Octostruma balzani (Emery 1894)

Octostruma balzani is a widespread Central and South American species that is common in many localities. It occurs in a variety of forested habitats: wet to seasonal dry, second growth to mature, lowland to montane. It usually occurs from sea level to the lower edges of cloud forests, typically around 1400 m. The highest elevation record is 1650 m in Nuevo León, Mexico. Almost all collections are from Berlese and Winkler samples of sifted litter and rotten wood from the forest floor. In quantitative 1 m2 litter plot samples, within-sample abundance is tens of workers or fewer, but the species can occur in nearly every sample, suggesting a high density of small colonies. Dealate queens and intercaste workers often occur together with workers in litter samples.

Northern Mexico (Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon) to southern Brazil (Paraná). Paraguay: Alto Paraná, Caaguazú, Canindeyú, Central, Concepción, Guairá, Itapúa.

Mandible with 8 teeth, tooth 1 continuous with basal rim of dorsal surface, tooth 1 a broad blunt lamella, strongly differentiated from tooth 2, teeth 2–5 acute, similar in shape, with denticles between them; teeth 5–8 forming an apical fork, with 5 and 8 large, 6 and 7 small partially confluent denticles; face matte, densely punctate rugulose throughout; face typically with ten erect spatulate setae; mesonotum typically with a pair of erect spatulate setae located at the juncture of pro- and mesonotum.

A cryptic inhabitant of forest floor leaf litter and rotten wood; widespread in lowland forests; often common; ranging from northern Mexico to southern Brazil.

Rhopalothrix balzani Emery, 1894d PDF: 217, pl. 1, fig. 10 (w.q.) BOLIVIA. Neotropic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Combination in Octostruma: Brown, 1949f PDF: 92.Senior synonym of Octostruma barberi: Brown & Kempf, 1960 PDF: 194.Senior synonym of Octostruma equilatera: Brown & Kempf, 1960 PDF: 194.Senior synonym of Octostruma lutzi: Brown & Kempf, 1960 PDF: 194.Senior synonym of Octostruma amrishi: Bolton et al., 2008 PDF: 62.See also: Longino, 2013b PDF: 20.

Alto Paraná , Caaguazú , Canindeyú , Central, Concepción , Guairá , Itapúa (ALWC, BMNH, INBP, LACM, MHNG, MZSP).