Fulakora orizabana

The holotype was taken by E. O. Wilson on Pica Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, on August 24, 1953. The worker was found under a large mossy rock in an open grassy strip along the trail between La Perla and Rancho Somecla, on the southern slope of the mountain, at about 2700 to 2800 m. altitude. At this altitude, the original forest cover is mainly broadleaf temperate trees, with Carpinue abundant and some pines.

Identification
This rather ordinary small Stigmatomma is easily distinguished by its small size and yellow color; the only species from the Americas that is smaller, Stigmatomma degeneratum is very different in antennae and sculpture.


 * Key to Stigmatomma of the New World
 * Key to Stigmatomma of the United States

Distribution
Highlands of southern Mexico to lowland Choco, Colombia (Brown 1960, Lattke 1991). Costa Rica: wet forests from 50-1700m elevation, cordilleras north to south.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama.



Nomenclature

 *  orizabanum. Amblyopone orizabana Brown, 1960a: 190 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Stigmatomma: Yoshimura & Fisher, 2012: 19. Senior synonym of tropicalis: Lattke, 1991c: 5.
 * tropicalis. Amblyopone tropicalis Brown, 1962a: 73 (w.q.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of orizabanum: Lattke, 1991c: 5.

Worker
Holotype worker: TL 2.7, HL 0.58, HW 0.48 (or 83), WL 0.74, petiole L 0.26, petiole W 0.29, scape L (without basal neck) 0.31, straightline outside L of left mandible 0.34 mm. A very small, yellow member of the "Fulakora group" with dorsum of head densely and evenly reticulate-punctate and opaque or nearly so. The habitus and shape of head, body and appendages are all substantially as in Stigmatomma smithi, although the posterior occipital border is more strongly concave in the middle in orizabana. Also, the mandibles are more slender in orizabana, and can close tightly against the clypeal apron (as in the holotype). Clypeal apron convex, with 4 truncate teeth socketed on low tubercles in the middle (median pair smaller, bases fused), flanked by broader corner teeth on each side; the latter cannot be seen clearly, and may possibly be subdivided. 'I'he mandibular dentition is difficult to see, but it appears to consist of a triangular basal tooth or lamella, 4 sharp double teeth, and a reclinate, acute subapical tooth in addition to the slender apical tooth. The inner borders are convex. Antennae much as in S. smithi.

Alitrunk constricted at the narrow, transverse mesonotum, which is continuous with the propodeal dorsum; metanotal groove almost obsolete, visible only in certain lights. Petiolar node with a vertical anterior face, convex in both directions; dorsum only weakly convex. Petiole and postpetiole about equal in length; abdominal IV slightly longer. Ventral process of petiole with a small angular anterior lobe and a larger, bluntly subtriangular posterior lobe that slopes upward gradually posteriad. Gastric apex not compressed; sting stout.

Mandibles and lower sides of posterior half of alitrunk longitudinally striolate. Underside of head densely reticulate-punctate, but weakly shining. Rest of body, including legs, scapes and frontal groove, smooth and shining, with numerous, spaced small piligerous punctures, best seen on pronotum and petiole. Pilosity fairly abundant, but very short and mostly oblique; longer hairs on mandibles and gastric apex. Color light ferruginous yellow.

Lattke (1991). Dimensions: HL 0.58-0.62, ML 0.380.42, HW 0.48-0.55, SL 0.31-0.34, WL 0.70-0.79mm, CI 0.81-0.90, MI 0.76-0.88, SI 0.58-0.65; n= 8.

Queen
Brown (1962), for the synonymized S. tropicalis - Paratype female (dealate) : TL 3.1, HL 0.65, HW 0.57 (CI 88), WL 0.91, petiolar node L 0.26, W 0.38, scape L 0.37, greatest diameter of compound eye 0.11 mm. Similar to the holotype worker, but with the usual differences of caste: fairly large compound eyes (no eyes could be detected in the worker), ocelli developed and with blackened calli, wing stumps present and blackened; meso- and metathoracic flight sclerites well developed, but rather flat, continuing the weakly convex surface of the alitrunk without major interruption. As usual for females of this genus, the petiole and gaster are relatively a little wider than in the worker, and the head, while still light ferruginous, is a trifle darker than in the worker. Alitrunk also rather coarsely and closely punctate above, but still distinctly shining.

Etymology
After the type locality, Pico de Orizaba.