Leptogenys carbonaria

Identification
Lattke (2011) - Eye subglobular, placed slightly dorsomedially on head; clypeus with median lobe not acutely pointed and with triangular lobe on each side; cephalic dorsum strigulose; scape punctuate; mandible of uniform width, dorsum finely striolate. Mesosoma mostly strigulose; propodeal declivity rounded in lateral view, without tooth or lobe; petiole in lateral view with convex anterodorsal margin, a short blunt apical tooth and mostly straight posterior margin.

A member of the ingens species group.

This species could be confused with Leptogenys socorda, due to its similar size and subquadrate profile of the petiolar node. L. socorda has a smooth node compared with the rough sculpturing of the node in L. carbonaria; and the metanotal groove is not as deeply impressed in L. socorda.

Distribution
This taxon is known from northwestern Colombia.

Castes
Queen, male. Unknown.

Nomenclature

 *  carbonaria. Leptogenys carbonaria Lattke, 2011: 174, fig. 29 (w.) COLOMBIA.

Worker
Metrics, holotype (paratypes, n = 3): HL 2.00 (1.90-1.95); HW 1.53 (1.40-1.50); ML 1.25 (1.25-1.40); EL 0.45 (0.40-0.43); SL 2.50 (2.35-2.45); PW 1.30 (1.20-1.25); WL 3.50 (3.35-3.50); PH 1.30 (1.15-1.20); PL 1.35 (1.20-1.30); DPW 0.85 (0.80-0.90) mm. CI 0.76 (0.74-0.77); MI 0.82 (0.83-1.00); OI 0.30 (0.27-0.30); SI 1.64 (1.60-1.68); LPI 0.96 (0.92-0.96); DPI 0.63 (0.67-0.69).

Head in full-face view elongate, slightly wider anterad; posterior and lateral margins forming single convexity anteriorly bound by compound eyes; compound eye occupies approximately one-fourth of the lateral cephalic margin, eye subglobular and set slightly dorsomedially on head. Median clypeal lobe triangular with finely rounded apex, apex slightly constricted; median lobe with triangular lobe at each side. Cephalic dorsum posterad of eye rugulose-scabriculous, and between eye and antennal fossa strigate. Scape densely punctulate, surpassing posterior cephalic border by over a third its length; funicular segments longer than wide; third antennal segment longer than first and at least as long as fourth and fifth combined. Mandible elongate, relatively straight in cephalic full-face view, of uniform width with brief concavity at base of basal margin; dorsal surface finely striolate with sparse punctae; inner margin mostly broadly convex, with single pre-apical denticle; chewing margin concave with single low triangular tooth closer to apical tooth than to pre-apical denticle. Mandible when closed leaves visible gap not wider than maximum mandibular width. Mandible in lateral view with evenly convex anterior margin, mandibular base separated from clypeal lobe by distance greater than third of mandibular thickness. Ventral cephalic surface with strigulae forming concentric ovals; hypostomal tooth shaped as rounded lobe, not visible in dorsal cephalic view; basal sulcus of mandible ill-defined.

Mesosoma in lateral view with two convexities formed respectively by promesonotum and metanotum-propodeum, the latter longer and broader; dorsal and declivitous propodeal margins form continuous convexity. Pronotal sides mostly longitudinally to obliquely strigulate; bordered by deep and crenulate ventral sulcus; propleuron transversely strigulate. Strigulae on mesometapleural and propodeal sides transverse to oblique; mesometapleural suture well impressed; metapleural-propodeal suture weakly impressed; metathoracic spiracle large, elongate and semicircular, tubercle prominent, well-defined and separated by sulcus; propodeal spiracle elongate with vertical longitudinal axis, posteriorly facing. Metapleural gland opening faces posterad. Pronotum with anterior strip of transverse strigulae, medially with longitudinal strigulae; mesonotum and propodeal dorsum transversely strigulate; metanotal groove broad but not deep; propodeal declivity transversely striate. Mesosternal process sub-rectangular, weakly sinuate ventrally in lateral view.

Petiole subquadrate in lateral view, with convex anterodorsal margin, apex of node with blunt point slightly overhanging posterior margin, posterior margin mostly broadly concave, ventrad weakly convex. Width of anterior margin of node less than half that of posterior margin in dorsal view. Node with smooth area next to spiracle in lateral view, becoming imbricate posterad and finally longitudinally strigulose; posterior face transversely strigulose. Posterior lateral margins rounded, posterior face slightly depressed; ventral process forms curved lobe. Anterior postpetiolar margin straight up to half of node height then convex in lateral view. Gaster mostly smooth and shining with sparse punctulae. Head, mesosoma, and petiole with appressed pilosity; body in general with abundant semi-erect hairs; scape with dense decumbent pilosity. Tergite VII with longitudinal median crest along posterior half. Procoxa smooth and shining in lateral view; sides of meso- and metacoxa smooth basally with increasingly dense punctures apicad; dorsally smooth. Metacoxa with posterodorsal low swelling. Profemur basally smooth and apically punctate in lateral view. Head, mesosoma, petiole and abdominal segments III – IV mostly black; mandibles dark brown; antennal segment three with basal half black, apical half and following segments brown; metapleural gland opening brown; apical abdominal segments dark brown.

Type Material
Holotype worker. Colombia, Magdalena, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 695 m, 23.iii.1992, D1. One worker deposited in IAvH. – Paratypes. Colombia, Santa Marta Mountains, Walker Exp. 269, 25.vii.1913, F.M. Gaige. Three workers deposited in LACM, one worker in MCZC.

The holotype specimen is missing an antenna, but it is glued on the point.

Etymology
The species name alludes to the black color of its body. It is derived from the Latin for coal, carbo.