Neivamyrmex albacorpus

This species is only known to occur at the type locality, Reserva de la Biosfera Barranca de Metztitlan, Hidalgo, Mexico. This species was found in low forest in the Reserve on October 2009. It was collected by pitfall traps on lowland forest vegetation type in Barranca de Metztitlan. This semi-arid zone is important because it represents a biological corridor where both Nearctic and Neotropical vegetations converge and also because it holds a high number of endemic plants (Challenger 1998). It forms part of the Hidalgo-queretanoan desert, one of the four deserts found in Mexico (Briones 1994). Because of the absence of eyes, N. albacorpus is suspected to be an underground predator, although nothing about its habits is known. (Varela-Hernández and Castaño-Meneses 2011)

Identification
Varela-Hernández and Castaño-Meneses (2011) - The distinctive characteristics of this species are the smooth yellowish-white body and the absence of eyes.

This species closely resembles Neivamyrmex pauxillus due to their similar size and coloration, as well as the absence of eyes, but differs from it by the presence of a continuous convex margin of the head; an inner basal mandibular surface gradually curving, forming no sharp angle and a notorious metanotal groove in lateral view; while N. pauxillus has a concave margin of the head; a sharp inner basal mandibular surface and no differentiated metanotal groove in lateral view.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  albacorpus. Neivamyrmex albacorpus Varela Hernández & Castaño-Meneses, 2011: 380, figs. 1, 2 (w.) MEXICO.

Worker
Worker (Holotype): Length 3.4 mm. yellowish-white alitrunk. Petiole, postpetiole and legs yellowish. Head, alitrunk and gaster smooth and shiny. Head slightly longer than wide. Funiculus at least twice as long as the scape. Curved long yellowish hairs on all surfaces. Queen and male unknown.

(mm) (n=4) HFL 0.6-1.3; HFW 0.15-0.2; HL 0.75-1.1; HW 0.65-0.8; PL 0.35-0.4; PW 0.2-0.25; PPL 0.2-0.3; PPW 0.23-0.35; SL 0.4-0.52; WL 1.05-1.3. Indices CI 72.72-94.11 (85.03); FI 15.38-25 (20.13); SI 47.05-60 (51.9).

Head: slightly longer than wide; sides weakly convex in frontal view, shiny and smooth with irregular whitish and yellowish pigmentation. Mandible triangular, inner basal surface gradually curves (no distinct or sharp angle), nine small teeth along th margin of the mandible, last teeth reaching about half the length of the mandible, the rest of the mandible smooth. Scape slightly longer than the half of the head, notably wider at the apex, funiculus at least twice as long as the scape. Eyes absent.

Mesosoma: pronotum slightly convex in lateral view, smooth and shiny with irregular pigmentation as the head. Promesonotal suture incomplete in lateral view, metanotal suture absent but with metanotal groove present in lateral view. Dorsal surface of propodeum slightly convex in lateral view, declivitous surface gradually curves, as long as the dorsal surface.

Petiole longer than broad in dorsal view, sides slightly convex; node rounded in profile but longer than height; postpetiole broader than long, globular in dorsal view. Petiole and postpetiole smooth and shiny with irregular pigmentation as the rest of the body but darker in coloration.

Gaster smooth and shiny color and pigmentation as head and mesosoma.

Pilosity consisting of sparse hairs in all over the surface of the body.

Type Material
Collected by Fernando Varela Hernandez, 11 Ocotober 2009, Barrancade de Metztitlan, Hidalgo, Mexico. Holotype and paratypes depositied at Coleccion Nacional de Insectos.

Etymology
The species name is a combination of the latin words “alba” meaning white and “corpus” meaning body.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Varela Hernández F., and G. Castaño-Meneses. 2011. Neivamyrmex albacorpus, a new species of ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ecitoninae) from Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México. Sociobiology 58: 579-584.