Octostruma planities Longino

Longino, John T, 2013, A revision of the ant genus Octostruma Forel 1912 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Zootaxa 3699, pp. 1-61 : 48-49

Octostruma planities Longino , sp. nov.

(Figs 1B, 3B, 5O, 13B, 35, 43)

Type material. Holotype worker: NICARAGUA, Región Autònoma del Atlantico Sur: 27 km WSW Rama, 12.12267, -84.46227, ± 100 m, 50 m, 18 Apr 2011, 2nd growth riparian forest, ex sifted leaf litter (J. Longino#7323-s) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0619872]. Paratype workers: same data [MCZC, CASENT0625029]; same data except 13 km WNW Rama, 12.19470, -84.33665, ± 100 m, 190 m, 2nd growth forest, ex sifted leaf litter (J. Longino#7322-s) [USNM, CASENT0625016].

Geographic range. Mexico to Costa Rica.

Diagnosis. Face lacking transverse arcuate carina; basal five teeth of mandible acute; apex of labrum bilobed; face typically with 2 spatulate setae on posteromedian vertex margin (Fig. 5O), lacking elsewhere on face, mesosomal dorsum, and first gastral tergite; filiform setae lacking on petiole, postpetiole, first gastral sternite; dorsal face of propodeum flat or weakly convex over entire length; metanotal groove not impressed; HW <0.72.

Description. Worker. HW 0.58-0.71, HL 0.55-0.65, WL 0.64-0.79, CI 104-109 (n=12). Similar in most respects to O. cyrtinotum and O. montanis , excepting the characters noted in the Diagnosis. Color orange.

The queen is unknown.

Biology. Octostruma planities is a lowland species that occurs in a wide variety of habitats including rainforest, seasonal moist forest, seasonal dry forest, and thorn scrub. Collections are from sea level to 600 m elevation. All collections are from Winkler or Berlese samples of sifted litter and rotten wood from the forest floor.

Comments. Specimens from wet forest sites on the Caribbean side of the range tend to have the surface of the clypeus matte, while specimens from dry habitats in central and western parts of the range have the clypeus shiny. Thus there is the potential of cryptic or ecotonal species.

Etymology. The name refers to its restriction to lowland areas. It is a genitive singular noun and thus invariant.