreticulation or microgranulate, gena smooth and shiny. Entire head bearing setae, posterior margin with a few erect setae directed forward, lateral surfaces of the head with sparse appressed to semierect setae directed toward anterior margin, frontal area with sparse appressed to semierect setae placed transversely, directed to the center of the head, ventral surface of the head with a prominent psammophore and appressed to erect long setae. Pronotum shiny, on the entire surface finely rugulose with longitudinal striae. Dorsal suface of pronotum shiny, finely rugulose with longitudinal or transverse striation at the outer surface, lateral surfaces finely rugulose with longitudinal striae. Mesonotum on entire surface with fine longitudinal striae, dorsal surface finely rugulose, shining, lateral surfaces with several longitudinal striae, on the posterior surface distinctly rugulose. Propodeum shiny, finely rugulose with longitudinal striae on the dorsal and lateral surfaces. Dorsal suface of mesosoma on anterior half with at least 5 long, erect setae, mesonotum and anterior propodeum with a few erect to semierect setae. Base of petiole and postpetiole on the entire surface rugulose, nodes rugulose, on the dorsal surface shiny and microreticulate to smooth, covered with several sparse, setae. Gaster shiny, bearing erect setae.

Legs short, hind femora 0.9 times as long as mesosoma length, hind tibia 0.7 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.3 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of femora with short, sparse, appressed setae, inner margin with a row of sparse, long and semierect setae, tibiae covered with long, semierect pubescence on the entire surface, inner margins with a row of slightly long and more erect setae.

Male
Salata and Borowiec (2015) - (n=1): HL: 0.603; HW: 0.581; SL: 0.436; EL: 0.246; EW: 0.179; ML: 1.52; MH: 0.976; PSL: 0.251; SDL: 0.223; PL: 0.469; PPL: 0.346; PH: 0.268; PPH: 0.279; PNW: 0.771; TL: 0.905; TW: 0.095; PW: 0.246; PPW: 0.358; HI: 96.4; SI1: 72.3; EI: 72.8; SI2: 75.0; MI: 197.1; SPI: 122.6; PI1: 175.0; PI2: 31.9; PPI1: 124.0; PPI2: 46.4; HTI1: 61.2; HTI2: 10.5.

Whole body uniformly brown. Antennal scapes brown to yellowish brown at the apex, first segment of funiculus pale brown, segments 2–11 yellowish brown. Mandibles brown to yellowish brown. Legs brown to pale brown, tibiae pale brown, tarsi pale brown to yellowish brown.

Head oval, longer than wide, lateral surfaces below eyes and on the posterior edges gently rounded. Anterior margin of the clypeus slightly convex in central part. Eyes oval, 0.4 times as long as length of the head. Ocelli large. Scape short, 0.8 times as long as width of the head, at base 0.75 times as wide as in the apex, straight. Funiculus short, 1.7 times as long as scape, the first segment elongate, triangular, 1.4 times as long as wide on the apex, 1.4 times as long as second segment, length ratio of segments: 100:71:57:57:64:64:78:86:100:114:207, apical segments as wide as the basal segments. Surface of the scape with very fine microsculpture, shiny, covered with short, dense, appressed to semierect setae.

Mesosoma 2.5 times as long as head, relatively high and robust, very feeble convex in profile with rounded pronotal corners. Scutum 1.2 times as wide as long, posterior margin regularly semicircular. Propodeum located considerably lower than mesosomal plate, propodeal spines triangular, short with a wide base. Petiole rounded with a long peduncle, its anterior face slightly concave, node sharply rounded with deep cavity in the central part and two nodules at the outer edges, posterior face strongly concave. Ventral margin of the petiole straight, without lobe. Postpetiole regularly rounded in profile. Postpetiole regularly widened from base to top in the dorsal view, apical half with a gently rounded sides.

Mandibles elongate with longitudinally striae, shiny, inner margin with 4-5 teeth, the apical tooth massive and long. Clypeus rugulose but shiny. Frontal carinae curved outward to merge with the rugae surrounding antennal sockets; antennal fossa impressed, shiny and rugulose, frontal lobes rugulose with thin longitudinal striae, shiny between rugosities. Frons rugulose with longitudinal striae in the central part to rugulose towards eyes, area above the eyes and ventral surface of the head rugulose, gena rugulose with longitudinal thin striae (Figs. 5, 6). Entire head bearing setae, posterior margin with dense, very long semierect to erect setae directed forward, lateral surfaces of the head with dense, long and semierect setae directed toward anterior margin, frontal area with dense, semierect to erect, long setae placed transversely, directed toward center of the head, ventral surface of the head with a prominent psammophore and appressed to erect long setae. Sides of the pronotum punctate to rugulose with thin longitudinal striae, anepisternum smooth and shiny with fine microreticulation, katepisternum smooth to microreticulate with fine longitudinal striae, metanepisternum and metakatepisternum rugulose with fine longitudinal striae. Scutum rugulose with fine longitudinal striae except three longitudinal stripes located at the centre and outer edges of the scutum which are smooth and shiny with sparse, very weak longitudinal striae. Central stripe wide, narrowing toward centre, reaching only half of the length of the scutum. Scutellum punctate with longitudinal striae at the outer surfaces, central part smooth and shiny (Figs. 4, 5). Propodeum on lateral surfaces punctate, area between propodeal spines shiny and smooth. Dorsal suface of the propodeum punctate with transverse striation, between and below the spines punctate to smooth and shiny. Dorsal suface of the mesosoma on anterior half with sparse, long, erect setae, anterior propodeum without setae. Base of petiole and postpetiole punctate on the entire surface, nodes of the petiole punctate on lateral surfaces, dorsal surface of the petiole node punctate, postpetiole node punctate, punctate to micropunctate on the dorsal surface, shiny. Gaster shiny with sparse micropunctation, bearing sparse, long, semierect to erect setae.

Legs short, hind femora 0.7 times as long as mesosoma length, hind tibia 0.9 times as long as hind femora, hind tarsi 1.5 times as long as hind femora. Dorsal surface of the femora with several, short, semierect setae, inner margin with a row of sparse, semierect setae, tibiae covered with long, semierect setae on the entire surface, inner margins with a row of semierect setae.

Type Material
Salata and Borowiec (2015) - Lectotype worker (present designation): O. insularis Sants type Tenerife Medano 3.1.1906 Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi Kairouan ANTWEB CASENT 0913243 ,; 1 paralectotype worker: red label Tenerife Medano 3.1.1906 Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi Kairouan (NHMB); 1 paralectotype worker: O. insularis Sants red label Tenerife Medano 3.1.1906 TENERIFE Medano Cabrera.y.Diaz 1.III.1906 Sammlung Dr. F. Santschi Kairouan (NHMB) 1 paralectotype male: the same data as lectotype (NHMB).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
 * Hohmann H., F. La Roche, G. Ortega, and J. Barquín. 1993. Bienen, Wespen und Ameisen der Kanarischen Inseln. Veröff. Überseemus. Bremen Naturwiss. 12: 14.
 * Salata S., and L. Borowiec. 2015. A taxonomic revision of the genus Oxyopomyrmex André, 1881 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 4025 (1): 001–066.
 * Santschi, F. "Messor et autres fourmis paléarctiques." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 30 (1923): 317-336.
 * Santschi, F. "Nouvelles fourmis de l'Afrique du Nord (Égypte, Canaries, Tunisie)." Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 77 (1908): 517-534.
 * Wellenius, O. H. "Entomologische Ergebnisse der finnländischen Kanaren-Expedition 1947-1951. No. 10. Formicidae Insularum Canariensium. Systematik, Ökologie und Verbreitung der Kanarischen Formiciden." Commentationes Biologicae Societas Scienitarum Fennica 15(8) (1955): 1-20.