Oxyepoecus bruchi Santschi, 1926

Albuquerque, Nicolas Lavor De & Brandão, Carlos Roberto F., 2004, A Revision Of The Neotropical Solenopsidini Ant Genus Oxyepoecus Santschi, 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). 1. The Vezenyii Species- Group, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 44 (4), pp. 55-80 : 62-63

Oxyepoecus bruchi Santschi

Oxyepoecus bruchi Santschi, 1926:6-7 , Figs. a-d (♀ Argentina). Ettershank, 1966:146. Kempf, 1972:173.

Mitara bruchi: Santschi, 1927:246 (error for Martia !)

Martia bruchi: Santschi, 1929:295 (♀ from Argentina, Córdoba: Alta Gracia ). Kusnezov, 1952:717, 720 (biology; key to Argentine species).

Martia minuta Kusnezov, 1952:718 ,S 720-21 (♀ Argentina). Kusnezov, 1953:337 ( Argentina, Tucumán). Kempf, 1974:478 (synonymy).

Oxyepoecus minutus: Ettershank, 1966:146 . Kempf, 1972:173.

Oxyepoecus bruchi: Kempf, 1974:478 ; Figs. 43-46 (lectotype designation).

Worker (descriptions based on paratypes of Martia minuta Kusnezov ): t.l.= 2.30; h.l.= 0.57; h.w.= 0.47; s.l.= 0.35; m.l.e.= 0.09; m.w.pr.= 0.36; a.l.= 0.63; h.f.l.= 0.36; m.w.p.= 0.20; m.w.pp.= 0.28; c.i. 81. Color yellowish brown; gaster chestnut brown. Integument smooth and shining, with the following exceptions: frontal carinae longitudinally costulate, prolonged caudad obliquely, surpassing the level of the superior margins of the compound eyes, where they become faint to vestigial; genae with longitudinal costulae that reach the inferior margin of the compound eyes and the inferior margin of clypeus, close to the mandibular insertion; postero-lateral corner of the dorsal disc of pronotum with some piligerous punctuations longitudinally oriented; sides of the pronotum smooth and shining; inferior region of the katepisternum, anepisternum, sides of the propodeum and all metapleuron longitudinally costulate, varying in their degree of distinctness, weak to clearly visible; dorsal face of the propodeum with 10-13 costulae, 8 strong ones, the others weak; sides of the petiolar node with a few, widely spaced horizontal longitudinal costulae; sides and posterior surface of postpetiole with several rows of indistinct to well-expressed costulae. Hairs moderately abundant, short to long, suberect on the head, dorsum of mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster; subdecumbent on the head; most hairs inclined mesad dorsally on disc, forwards on the sides; decumbent on the mandibles; fine pubescence on antennal clubs, coxae and tarsomera; gaster without ground hairs.

Head (f.f.v.) with the mandibles relatively elongated, with a broad and relatively shallow diastema between the basal and the subbasal tooth. Anterior teeth of clypeus divergent with lateral, relatively sharper, denticles. Frontal carinae with their superior ends convergent and relatively near, the maximum width between their outer edges always less than one third of the head width. Compound eyes relatively small, with about 6-7 facets r.g.d., which is less than the distance between the inferior orbit and the mandibular insertion: total number of ommatidia circa 20. Antennal scape failing to reach the occipital corner by a distance approximately equal to the maximum thickness of the scape. Funicular segment I as long as II-V combined, segments II-VII distinctly broader than long, VIII and IX as long as broad.

Mesosoma (p.v.) with the shoulders shallowly marked, sides of the pronotum submarginate. Metanotal groove shallowly to not at all impressed in profile, metanotal suture indistinct. Dorsal face of the propodeum immarginate on sides, posteriorly with two pointed, backward oriented and elongated teeth. Declivous face laterally marginate and weakly carinate.

Petiole pedunculate, node antero-posteriorly compressed and laterally expanded in a scalelike fashion, nearly 2/3 as broad as postpetiole (d.v.); subpetiolar process anteriorly blunt and somewhat lobe-like (p.v.). The postpetiole unusually broadened due to the drawn out lateral bulky lobes. Subpostpetiolar process with two subparallel crests, the anterior more developed downwards.

Gyne (dealate): t.l.= 2.50 (2.40); h.l.= 0.60 (0.59); h.w.= 0.48 (0.51); s.l.= 0.35; m.l.e.= 0.13 (0.12); m.w.pr.= 0.42; a.l.= 0.76 (0.73); h.f.l.= 0.40; m.w.p.= 0.23; m.w.pp.= 0.29 (0.32); c.i. 80 (87). Color reddish brown; anterior portion of head, mandibles and sides of mesosoma lighter; antennae and legs ochraceous. Integument smooth and shining, with the following exceptions: frons with two patches of fine longitudinal rugulae subparallel to the frontal carinae, which fade out at the level of the ocelli, not attaining the occipital bor- der posteriorly (f.f.v.), nor the superior orbits of the compound eyes laterally; pronotum shining, the dorsum finely yet indistinctly and obliquely costulate, the sides smooth. Scutum smooth and shining. Scutellum shining with superficial and weak longitudinal costulae. Dorsal face of the propodeum shining and rather smooth, transverse costulae widely spaced and at best vestigial, practically absent. Upper posterior corner of katepisternum with a few horizontal costulae that continue caudad on sides of metapleuron over the bulla of metapleural gland; posterior face of postpetiole with very distinct transverse costulae. Hairs abundant, erect on dorsum of mesosoma, on petiole, postpetiole and on gaster, shorter and decumbent on head and appendages.

Head (f.f.v.) with lateral and occipital borders scarcely convex, occipital corners broadly rounded. Mandibles relatively less elongate with the basal tooth as long as the subbasal, without a broad diastema or a deep cleft between them. Median apron of clypeus raised and protruding in front, laterally marginated by a pair of carinae that converge caudad and terminate cephalad in the form of a prominent pointed tooth, flanked laterally by a small and rather blunt denticle. Frontal carinae mostly subparallel, short, reaching the level of the inferior orbits of the compound eyes posteriorly; the maximum width between their outer edges always less than one third of the head width. Compound eyes slightly convex, with over 10 ommatidia (11-12) r.g.d. and a total of approximately 50 ommatidia. Ocelli very small, their diameter equaling the minimum thickness of antennal scape. The latter, when laid back over the head as much as possible, failing to attain the occipital border by a distance exceeding its own thickness. Funicular segment I as long as II-V combined, segments II-VII distinctly broader than long, VIII and IX as long as broad.

Mesosoma with the shoulders bluntly marked (p.v.), pronotum entirely declivous in the middle; its dorsal face anteriorly and laterally submarginate. Dorsal face of the propodeum with spines horizontally oriented, slightly diverging caudad, the distance between their apices subequal to the maximum width of the petiolar node.

Petiole pedunculate, anteriorly dentate, lobe-like subpetiolar tooth (p.v.); node strongly compressed antero-posteriorly, well expanded laterad (d.v.). Postpetiole likewise compressed antero-posteriorly, slightly lower than petiole, the sides projecting laterad and downward as blunt cones; anterior subpostpetiolar process very prominent and bidentate.

Male unknown.

Diagnosis, distribution and comments

The exclusive character of the workers of O. bruchi is the very elongate anterior portion of the subpetiolar process, compared to the posterior portion, more than twice longer. The distribution of O. bruchi includes three localities in Argentina, as shown in fig. 8, all samples found as inquilines of Pheidole silvestrii , found at the nests of Pheidole obtusopilosa , found in the same alcohol tube ( Kusnezov, 1952).

The gyne runs near those of O. vezenyii in Kempf ’s (1974) key, however it is quite different by the smaller eyes, the pronotum, which is not entirely declivous in the middle, and the relatively small mesonotum in the latter.

Kempf (1974) was not clear on who designated lectotype and paralectotypes, although he cites the specimens as belonging to CTB (Coleção T. Borgmeier), suggesting he was the designator, as Borgmeier collection was incorporated to Kempf’s collection, and as far as we know, Kusnezov has never studied these specimens. Examined material: Argentina: Córdoba, Sierras de Córdoba, Alta Gracia , La Granja , # 1694, C. Bruch leg. [31°39’S 64°25’W] (3 ♀ lectotype and paralectotypes); [although the label says “ paratype ” to the paralectotypes; the lectotype mounted with a worker of host species, Pheidole obtusopilosa ; and one paralectotype incomplete, just the mesosoma left]; Tucumán, Quebrada Cainzo , 8.iv.1948, N. Kusnezov # 1590 [26°53’S 65°28’W] (2 Ψ paratypes of Martia minuta ) .