Pogonomyrmex intermedia Menozzi 1935 NEW
STATUS
Pogonomyrmex (Ephebomyrmex) bispinosus var. intermedia Menozzi, 1935: 320
(worker).
Syntypes examined: x workers
[GGC] not examined, #204, CHILE, Bío Bío Region: Ñuble Province, Volcán de Chillan, 1700 m (Prof. W. Goetsch
leg.).
Pogonomyrmex (Pogonomyrmex) bispinosus var.
intermedius
Menozzi; Kempf, 1972: 207. First
combination in Pogonomyrmex (Pogonomyrmex). Snelling
& Hunt, 1976: 75 (synonomy under vermiculatus: not
confirmed here). NEW STATUS
Worker
Diagnosis. Within the
P. rastratus
group, the combination of: (1) first gastric tergite
lacking striae, (2) anterior face of petiole and
peduncle meet at or near a right angle, and (3) ferruginous orange head and gaster with a darker, mostly blackish mesosoma
uniquely characterize this species.
Measurements
(mm) - lectotype (n = 12). HL 1.40-1.79; HW 1.44-1.82; MOD
0.33-0.40; OMD 0.31-0.47; SL 1.09-1.35; PNW 1.00-1.22; HFL 1.32-1.82; ML 1.65-2.07;
PW 0.36-0.49; PPW 0.54-0.70. Indices: SI
69.89-80.25; CI 95.38-111.41; OI 19.89-24.31; HFI 87.91-110.60.
Description. Head subquadrate to
quadrate (CI = 95.38-111.41); posterior margin flat to slightly convex in
full-face view. Longitudinal
cephalic rugae prominent, in full-face view, median rugae diverging toward posterior corners of head. Vertex rugose,
interrugal spaces weakly to moderately granulate,
sub-shining. Cephalic interrugal spaces strongly granulate, dull. Anterior margin of clypeus weakly
to moderately concave, dorsum with several suparallel
longitudinal rugae. Mandible with six teeth; mandibular
dorsum coarsely striated. MOD ranging from 0.19-0.25x HL. Eyes in profile situated slightly anterior to
middle of head, OMD = 0.9-1.3x MOD. In full-face
view, eyes protruding slightly beyond lateral margins of head. Antennal scapes (SI
= 69.89-80.25) failing to reaching posterior corners of head by less than
length of basal funicular segment.
Antennal scapes with weak longitudinal striae, weakly to moderately granulate, sub-shining; basal
flange well developed with carinate margin. Psammophore well
developed.
Mesosomal profile
slightly to moderately convex. In dorsal view, humeral portion of pronotum enlarged, slightly to
distinctly angulate.
All mesosomal surfaces with
prominent parallel/subparallel wavy to irregular rugae.
Anterior portion of pronotum rugoreticulate, irregular rugae
on pronotal sides traverse ventrally or posterioventrally; rugae on mesopleura angle posteriodorsally. Dorsum of promesonotum with longitudinal rugae
that diverge anteriorly toward humeral angles. Promesonotal suture
often slightly to moderately impressed. Propodeal spines acuminate,
length approximately 0.5-0.7x the width between their bases, connected by a
well-defined keel; irregular transverse rugae on dorsum
of propodeum traverse ventrally or anterioventrally on sides.
Inferior propodeal spine well developed,
broader than high, tapering to a blunt to subacute
tip. Propodeal spiracles narrowly ovate. Interrugal spaces
on mesosoma densely granulate, dull to
sub-shining. Legs
sub-shining to shining.
Petiolar peduncle
long, ventral surface often with a broad, rounded process. In side view, dorsum of petiole slightly
convex; petiolar node asymmetrical with anterior
surface notably longer than posterior surface, apex subangulate
to weakly rounded; anterior face meeting peduncle at a right angle. In dorsal view, petiole longer than broad,
widest near rounded anterior margin, gradually tapering to posterior margin. Sides and dorsum of petiolar node with wavy to irregular transverse rugae. Dorsum of postpetiole convex in side
view; in dorsal view, widest near posterior margin, tapering to anterior
margin, width and length similar.
Wavy, transverse rugae on dorsum
of postpetiole that are finer and denser than those
on petiole; interrugal spaces on petiole and postpetiole smooth and shining. Dorsum of first gastric tergite
smooth and shining to weakly coriarious, occasionally
moderately coriarious near base giving the appearance
of very faint longitudinal striae.
Erect,
mostly short to medium length, yellowish pilosity
moderately abundant on head. Moderately abundant suberect to semidecumbent pilosity on scape; abundant decumbent hairs on funicular segments. Legs with moderately
abundant suberect to decumbent yellowish setae. Mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gastric tergites with moderately dense, erect, yellowish setae that
are similar in length; longest hairs on body not exceeding MOD. Head and gaster ferruginous orange; mesopleura
and propodeum dark brownish-orange; rest of body an
intermediate orangish-brown to brownish-orange.
Queen.
Unknown.
Male.
Unknown.
Additional material examined.
Etymology. Mennozi described P. intermedia by comparing it to two
other Chilean taxa, P. bispinosus and P. bispinosus var. semistriatus, indicating that the sculpturing of P. intermedia was similar to that of P. bispinosus var. semistriatus,
and much more pronounced than in P. bispinosus,
but that the gaster was smooth and shiny as in P. bispinosus (whereas the gaster of P. semistriatus has fine
longitudinal striae).
Thus, the name intermedia appears to be
derived from this species having a set of characters intermediate to those of P. bispinosus and P. bispinosus var. semistriatus.
REFERENCES