Dinoponera longipes

A soil nesting species that appears to be most active in its foraging at night. One excavated nest was found to contain 120 workers. (Morgan 1993, as reported in Lenhart et al. 2013)

Identification
Lenhart et al. (2013) - Worker. This species can easily be recognized by the golden luster of its conspicuous long, flagellate hairs especially on the frons. In addition this species has the following combination of character states: pronotal corner rounded without tooth-like process (Fig. 1E), no gular striations, a reflective, smooth and shiny integument. All specimens have a petiole which bulges on the dorso-anterior edge except for those from the Rio Madeira and Rio Negro in Brazil.

Male. Distinguished from other Dinoponera by the following combination of character states: funiculus of antennae with short, thick decumbent setae; pygidial spine shorter than in Dinoponera gigantea and Dinoponera quadriceps but longer and narrower than in D. australis and D. snellingi, volsella with broad basal lobe covered in minute teeth.

Keys

 * Key to Dinoponera workers / Clave para la identificación de las obreras de Dinoponera / Chave para identificação de operários de Dinoponera
 * Key to Dinoponera males / Clave para la identificación de los machos conocidos de Dinoponera / Chave para identificação de machos de Dinoponera

Distribution
Dinoponera longipes have been collected in eastern Perú in the departments of Loreto, Amazonas, Huánuco, San Martin and Pasco, as well as Ecuador in the province of Pastaza. In Colombia it has been recorded near the Peruvian border in the department of Amazonas. In Brazil, D. longipes has been found in Acre, Amazonas as far east as Manaus, as well as along the Rio Madeira in Rondônia (Lenhart, Dash & Mackay, 2013).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru.

Nomenclature

 *  longipes. Dinoponera grandis subsp. longipes Emery, 1901a: 48 (w.) PERU. Raised to species: Kempf, 1971: 375.

Worker
Lenhart et al. (2013) - (mm) (n=16) TBL: 30.85–34.75 (32.83); MDL: 4.61–5.33 (4.89); HL: 5.48–6.87 (6.12); HW: 5.23–5.84 (5.57); SL: 5.54–6.56 (6.23); WL: 7.84–9.33 (8.51); PL: 2.46–2.82 (2.64); PH: 2.77–3.59 (3.28); PW: 1.44–1.85 (1.67); GL: 9.02–12.20 (10.67); HFL: 7.48–8.87 (8.36).

A description of the external morphology of the worker is given in Kempf (1971): “Antennal scape from slightly shorter to slightly longer than maximum head width (index: scape L/head W × 100 = 94–103). Pubescence on front of head (as well as on thorax and dorsum of gaster) golden brown, very dense and rather long. Gular face of head smooth and shining, without vestiges of striae antero-laterally. Antero-inferior corner of pronotum obtusely angulate, not dentate. Pronotal disc smooth and shining, but densely covered with piligerous punctulae; paired swellings from faint to distinct; integument not wrinkled. Tarsus I of hind leg decidedly longer than maximum length of head capsule. Petiole smooth and shining; shape resembling that of quadriceps…, dorsal surface faintly to distinctly slanted backwards; width-length proportion distinctly lower than 0.80: vertical sulcus on posterior surface present in specimens from Acre Territory, Brasil, absent in specimens seen from Perú. Terga I and II of gaster smooth and shining but densely covered with punctulae from which arises the long and dense pubescence that covers the entire segments. Stridulatory file on acrotergite of Tergum II of gaster very short but broadly triangular, not extending backwards beyond the anterior half of acrotergite.”

Male
Lenhart et al. (2013) - (mm) (n=2) TBL: 19.78, 21.12; HL: 2.10, 2.26; HW: 2.67, 2.77; SL: 0.92, 0.92; EL: 1.49, 1.59; EW: 0.923, 0.923; WL: 6.66, 6.66; FWL: 17.43, 15.38; HWL: 13.12, 11.48; PL: 1.90, 2.05; PH: 1.38, 1.54; PW: 0.97, 1.03; GL: 9.12, 10.15; HFL:5.23, 5.54.

Integument: smooth and shining reddish brown, mesosoma slightly darker than head, petiole, gaster. Head: Mandibles reduced, rounded and broad, lacking teeth; palps elongated; labrum reduced, emarginated on distal margin, covered with setae. Clypeus large, triangular, bulging medially, covered in appressed to subdecumbent setae; anterior tentorial pits large; frontal carinae reduced to slight ridge along antennal socket; antennal sockets close, located at posterior apex of clypeus. Antennae reddish brown; funiculus covered in minute appressed pubescence with thicker bristle-like decumbent setae; scape shorter than second funicular segment, 1st funicular segment reduced. Compound eyes large, along lateral side of head, deeply emarginated border medially, ocelli bulging beyond margin of head, depressed area between posterior ocelli. Entire head covered in short decumbent to erect setae, longer hairs on clypeus and around ocelli. Mesosoma: covered in long dense suberect to decumbent setae; pronotum triangular, exposed narrowly dorsally below scutum; scutum of mesonotum large, bulging antero-dorsally, with 3 longitudinal ridges; small tegula over insertion of forewing; scutellum domed, sides with vertical ridges, dorsal surface smooth; basilar sclerite under hind wing, reduced; fused mesopleuron, separated by furrow with mesosternite; metanotum, exposed between scutellum and propodeum, reduced; mesoepimera, mesoepisternite and propodeum fused, rounded; coxa large, conical, covered in long, dense subdecumbent to decumbent setae. Wings: covered in dense minute setae, venation as shown in Fig. 5E. Legs: dark reddish brown integument; covered in minute subdecumbent to decumbent stiff setae; one well-developed, antennae cleaning, pectinate spur on fore leg; spine-like and less developed denticular comb on meso-thoracic leg; spine and comb-like spur on hind leg; tarsal claws bidentate. Petiole: dark brown, narrow attachments at base to propodeum and gaster; petiole humped dorso-posteriorly; subpetiolar process reduced, bulging slightly posteriorly, covered in long erect setae. Gaster: large, cylindrical; covered in fine silvery suberect to subdecumbent setae, longer on first tergite and all sternites; first gastric tergite rounded, elongated; pygidium terminating in short spine with a broad base, narrow tip, shorter than in Dinoponera gigantea; cerci short, covered in erect setae; tabular subgenital plate with posterior truncate and slightly emarginated with rounded corners. Genitalia: basal ring with wide, thin dorso-anterior loop structures; parameres long, narrow, rounded distally, emarginated ventro-basal edge; cuspis volsellaris finger-like with slight raised rounded bumps, digitus volsellaris broad cusp with numerous small circular bumps, roughly triangular lobe at ventro-basal corner of volsella covered in minute teeth; penis valve of aedeagus with lateral arm apodeme at anterior border, ventral concavity under ridge at base of apodeme, ridge recurving dorsally near distal edge of penis valve, distal edge wedge-shaped, proximal ventral edge of valve ending in downward facing tooth, ventral edge serrated with large dorsally curved lip, serrations facing laterally on either side of aedeagus in dorsal view.

Type Material
Lenhart et al. (2013) - Holotype worker PERÚ: Cumbase [examined].