Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia
See belti for images of similar species.
Range
Brazil: AM, BA, GO, PA; Guyana; Trinidad. Range map.
Diagnosis
Face sculpture clathrate (i.e., honeycomb sculpture; irregular polygons); mesonotum longitudinally rugose (in contrast to belti, in which pronotum and mesonotum are usually similarly sculptured, reticulate-rugose; figure); exterior surface of tibia coarsely rugose (smooth in belti); AT4 punctate, weak (reduced to microareolate sculpture in some cases) to strongly impressed; HW 1.0-1.3mm (n=7).
Additional Description
Lateral clypeus more or less flat, meeting anterior torulus at right angle, such that torulus is exposed anteriorly and does not appear recessed; frontal carina extends obliquely across torulus and joins lateral clypeal carina; eye shallowly convex; vertex margin well-defined; vertex smooth and shiny with coarse striae radiating perpendicularly from occipital carina; pronotum foveate to reticulate-rugose; face with abundant stubble of short, erect setae; mesosoma with dense, stiff, erect setae, longer than those on face; AT4 with abundant stiff setae, those near postpetiolar insertion relatively longer and suberect, those on rest of AT4 relatively shorter and appressed.
Images
Worker: mesosoma, dorsal view (reduced, original).
Natural History
Little is known of the biology of this species, but its morphological similarity to P. belti predicts similar habits. It inhabits the canopy of lowland wet forest, and probably nests in small dead stems.
Types and Synonymy
Procryptocerus hirsutus Emery 1896:96. Syntype workers: Brazil, State of Para (Schulz) [MCSN, examined July, 1990]. Kempf 1951:34 (translation of Emery's description, and additional description of non-type workers).
Material Examined
BRAZIL: Amazonas: Itacoatiara Highway, Km34 [3¡07'S, 60¡02'W], 7 Jun 1971 (W. L. and D. E. Brown) LACM ENT 140211 [MCZC]; Ilha de Curari [3¡15'S, 59¡49'W], 1975-1976 (J. Adis) LACM ENT 140215, LACM ENT 140216 [LACM]; Manaus [3¡07'S, 60¡02'W], Sep 1962 (K. Lenko) LACM ENT 140217, LACM ENT 140218 [MZSP]; Ig. Marianil, Rio Branco Rd., 24km NE Manaus [3¡07'S, 60¡02'W], 9 Sep 1962 (W. L. Brown) LACM ENT 140204, LACM ENT 140205 [MCZC]; Bahia: Fal. Sao Jose, Mascote [15¡33'S, 39¡17'W], 17 Sep 1980 (F. P. Benton) [CPDC]; Itacare [14¡18'S, 39¡00'W], 21 Dec 1993 (J. H. C. Delabie) [CPDC]; Goias: Jatai [17¡53'S, 51¡43'W], Nov 1972 (F. M. Oliveira) LACM ENT 140219 [MZSP].
GUYANA: Kartabo [Kartabu Point, 6¡23'N, 58¡41'W] (W. M. Wheeler) LACM ENT 140206, LACM ENT 140207, LACM ENT 140208, LACM ENT 140209, LACM ENT 140210, LACM ENT 140212, LACM ENT 140213, LACM ENT 140214 [LACM, MCZC].
TRINIDAD: Mt. Tucuche [10¡44'N, 61¡25'W] (Darlington) [MCZC].
Literature Cited
Emery, C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XVII-XXV. Bollettino della Societa Entomologica Italiana 28:33-107.
Kempf, W. W. 1951. A taxonomic study on the ant tribe Cephalotini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Revista de Entomologia 22:1-244.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu
Date of this version: 7 September 1998.
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