A new species of Neivamyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Louisiana.

Abstract

A new species, Neivamyrmex moseri, collected from a nest of Atta texana (Buck ley) in Louisiana is described. Illustrations of the head, mandible, alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole are included. A taxonomic review of the 17 forms of legionary ants comprising the subgenus Neivamyrmex Borgmeier of the United States was published by Smith (1942). Neivamyrmex was raised to a genus by Borgmeier (1950). A complete review and revision of the approximately 140 Neo tropical species of Dorylinae was published by Borgmeier (1955). Sev eral hundred workers of the new species of Neivamyrmex herein de 1 Accepted for publication April 8, 1968. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 41:528-531. October, 1968. This content downloaded from 40.77.167.91 on Mon, 05 Dec 2016 04:51:14 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Vol. 41, No. 4, October, 1968 529 scribed were collected from a nest of Atta texana (Buckley) by John C. Moser. The specimens were originally identified as Neivamyrmex pauxil lus (Wheeler, 1903) by another worker, and samples from this group have been deposited in several collections with the above name attached. I am grateful to Dr. John C. Moser for collecting and permitting me to describe these interesting specimens, and to Father Thomas Borg meier and Father Walter Kempf for their confirmations of the new form and the gift of specimens of macrodentatus (Menozzi, 1931). I wish to thank Dr. Carl W. Rettenmeyer for originally informing me that spec imens of N. pauxillus sent to him from Louisiana belong to a different species from those which I sent to him from Texas. Neivamyrmex moseri, n. sp. (worker) Major worker. Length 3.10 mm. Head (Fig. 1): median length without mandibles 0.78 mm, width 0.83 mm, sides slightly convex, pos terior margin broadly concave with rounded corners. Eyes absent. Man dibles (Fig. 4) characteristic, but somewhat similar to those of macro dentatus (Fig. 6). Basal tooth large, triangular, not curved. Mastica tory border with three teeth, the middle tooth less than half the length of the outer teeth, posterior tooth longest. Frontal carina short, curved outward and upward to form distinct lamella ending at the lower, inner edge of the antennal depression. Antenna short (1.10 mm); scape length (0.375 mm), about one-half median head length, greatest width 0.125 mm, narrower at the base and gradually thickening distally; flagellum length 0.725 mm, greatest width 0.10 mm, gradually thickening distally, last segment more than two times length of penultimate segment. Ali trunk robust, dorsally flattened, length 1.10 mm, greatest width 0.50 mm. Mesoepinotal suture well defined. Epinotum slightly longer than wide, length 0.45 mm, width at base 0.38 mm, posterior surface in pro file steeply sloped and moderately concave (slightly concave to almost straight in some specimens). Petiole in profile strongly convex dorsally; anteroventral tooth large, pellucid, keel-shaped. Petiole from above slightly longer than broad, length 0.35 mm; greatest width 0.30 mm, length of node 0.25 mm, with slightly convex sides and concave anterior face. Postpetiole wider than long with convex sides, length 0.25 mm, greatest width 0.35 mm. Gaster somewhat flattened and elongated (more elongated in smaller specimens), length 1.10 mm, greatest width 0.80 mm. Hind femur and tibia about same length (0.65 mm). Proximal segment of hind tarsus almost as long (0.43 mm) as remaining segments combined (0.48 mm). Scattered punctures on the head, alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole, but most distinct on the dorsum of the alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole. Mesopleura shagreened. Body, including appendages, shining, yellowish brown, covered with scattered erect and suberect hairs which are longest on the gaster. Minor worker. Length 1.90 mm. Head slightly longer than wide, median length without mandibles 0.48 mm, greatest width 0.40 mm, This content downloaded from 40.77.167.91 on Mon, 05 Dec 2016 04:51:14 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 530 Journal of Kansas Entomological Society