Cryptomyrmex boltoni

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Cryptomyrmex boltoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Cryptomyrmex
Species: C. boltoni
Binomial name
Cryptomyrmex boltoni
(Fernández, 2003)

Cryptomyrmex boltoni casent0235385 p 1 high.jpg

Cryptomyrmex boltoni casent0235385 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is known from Bahia (Brazil) and Tapua (Paraguay), which are widely-separated sites. The species will probably be found betwen these areas provided there is more extensive sampling with Winkler traps and Berlese funnels.

Identification

Fernández (2003, 2004) - Very similar to Cryptomyrmex longinodus. Separated by the sculpturing on the propodeal dorsum and the sides of the mesosoma. In A. boltoni, the lamelliform setae are reduced to 2, near the basal border and between the basal teeth (of the masticatory border) and the tooth of the basal margin. The propodeal spines are longer than wide, in contrast to C. longinodus.

There are some differences in the mesosomal sculpturing in the material observed, which I consider at the moment as within species variation. In a few specimens (Praia Grande, SP, Brazil), the mesosoma is slightly shorter than in the others, with reticulated sculpturing on the mesopleura and a double keel on the dorsal part of the propodeum, keels that unite the bases of the propodeal spines, and less obvious longitudinal rugulae on the dorsal mesosoma. The type specimen from Bahia is intermediate between these Praia Grande specimens and the other specimens. This variation seems to be geographic.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.19416667° to -25.576°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Cryptomyrmex boltoni casent0235385 d 2 high.jpgCryptomyrmex boltoni casent0235385 p 2 high.jpgCryptomyrmex boltoni casent0235385 p 3 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0235385. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Cryptomyrmex boltoni casent0260404 h 1 high.jpgCryptomyrmex boltoni casent0260404 d 1 high.jpgCryptomyrmex boltoni casent0260404 p 1 high.jpgCryptomyrmex boltoni casent0260404 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0260404. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • boltoni. Adelomyrmex boltoni Fernández, 2003b: 14, figs. 65, 74 (w.) PARAGUAY, BRAZIL (Bahia).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 28 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Paraguay: Tapua, Santa Maria, 25.x.1982 (F. Baud); paratypes: 28 workers from 19 different localities in Brazil: Bahia, with many different dates and collectors, listed in Fernández, 2003b: 15.
    • Type-depositories: BMNH (holotype); CPDC, ICNB, IAVH, LACM, MIZA, PSWC, USNM, WEMC (paratypes).
    • Combination in Cryptomyrmex: Fernández, 2004b: 333.
    • Status as species: Fernández, 2004b: 333; Wild, 2007b: 30.
    • Distribution: Brazil, Paraguay.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype (Paratype). HL 0.60 (0.50) HW 0.52 (0.46) SL 0.41 (0.38) EL 0.05 (0.04) WL 0.70 (0.63) GL 0.75 (0.70) TL 2.60 (2.33) CI 88 (92) SI 74 (82).

Head longer than broad, with convex posterior and evenly rounded corners. Sides of head slightly concave before the eyes, slightly convex past eyes. Mandibles with 4 teeth decreasing in size from the apical teeth, the antepenultimate (subbasal) smallest. Mandible internal side with two lamelliform setae near basal border, between basal teeth and teeth of basal border. Hypostomal teeth absent. Head, most of promesonotum, sides of pronotum and gaster smooth and shining; remainder of thorax with more or less longitudinal rugulae. Posterior face of propodeum long, smooth and shining. Petiole with rugulae concentric around node, dorsally transverse and longitudinal on sides; sides of postpetiole with oblique rugulae, smooth and shining in the top, mandibles smooth and shining. Hairs long and flexuous on the body, shorter and appressed on antennae and legs. Body brown (including hairs), antennae and legs lighter.

Type Material

Holotype worker: PARAGUAY: Tapua, Santa María, 25.x.82, F. Baud leg. (Deposited in The Natural History Museum). Paratypes: 1 w, BRAZIL: Bahia, A. de Olivenca, mata –W, 14°58’S 39°01’W, 23.iii.98, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Aracataca A48, 15°15’90”S 39°16’01W, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Aritaguá, 14°39’S 39°04’W, 5.x.98, J.S. Carmo & J.R.M. Santos legg.; 1 w, Bahia, Buerarema, 14°45’30”S 39°13’00”W, 18.v.98, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Camacá-Vargito, 15°24’S 39°31’W, 22.iii.99, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Canavieiras-Oiticica, 14°24’34”S 39°01’00”W, 30.iii.98, J.R.S. Carmo leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Ibiripitanga, mata-W, 14°11’39”S 39°25’23”W, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 3 w, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPLEC – G Winkler No. 331, 1.iv.1996, J.R.M. Santos; 4 w, Bahia, Ilheus, CEPLEC-G, Winkler 396, iv.96, A.C. Moreira leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Ilhéus-Itabuna, are zool. Km 22, x.86, J. Delabie leg.; 3 w, Bahia, Ilhéus, Japu, 3.iii.91, J. Delabie No. 4374 & 4401; 1 w, Bahia, Ilhéus-Pimenteira, mata W-A17, 14°32’S 39°25’W, 6.x.1997, J.R.M. Dos Santos & J.C.S. do Carmo legg.; 1 w, Bahia, Maraú-Faz, Agua Boa, mata, 1.vii.97, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Maraú-Tremembé, mata W-A4, 7.vi.97, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Monte Pascual, 16°52’03”S 39°55’03”W, 18.vii.97, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 3 w, Bahia, Ilhéus, Una Reserve, 15°16’45”S 39°05’28”W, 21.xi.96, J.R.M. Santos keg.; 1 w, Bahia, Itacaré, 14°18’33”S 39°00’70”W, 25.vi.98, J.R.M. Dos Santos leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Ubaitaba, 14°15’01”S 39°19’27”W, 11.iv.97, J.C.S. Carmo leg.; 1 w, Bahia, Urucuca, 21.xii.93, R. Cordeiro No. 4572. 18 paratypes deposited in CEPLAC, 10 paratypes deposited in Humboldt Institute, Insect Collection, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Philip S. Ward Collection, National Museum of Natural History, William and Emma Mackay Collection.

References

  • Fernández, F. 2003b. Revision of the myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 361: 1-52 (page 14, figs. 65, 74 worker described)
  • Fernández, F. 2004b. Adelomyrmecini new tribe and Cyrptomyrmex new genus of myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 44(2): 325-335 (page 333, new combination in Cryptomyrmex)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Fernández F. 2004. Adelomyrmecini new tribe and Cryptomyrmex new genus of myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Sociobiology. 44: 325-335.
  • Fernández, F. 2003. Revision of the myrmicinae ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group. Zootaxa 361: 1-52.
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
  • Silva R.R., and C. R. F. Brandao. 2014. Ecosystem-Wide Morphological Structure of Leaf-Litter Ant Communities along a Tropical Latitudinal Gradient. PLoSONE 9(3): e93049. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093049
  • Silvestre R., M. F. Demetrio, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2012. Community Structure of Leaf-Litter Ants in a Neotropical Dry Forest: A Biogeographic Approach to Explain Betadiversity. Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/306925
  • Suguituru S. S., M. Santina de Castro Morini, R. M. Feitosa, and R. Rosa da Silva. 2015. Formigas do Alto Tiete. Canal 6 Editora 458 pages
  • Wild, A. L.. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.