Acropyga pickeli Borgm. (1927)

Borgmeier, T., 1932, A proposito de Acropyga pickeli Borgm. (1927) (Hym. Formicidae)., Revista de Entomologia, São Paulo 2, pp. 238-239 : 238-239

A proposito de Acropyga pickeli Borgm. (1927) (Hym. Formicidae )

Em setembro do anno passado enviei alguns cotypos dessa formiga (vide Rev. de Ent. vol. 1, p. 105) ao conheeido myrmecologo Prof. William Morton Wheeler (Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass.), pedindo-lhe o obsequio de examinal-os e dizerme a sua opiniao sobre a questao ultimamente levantada por Costa Lima (Boletim Biologico, Rio, fasc. 17, agosto1931, pp. 2-9) da pretendida identidade de Acropyga pickeli Borgm. com A. goeldii For. e A. decedens Mayr . Em carta datada de 2 de fevereiro deste anno, o Prof. Wheeler me respondcu o seguinte:

«Dear Father Borgmeier: On returning from Australia I find your letter of September 9th and the specimens of Acropyga pickeli awaiting me. I have compared the workers of the species with a cotype of Forel's goeldii which he gave me many years ago. 1 think tthere is not the slightest doubt that your pickeli is distinct. Apart from the difference in the shape of the head, your species differs in the somewhat smaller mandibular teeth, more oblique mandibular border, more distinct metanotal sclerite (especially mesometanotal suture), anteroposteriorly thicker petiolar node, shorter and more appressed pubescence on the body and legs and less abundant pilosity on the head and thorax. A. pickeli is, also close to A. wheeleri Mann from Honduras, but is much less hairy. I am sending by return mail some specimens of an Acropyga from Para, Brazil, collected by William Beebe, which are still different, having a much more elongated head. They seem to represent a new species and I should be glad if you would describe it in connection with your work on Brazilian ants.

«Now, in regard to the question of pickeli being ithe same as decedens Mayr , I am not able to help you with a comparison of your specimens with typical material, because I have never seen this species, but Mayr's description and Emery's figure, especially the latter, leave not the slightest doubt in my mind that decedens is a very distinct form. The shape of the head and mandibles are quite different from those of goeldii and pickeli . I do not see how Costa Lima, who has reproduced Emery's figure side by side with numerous figures of the head of pickeli could have reached such an erroneous conclusion...

«With kindest greetings and best wishes for the coming year, I remain, cordially yours W. M. Wheeler.»

Segundo ja notei em artigos anteriores, a especie por mim descripta foi comparada por Menozzi com a colleccao de Emery (Museu Civico de Genova), na qual se acham todas as especies de Acropyga , inclusive cotypos' de A. decedens Mayr . Penso portanto que pickeli deve ser considerada como especie valida, e distincta de goeldii For. e decedens Mayr .

T. Borgmeier