Dinoponera longipes Emery, 1901

Lenhart, Paul A., Dash, Shawn T. & Mackay, William P., 2013, A revision of the giant Amazonian ants of the genus Dinoponera (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 31, pp. 119-164 : 141-143

Dinoponera longipes Emery Figs 1A, B , 3 , 4C, H, M , 5E, 8 , 9E , 10E , 11E , 13

Dinoponera grandis subsp. longipes Emery, 1901: 48 Holotype worker PERÚ: Cumbase (MCSN) [examined]. Raised to species: Kempf, 1971: 375.

Worker diagnosis.

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 ( Fig. 12A ). All specimens have a petiole which bulges on the dorso-anterior edge except for those from the Rio Madeira and Rio Negro in Brazil.

Description of the worker.

Measurements (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 diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Dinoponera by the following combination of character states: funiculus of antennae with short, thick decumbent setae ( Fig. 4H ); pygidial spine ( Fig. 4M ) shorter than in Dinoponera gigantea and Dinoponera quadriceps but longer and narrower than in Dinoponera australis and Dinoponera snellingi , volsella with broad basal lobe covered in minute teeth ( Fig. 10E ).

Description of the male.

Previously undescribed. Measurements (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. (See Fig. 3 ) 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 ( Fig. 4C ). 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: ( Fig. 8 ) basal ring with wide, thin dorso-anterior loop structures; parameres long, narrow, rounded distally, emarginated ventro-basal edge ( Fig. 9E ); 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 ( Fig. 10E ); 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 ( Fig. 11E ), serrations facing laterally on either side of aedeagus in dorsal view ( Fig. 8A ).

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, Dinoponera longipes has been found in Acre, Amazonas as far east as Manaus, as well as along the Rio Madeira in Rondônia ( Fig. 13 ).

Discussion.

Doubt was raised by Kempf (1971) as to whether Dinoponera longipes was a valid species. Since few specimens have been collected from western Brazil a clinal variation in character form with Dinoponera gigantea or Dinoponera mutica was a possibility ( Kempf 1971). The specimens we have examined from Brazil show no such integration. Additionally, evidence of species validity comes from the unique morphology of the male. Among the holdings at the CASC, males were located with 20 worker specimens from Tingo Maria, Departamento de Huánuco, Perú; all Dinoponera longipes . The nearest known locality of another species is Dinoponera gigantea 550 km away at Estirón Rio Ampiacu in the Departamento de Loreto, Perú. There is a possibility that these could be males of a yet undiscovered species. However, relatively intensive collecting of Dinoponera in the area by numerous collectors has not revealed any other form.

Material examined.

BRAZIL, AMAZONAS: Uypiranga Rio Negro, 14 km from Manaus, 81 m (1 w, x.1941, A Rabaut, AMNH); Tabatingo (2 w, MCZC, CUIC); União Rio Madeira (1 w,iii.1921 or 1922, WM Mann, USNM); RONDÔNIA: Porto Velho, Rio Madeira (1 w, Mann and Baker, USNM). COLOMBIA, AMAZONAS: 18 km N Leticia (1 w, 25.ii.1974, Sand J Peck, MCZC); Leticia (1 w, x.1977, F Castaño, CWEM); Leticia, Rio Tacana, loose on ground (1 w, 3.viii.2002, L Mejia, UNAB); 5 km N Zaragoza (1 w, 18.ix.1988, F. Fernández, CWEM); El Encanto, (9 w, 25.viii.1920, CUIC, LACM, MCZC, AMNH);, La Sombra to El Encanto, (2 w, 23.viii.1920, CUIC, AMNH). ECUADOR,PASTAZA: Moretecocha Ex. Barrido plataforma (1 w, 1-7.vi.1996, J Naranjo,QCAZ). PERÚ, AMAZONAS: Km 292-296 E of Montenegro Olmos-Maranón Hwy 700-800m (3 w, 21.i.1964, PCHutchison and JK Wright, CASC); Montenegro, Bagua 350m (3 w, 29.ix-2.x.1963, Wygodzinsky, AMNH); MADRE DE DIOS: Cueva de Castillo nr. Tingo María 600 m(3 w, 7.viii.1982, JM Wilson, LACM, 1 w, 31.x.1970, J Schuster, LACM); Tingo María 670 m(1 w, Weyrauch, MCZC); Tingo María 2200 ft. (1 w, 8.x.1946, JC Pallister, AMNH) (3 w, 12.x.1946, JC Pallister, AMNH, 1 w, 28.x.1946, JC Pallister, AMNH, 1 w, 23.v.1947, JC Pallister, AMNH, 1 w, 1.vi.1947, JC Pallister, AMNH, 1 w, xii.1949, HA Allard, USNM, 2 w, 27.ix.1952, NA Wells, CASC); Tingo María, Monson Valley (1 w, 18.ix.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 3 w, 23.ix.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 8.x.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 2 w, 10.x.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 19.x.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w,21.x.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 m, 2.xi.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 3.xi.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 9.xii.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 m, 11.xii.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 3 w, 15.xii.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 23.xii.1954, EI Schlinger and ES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 13-17.ix.1956, C Gregoire, USNM, 1 w, 11.viii.1960, DA Young, USNM, 1 w,16.v.1964, CE andES Ross, CASC, 1 w, 9-12.iii.1967, WL Brown, MCZC); Parque Nacional de Tingo María, Cueva de las Lechuzas tropical rainforest window trap (1 w, 8-16.i.1983, A Newton and M Thayer, MCZC); Parque Nacional de Tingo María, Cueva de las Lechuzas, sweeping(1 w, 11.viii.1985, JF Cornell, LACM); 14 km N Tingo María (1 w, 7.ii.1984, WN Mathis, USNM); Parque Nacional de Tingo María, 6 km W Tingo María (1 w, 9.ii.1984, WN Mathis, USNM); 12km SW Tingo María (1 w, 12-15.viii.1985, JF Cornell, LACM); Parque Nacional de Tingo María, 660 m (3 w, 11-17.iv.1987, JE Eger, FSCA); Tambello Chico Canyon, 13km S Tingo María, 800 m (1 w, vi.1983, CM Stevens, FSCA); LORETO: Amazon Camp Rio Momón, nr. Iquitos, 97.5 m (1 w, 1-10.xii.1982, ES Ross, CASC); Amazon Conservatory for Tropical Studies, 70 km NE Iquitos, extracted from nest, lowland tropical wetforest (1 w, 9.vii.2002, RC Morgan, CASC); Amazon Safari Camp Nr. Iquitos (1 w, 25.vi.1980, CL Hogue, LACM); Aventurama Camp Rio Napo/Rio Yagua (2 w, one infected with fungus, CL Hogue, LACM); Boquerón 500m(5 w, 7-14.vii.1965, J Schunke, LACM); Explornapo Camp 100mi NE Iquitos (1 w, 15.vii.1990, S Dunkle, FSCA); Rio Napo at Sucusnui (1 w, 13.vii.1985, CL Hogue, LACM); PASCO: Río Iscozazin (1 w, 8-19.vii.1961, FS Truxal, LACM); SAN MARTIN: Tarapoto (9 w, A Vasquez, AMNH); UCAYALI: Balta Rio Curanja (2 w, vii.1966, A Gardner, FSCA); department not specified, Upper Rio Huallaga (1 w, 29.x.1925, H. Bassler, AMNH, 1 w, 30.x.1925, H. Bassler, AMNH, 1 w, xi.1930, H Bassler, AMNH); DEPARTMENT NOT SPECIFIED, Upper Rio Marañon (2 w, Orton, CASC, MCZC), Rio Marañon (1 w, 10.vii.1930, AMNH); Rio Santiago (1 w, 15.ix.1923, AMNH, 1 w, 17.xi.1923, AMNH); Middle Rio Ucayali (3 w, 1.x.1929, H Bassler, AMNH).

Figures

Figure 1. Features of Dinoponera workers. A Head, frontal view B-C Occiput of head, oblique antero-lateral view D-E Pronotum, lateral view F-H Petiole, lateral view. A-B Dinoponera longipes C Dinoponera hispida D Dinoponera gigantea. E-F Dinoponera mutica G Dinoponera hispida H Dinoponera lucida.

Figure 3. Dinoponera longipes male. Head in full frontal view; body in lateral view with wings not shown.

Figure 4. Features of Dinoponera males. A-E Head, frontal view F-J Right scape, first and second funicular segments, frontal view K-O Pygidial spine, dorsal view A, F, K Dinoponera gigantea B, G, L Dinoponera quadriceps C, H, M Dinoponera longipes D, I, N Dinoponera snellingi E, J, O Dinoponera australis.

Figure 5. Wings of known males. A Dinoponera quadriceps B Dinoponera snellingi C Dinoponera gigantea D Dinoponera australis E Dinoponera longipes.

Figure 8. Dinoponera longipes male genitalia. A dorsal view B lateral view C ventral view.

Figure 9. Dinoponera rightbasiparamere / paramere of known males, lateral view. A Dinoponera quadriceps B Dinoponera snellingi C Dinoponera gigantea D Dinoponera australis E Dinoponera longipes.

Figure 10. Dinoponera rightvolsella of known males, lateral view. A Dinoponera quadriceps B Dinoponera snellingi C Dinoponera gigantea D Dinoponera australis E Dinoponera longipes.

Figure 11. Dinoponera rightpenis valves from the aedeagus of known males. A Dinoponera quadriceps B Dinoponera snellingi C Dinoponera gigantea D Dinoponera australis E Dinoponera longipes.

Figure 12. Worker head, oblique antero-lateral view illustrating microsculpturing difference. A Dinoponera mutica (this smooth integument type is also found in Dinoponera lucida, Dinoponera longipes and Dinoponera hispida) B Dinoponera quadriceps (this rough integument type is also found in Dinoponera gigantea and Dinoponera australis).

Figure 13. Distribution map of Dinoponera species. Symbols in black are records added by this study; open symbols are from literature sources (Kempf 1971, 1975, Araujo et al. 1990, Peeters et al. 1999, Monnin and Peeters 1999, Fourcassie and Oliviera 2002, Monnin et al. 2003, Mariano et al. 2004, Araujo and Rodriques 2006, Marques-Silva et al. 2006).