Leptogenys tama

The holotype was collected in the mountains separating Colombia and Venezuela, known as Serranía de Motilones in Colombia, and Serranía de Perijá in Venezuela. Tamá National Park crosses both sides of the border and is a wonderful area with a rich biological diversity (Manara 1988) barely sampled because of difficulties such as smugglers, guerrillas, drug runners, and bandits. The vegetation on the Venezuelan side of the mountain range is better preserved than the Colombian part. (Lattke 2011)

Identification
Key to Leptogenys of the New World

Lattke (2011) - Body mostly brown with abdominal segments III and IV black; eye convex, occupies less than one-fourth of lateral cephalic margin, situated laterally, closer to mandibular insertion than mid-length of lateral cephalic margin; petiole relatively dome-shaped in lateral view, highest point posterad; abdominal segments III and IV with abundant piligerous punctae that extend posterad as brief sulci, sulci densest dorsoanterad.

Castes
Queen, male. Unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  tama. Leptogenys tama Lattke, 2011: 232, fig. 86 (w.) COLOMBIA.

Worker
Metrics, holotype: HL 1.52; HW 1.04; ML 0.81; EL 0.20; SL 1.85; PW 0.88; WL 2.53; PH 1.01; PL 0.88; DPW 0.54 mm. CI 0.69; MI 0.77; OI 0.19; SI 1.77; LPI 1.15; DPI 0.62.

Head elongate in full-face view, wider anterad than posterad; lateral cephalic margin weakly convex; posterior cephalic margin weakly convex; median clypeal process triangular with laminate margins, apex rounded with 3 short setae; lateral clypeal lobe partially translucent, with convex curves. Eye convex, occupies less than one-fourth of lateral cephalic margin, situated laterally, closer to mandibular insertion than mid-length of lateral cephalic margin. Cephalic dorsum mostly smooth and shining with abundant punctulae, and scattered piligerous punctae; clypeus mostly smooth with low oblique to longitudinal striae; head ventral surface smooth and shining with scattered punctae; hypostomal tooth well developed, not visible in full-face view. Scape smooth with piligerous punctulae, with abundant decumbent to suberect hairs, scape extends beyond posterior cephalic margin by almost half its length; third antennal segment 3 × longer than apical width, length of second antennal segment over half length of third segment; fourth antennal segment over half length of third segment, funicular segments subcylindrical, slightly wider apicad than basad. Mandible elongate, subparallel margins, weakly widening apicad, basal margin broadly convex curving continuously to masticatory margin, masticatory margin edentate; dorsal mandibular surface mostly smooth with weak parallel striae abundant on basal half.

Mesosoma with deep metanotal groove separating convex promesonotal margin in lateral view from broadly convex dorsal propodeal margin; declivitous margin forms continuous curve with dorsal margin, propodeal tooth triangular, bluntly pointed, overhanging rest of declivitous margin. Mesosomal sculpture mostly smooth and shining with sparse piligerous punctulae; mesometapleural suture scrobiculate; metapleural-propodeal suture lacking; propodeal spiracle not elevated, oval, oriented posterolaterally; mesopleuron mostly smooth with transverse striae anterodorsad and posteroventrad, anteroventral carina forms angular lobe anterad, incomplete ventrad; mesosternum mostly smooth and shining; metapleuron with sparse transverse striae posteroventrad; declivitous propodeal face smooth and shining with broad transverse sulcus ventrad of teeth; mesonotum broader than long in dorsal view, anterior margin convex.

Petiole relatively dome-shaped in lateral view, highest point posterad; anterior margin weakly convex and over half length of posterior margin; posterior margin mostly straight to weakly convex. Transverse section of node at mid-length has convex lateral outline. Subpetiolar process curved anterad, angular posterad, posterad in lateral view. Node longer than wide in dorsal view, anterior margin convex; lateral margin broadly convex, posterior margin broadly convex, width of anterior margin more than half that of posterior margin. Node smooth and shining except for oblique striae posteroventrad; posterior face not sharply separated from lateral face. Anterior margin of third abdominal segment weakly convex in lateral view, dorsal margin convex; constriction between segments III and IV very well developed, scrobiculate all around; abdominal segments III and IV with abundant piligerous punctae that extend posterad as brief sulci, sulci densest dorsoanterad, not extending beyond anterior half of lateral abdominal segment IV; pygidium with dorsomedian blunt crest posterad. Procoxae smooth and shining in lateral view; apices of pro- and metatibiae lacking setae, mesotibial apex with single anterior seta. Cephalic dorsum with subdecumbent pilosity, and scattered suberect hairs; mesosoma with no pilosity, only scattered suberect fine hairs; abundant standing hairs on gaster. Most of body brown, legs ferruginous brown, abdominal segments III and IV black. Apex of pro- and metatibia without setae; mesotibial apex with single external seta.

Type Material
Holotype worker. Colombia, Norte de Santander, P.N.N. Tamá, Alto de Herrera, Vda. El Diamante, 07°07′N 72°13′W, 1250 m, ix.1999, E. González. Deposited in.

Etymology
The species name alludes to the name of the National Park in which the single specimen of his unique species was taken.