Eurhopalothrix speciosa Brown & Kempf 1960

Eurhopalothrix speciosa Brown & Kempf, 1960

Eurhopalothrix speciosa Brown & Kempf, 1960: 203, figs. 31-33. Holotype worker: Brazil, Santa Catarina: Nova Teutonia, May 1957, sifted from leaf mold (F. Plaumann) [MZSP, WWK No. 2648] (not examined). Paratype workers: same data as holotype [MCZC]; Serra Geral, Dec 1958, sifted from leaf mold (F. Plaumann) [MZSP, WWK No. 3004].

Geographic range. Brazil (Santa Catarina, São Paulo).

Comments. This species shares the elevated posterior mesonotal keel with E. hunhau and E. sepultura. Eurhopalothrix hunhau has a full complement of 18 specialized setae on the face; both E. sepultura and E. speciosa have a reduced number. The head shape of E. speciosa is very similar to E. sepultura. Eurhopalothrix speciosa has a distinctive arrangement of 6 specialized setae on the face: 4 in a tight square on the posteromedian vertex, and 2 on the posterolateral angles of the vertex margin. In contrast, Eurhopalothrix sepultura has the same medial square of 4 setae, but 4–6 additional setae are arranged anteriorly, between the medial square and the compound eyes, and there are no setae on the posterolateral angles of the vertex margin. Also, the compound eye of E. speciosa is relatively large, with 7–8 ommatidia across greatest diameter, versus 5 in E. sepultura.