Odontomachus ruginodis M. R. Smith 1937
Creators: name: Macgown, Joe A.
name: Boudinot, Brendon
name: Deyrup, Mark
name: Sorger, D. Magdalena
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Formicidae
Odontomachus
Odontomachus ruginodis

description: Odontomachus ruginodis M. R. Smith, 1937
(Figs. 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 22–26)
Odontomachus haematodus var. ruginodis Smith, 1937: 828 (worker and queen), Bahamas. [First available use of Odontomachus haematodes insularis ruginodis Wheeler, 1905: 82, unavailable name.] Deyrup, Trager & Carlin, 1985: 192 (male). Raised to species: Wilson, 1964: 4. Junior synonym of O. brunneus: Brown, 1976: 103. Revived from synonymy: Deyrup, Trager & Carlin, 1985: 192.
Diagnosis. Workers may be identified by the unique following character combination: 1) body small, somewhat tricolored orangish, reddish-brown, and blackish; 2) petiolar node with conspicuous transverse striae; and 3) metasternal ridge notched, with short, rounded triangular teeth (not elongate as in O. haematodus). Males are uniquely identified by the following character combination: 1) ocelli small, weakly projecting beyond posterior head margin; 2) metasternal processes short; 3) mesoscutum smooth to weakly longitudinally striate; 4) propodeum coarsely rugose; and 5) petiolar node conspicuously striate. Abdominal sternum IX is most similar to that of O. haematodus, but the apex of the posterior lobe is narrower (see Fig. 24). Genitalia are most similar to O. clarus but are differentiated by the following characters: telomeral apex broader, more evenly rounded; telomeral posterodorsal margin less concave; valviceps apicodorsal lobe and ventroapical process broader (Fig. 25).
Description. Worker: HL 2.00–2.18, HW 1.58–1.76, SL 1.78–1.90, EL 0.33–0.38, ML 1.16–1.20, WL 2.50–2.60, PTH 0.88–1.04, PTL 0.44–0.46 (n=5). Entire body generally shiny except where dulled by dense pubescence; head including mandibles and antennae and legs orangish-brown to reddish-brown, mesosoma and waist darker reddish-brown, and gaster brownish-black. Head with fine, longitudinal striae covering much of the head in full-face view, striae beginning from frontal lobes and diverging toward posterior corners of head, fading at corners and sides; sides and underside of head lacking sculpture; with numerous, fine, appressed pubescence and scattered elongate, erect setae present dorsally. Pronotum with somewhat circular concentric striae that become transverse near rear margin; appressed pubescence abundant; 6–10 elongate, erect setae present. Mesonotum and propodeum with deep transverse striae; propleuron, mesopleuron, and basalar lobe lacking sculpture; abundant pubescence present dorsally. Metasternum with ridge that can be bilobed or cleft, but lobes not extending out as elongate, spiniform processes (Fig. 3 B). Petiole widest at base, gradually tapering apically to a short spine directed rearward; with transverse striae present and obvious of all surfaces; subpetiolar process somewhat anvil shaped; appressed pubescence present anteriorly and laterally, but mostly absent posteriorly. Gaster mostly shiny beneath pubescence, lacking striae or other strong sculpture, but with fine coriaceous sculpture (seen at high magnification); slightly coarse, appressed pubescence somewhat sparse, spaces between hairs more than 1/2 the length of a single hair; scattered erect, elongate setae present.
Male: HL 0.88–0.96, HW 1.10–1.20, SL 0.15–0.18, EL 0.58–0.64, EW 0.32–0.38, OL 0.15–0.18, OES 0.22–0.23, WL 2.28–2.50, PTH 0.72–0.76, PTL 0.42–0.48;, FWL 4.08–4.60 (n=5). Head, mesosoma, and petiole generally shiny except where obscured by dense pubescence; head and mesosoma yellowish-brown with a darker brown infuscation on pronotum, propodeum dark brown, gaster yellowish-brown to darker brown, antennae and legs pale yellowish-brown. Head, meso- and metasoma with abundant fine, white pubescence except on anepisternum where pubescence is mostly absent. Eyes relatively large, maximum diameter of each eye 50–60% of the length of the head in full-face view. Ocelli relatively small, length of each ocellus less than distance between lateral ocellus and eye margin; in full-face view, lateral ocelli only protrude slightly beyond posterior border of head. Mesosoma: pronotum lacking sculpture; mesoscutum feebly shining, lacking obvious sculpture; mesoscutellum raised and rounded, with longitudinal striae; propodeum with distinct declivious face in profile, strongly rugoreticulate; mesopleuron mostly lacking striae. Petiole bluntly rounded apically, with triangular subpetiolar process anteriorly; densely pubescent anteriorly and laterally, but reduced pubescence posteriorly. Abdominal sternum IX disc breadth about twice length; posterior lobe length about twice maximum lobe width, basal half strongly narrowed. Telomeral apex narrowly to somewhat broadly rounded; telomere length distinctly greater than height; valviceps ventral apex weakly produced, broad; valviceps apical margin broadly concave; vertical portion of dorsolateral carina and lateral margin of subapical lamina meeting at an angle; apicodorsal lobe of valviceps somewhat broad, short; subapical lamina broad.
Queen: HL 2.18–2.20, HW 1.82–1.88, SL 1.90–2.02, EL 0.40–0.46, ML 1.10–1.30, OL 0.12, WL, 2.94–3.06, PTH 1.14–1.24, PTL 0.52–0.56, FWL 6.00–6.25 (n=2). Similar to workers in color and general appearance except slightly larger, alate, and with mesosoma developed for wings.
Distribution (Fig. 26): In the US, this species is known only from peninsular Florida, where it is abundant in the Keys and the southern Peninsula, found sporadically in the central and northern Peninsula: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, Glades, Hendrey, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Polk, Sarasota, St. Lucie, and Volusia Counties (Deyrup and Cover 2004). The species has been reported from the West Indies (Deyrup & Cover 2004), and is apparently widespread in Central and South America (based on specimens examined from UMNM, UCDC, and UGCA).
Discussion. The status of Odontomachus ruginodis as an exotic species is unclear. The Florida populations may be recent arrivals from Antillean populations, as evidenced by the frequent collection in disturbed areas, such as near homes, rather than in natural habitats. Indeed, Puerto Rican populations of O. ruginodis show a preference for forests that are at least 25 years old (Osorio-Pérez et al. 2007), and males of Nearctic O. ruginodis more-closely resemble those of the Antilles rather than of the mainland Neotropics. During the past 20 years, this species appears to have been steadily expanding its range northward in Florida. Males have been collected from early May through June.
description: Published as part of Macgown, Joe A., Boudinot, Brendon, Deyrup, Mark & Sorger, D. Magdalena, 2014, A review of the Nearctic Odontomachus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) with a treatment of the males, pp. 515-552 in Zootaxa 3802 (4) on pages 543-548, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3802.4.6, http://zenodo.org/record/249896