Ecitonides colossus Montanhini, Żyła & Biffi, 2026, sp. nov.

Ecitonides colossus sp. nov. Figs 2, 9 A, H, 10 C, 12 C, F, 13 A – C Type locality. Brazil • Pará: Parauapebas (SB 219), 6°18'14.84"S, 49°58'30.9"W, 08–22 May. 2013, Souza et al. leg. Type specimen. Holotype (MZSP) male, dry pinned, with genitalia in a separate slide. Original labels: “ Lectótipo, Ecitonides colossus sp. nov. Montanhini, Żyła and Biffi, 2025 ” // “ Brasil, Pará, Parauapebas, (SB 219), -6.304121, -49.975254, 08–22. v. 2013, C. A. R. Souza et al. leg., Carste (Coleo) 14500-2177 ” // “ MZSP 44073 ” // “ Instituto Tecnológico da Vale, ITV 36379 ” // “ MZSP 44073 ”. Diagnosis. Body robust, head rectangular, pronotum hexagonal, and flattened tubercles over the body as in E. constanceae, E. spectabilis and E. splendidus sp. nov. It differs from all other species by the eyes reduced in size, almost indistinct in dorsal view. Description. Body length 11.9 mm. Body dark reddish-brown dorsally and bright yellowish-brown ventrally; antennae, tarsi, and outer margins of tibiae and femora slightly darker than body. Head, pronotum, elytra, tergites III – V, and anterior margin of tergite VI covered with tubercles, ventral side with distinctive texture and without distinct tubercles. Head: elongate, ~ 2 × as long as wide (HL: 2.5; HW: 1.1), rectangular, dorsal surface flat and covered with tubercles arranged in irregular longitudinal rows; ventral surface with distinct texture, without tubercles and covered with short, sparse, yellowish setae; frons as wide as posterior region; posterior margin only slightly converging. Eyes reduced, grayish, weakly visible from above, occupying ~ 1 / 7 of lateral side of head (Fig. 2 C). Antennae (Fig. 9 A) elongate and rather robust, twice longer than head, reaching posterior margin of pronotum; antennomeres moderately pubescent; scape as long as antennomeres 2–5 combined, with external margin sinuate, with two apical emarginations; antennomeres 2–10 longer than wide; 2 shorter than 3; 3 longer than 4–10; 4–10 subequal in length; antennomere 11 shorter than 10, subquadrate, apex acute. Labrum (Fig. 10 C) well sclerotized, transverse, slightly emarginate and with three denticles, median one pointed and one slightly rounded tooth on each side. Thorax: pronotum convex, hexagonal (PL: 4.6; PW: 2.2), widest at middle, wider than head; lateral margins diverging posteriorly at first half and converging posteriad and sinuate due to tuberculate sculpture; posterior margin sinuate and slightly wider than anterior margin. Pronotum covered with unequal rows of large tubercles interspaced with smaller tubercles; median tubercles forming slight longitudinal crest. Prosternum with distinctive texture, without distinct tubercles, hypomera bearing small tubercles. Elytra (EL: 2.5; EW: 3.0) wider than pronotum, sinuate laterally and posteriorly due to tuberculate sculpture, slightly wider at posterior 1 / 2; anterior margin declivous; humeri weakly projected; each elytron with five regular longitudinal rows of small tubercles; each row marginated by small thick setae. Meso- and metaventrite without conspicuous tubercles and bearing short, thick setae; metaventrite longer than mesoventrite; mesoventrite bearing small and shallow impression; mesosternal process acute and not reaching metasternal process; metasternal process small and truncate. Legs stout and relatively long, covered with small sparse tubercles and short thick setae; tarsomeres 1–4 transverse and subequal in size, 5 longest, cylindrical, apically dilated, slightly longer than previous four combined (Fig. 9 H). Abdomen: tergites III – V with posterior margin sinuate, more conspicuous in III and IV; VI with posterior margin slightly crenulated. Tergites III – IV with whole surface covered with tubercles and thick setae in between; tergite V with distinct row of tubercles only at base; VI without tuberculate sculpture, only impressions at base; VII with posterior margin straight, covered with small, thick setae; VIII medially U-shaped and densely covered with short, golden setae. Sternites III – VI with distinctive texture and covered with yellowish, short setae, laterally bearing thicker setae, outer margins weakly crenulated; VII covered with setae and slightly emarginate medially; VIII with median deep rounded emargination (Fig. 12 F); IX longer than wide with apical long setae (Fig. 12 C). Aedeagus (Fig. 13 A – C) (LA: 1.6) long and slender, slightly flattened and feebly sinuate near apex, bulbous at base, with truncate dorsal strut near foramen; apex of median lobe narrow and pointed, laterally curved. Etymology. The specific epithet, a Latinized noun in nominative case derived from the Ancient Greek κολοσσός (kolossós), which means “ large / giant statue ”, in allusion to the larger and more robust body of the new species. Distribution. BRAZIL, Pará (Fig. 15). Host ant. Unknown.