Hylomyrma sagax

Only one worker is known, apart from the type specimens. All material examined was collected from leaf-litter of tropical rainforest, which suggests that nests are located in fallen logs, rotten wood, between leaves, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers. (Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021)

Identification
Vermicular striae on head dorsum and mesosoma; propodeal spine long; dorsal margin of petiole continuous, convex; petiole ventral surface smooth; longitudinal and anastomosed striae on postpetiole and tergum of first gastral segment; subpostpetiolar process prominent, convex; profemur almost entirely striate, apical region of posterior surface smooth; protibia entirely striate; long striae on tergum of first gastral segment.

This species is similar to Hylomyrma virginiae and Hylomyrma mitiae in the vermicular sculpture on the head dorsum and mesosoma, and the anastomosed striae on the postpetiole and first gastral tergite.

Hylomyrma sagax is distinguished from H. virginiae (characteristic in parentheses) based on the following characters: a pair of large teeth laterally at the clypeus anterior margin (vs. a pair of medium teeth), the propodeal spine comparatively longer and needle-like (vs. shorter and thicker), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous).

Hylomyrma sagax is distinguished from H. mitiae in the pair of large teeth laterally at the clypeus anterior margin (vs. medium teeth), the presence of smooth interspaces between the vermicular striae on the entire mesosoma (vs. smooth interspaces only on the mesosomal dorsum; the lateral of mesosoma is covered with very thin striae with indistinguishable interspaces), and the convex subpostpetiolar process (vs. subtriangular).

All three species are allopatric; Hylomyrma sagax is restricted to southeast Colombia (Fig. 83), whereas H. mitiae occurs in French Guiana (Fig. 87), and H. virginiae is recorded in Ecuador (both sides of The Andes) and in western Colombia (Fig. 89).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia.

Nomenclature

 * . Hylomyrma sagax Kempf, 1973b: 249, fig. 3 (w.q.) COLOMBIA.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 6 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
 * Type-locality: holotype Colombia: Amazonas, 7 km. NW Leticia, 20-25.ii.1972, berlesate no. 230, forest litter (S. & J. Peck); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); MCZC, MZSP (paratypes).
 * Status as species: Kutter, 1977a: 88; Brandão, 1991: 346; Bolton, 1995b: 213; Pierce, M.P., Branstetter, et al. 2017: 137; Fernández & Serna, 2019: 797; Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 109 (redescription).
 * Distribution: Colombia.

Type Material

 * Holotype: COLOMBIA: Amaz.[Amazonas]: 7km NW Letícia, 20–25 Feb 1972, #230, forest litter, berlesate, S. & J. Peck [leg.] (1W) (MCZ35422) [MCZC] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].
 * Paratypes: same data as holotype (2W 1Q) (MCZ35422) [MCZC] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)]; (2W) (ANTWEB-1008993 MZSP67450) [MZSP] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)]; (1W) (MZHY212) [MZSP] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
 * Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, M. Leponce, J. Orivel, R. Silvestre, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, and A. Dejean. 2013. Leaf-litter ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a pristine Guianese rainforest: stable functional structure versus high species turnover. Myrmecological News 19: 43-51.
 * Pierce M. P., M. G. Branstetter, and J. T. Longino. 2017 . Integrative taxonomy reveals multiple cryptic species within Central American Hylomyrma FOREL, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 25: 131-143.
 * Resende J. J., G. M. de M. Santos, I. C. do Nascimento, J. H. C. Delabie, and E. M. da Silva. 2011. Communities of ants (Hymenoptera  Formicidae) in different Atlantic rain forest phytophysionomies. Sociobiology 58(3): 779-799.