Eurhopalothrix cimu

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Eurhopalothrix cimu
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Eurhopalothrix
Species: E. cimu
Binomial name
Eurhopalothrix cimu
Longino, 2013

Eurhopalothrix cimu casent0639338 p 1 high.jpg

Eurhopalothrix cimu casent0639338 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is known from 6 workers in a single Winkler sample of sifted litter and dead wood, in "dry mixed forest" at 1370 m elevation.

Identification

Mandible with double tooth row; face with transverse ridge; face lacking specialized spatulate setae. (Longino 2013)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.015° to 20.015°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Cuba (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

Explore-icon.png Explore Overview of Eurhopalothrix biology 
Little is known about the biology of most species in this genus. Nests are rarely found, and queens and males have not been collected for many species. Longino (2013) summarized their biology "Eurhopalothrix specimens are encountered almost exclusively in samples from mass extraction techniques that recover small arthropods in sifted litter, rotten wood, and soil. Densities, at least in the northern Neotropics, are usually low, with workers occurring in < 10% of quantitative samples of 1 m2 litter plots, but occasionally may reach densities as high as 40% of samples. Live colonies of Old World Eurhopalothrix were observed by Wilson (1956) and Wilson and Brown (1984), and a Costa Rican colony of Basiceros manni was observed by Wilson and Hölldobler (1986). All basicerotines, including Eurhopalothrix, are thought to be predators in tropical leaf litter, relying on stealth or sit-and-wait techniques. Sampled specimens are often coated with a thin layer of clay, especially on the face, which is thought to function as camouflage, enhancing crypsis (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1986). Highly specialized spatulate setae may be instrumental in acquisition and adherence of the clay layer (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1986)."

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

  • cimu. Eurhopalothrix cimu Longino, 2013: 114, figs. 2I, 5A, 16 (w.) CUBA.

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

Description

Worker

HW 0.84-0.89, HL 0.73-0.79, SL 0.45-0.49, SLL 0.12-0.13, CI 112-115, SLI 26-28 (n=3). Labrum, planar, U-shaped, with a discrete patch of short, non-capitate whitish setae; mandible triangular, dorsal surface convex, uniformly and feebly punctate, rounding into ventral surface; interior surface concave, smooth and shining; masticatory margin with two tooth rows, an outer row of 10 flattened, elongate, sharply acute teeth; an inner row of 3 long needle-shaped teeth, behind outer teeth 3–6 and projecting beyond them, nearly 2x length of flanking outer teeth; scape with very strongly developed basal lobe; dorsal surface of scape roughened; anterior edge of scape almost sulcate, with steep anterior face meeting laminar, translucent leading edge at nearly right angle; scrobe deep, delimited dorsally and posteriorly with sharp, high carina, delimited dorsally by lower carina, dorsal margin abutting deep antennal socket; surface of scrobe largely smooth and shiny, with a few rugulae anteriorly; eye with about 5 ommatidia across greatest diameter; clypeus smooth, sublucid, shallowly convex medially, with shallow concavities anterolaterally, juncture with frons very weakly marked; sides of head above eyes angulate; surface of face evenly divided into anterior and posterior portions by arcing transverse ridge, ridge terminates near compound eyes; anterior portion flat, feebly rugulose, with median longitudinal carina; posterior portion convex, feebly rugulose, with smooth shiny patch anterior to occipital carina (on posterior vertex, not visible in ymenoencircling carina, occiput foveolate (strongly differentiated from rugulose sculpture of surrounding sclerites); undersurface of head rugulose; postgenal suture a longitudinal groove overlain with transverse rugae.

Profile of promesonotum, dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum forming single convex curve, metanotal groove not impressed, dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum not differentiated (except in sculpture); propodeal spine laminar, translucent beyond base, triangular, acute, ventral margin rounding into moderately developed infradental lamella that extends down posterior face to propodeal lobe; propodeal spiracle small, directed somewhat posteriorly; dorsal promesonotum, dorsal face of propodeum, mesometapleuron, and side of propodeum rugulose; side of pronotum punctate, puncta confluent; posterior face of propodeum foveolate; metapleural gland bulla somewhat inflated, nearly smooth, matte; no transverse carinae between bases of propodeal spines.

Petiolar peduncle joins anterior face of petiolar node at rounded obtuse angle; anterior face of node meets dorsal face at rounded right angle; posterior face of node short; ventral margin of petiole lacking anteroventral tooth; postpetiole low and broad, with a feeble longitudinal sulcus dorsally; first gastral sternite lacking anterior sagittal keel; dorsa of petiolar node and postpetiole feebly rugulose; first gastral tergite shallowly foveolate anteriorly, grading to dense, small, confluent puncta posteriorly; first gastral sternite similar but sculptural elements larger.

Dorsal surface of scape with sparse, short, thin, appressed ground pilosity; leading edge of scape with about 10 long, straight, clavate projecting setae, gradually lengthening basad, with penultimate before basal the longest; ground pilosity on clypeus, face, and undersurface of head of very sparse, very fine, short, fully appressed setae, inconspicuous; face entirely lacking any projecting specialized setae; dorsal promesonotum and dorsa of petiolar node and postpetiole with similar ground pilosity of moderately abundant, short, thin, curved (not fully appressed), amber setae; ground pilosity on first gastral tergite similar but sparser; mesosoma, petiole, and postpetiole lacking projecting specialized setae; legs with sparse, stiff, decumbent ground pilosity on apices of femora, posterior face of foretibia, entire midtibia, anterior face of hindtibia, sparser on other surfaces; apices of tibiae each with single larger clavate seta; basitarsus and remaining tarsomeres with elongate clavate setae; specialized setae present on first gastral tergite, erect, elongate, narrowly clavate, full complement 4 pairs in two longitudinal rows, posterior row flanked by additional pair (4 setae along posterior border).

Color dark brown to black.

Type Material

Holotype worker: Cuba, Granma: Parque Nacional Pico Turquino, Aguada de Joachin, 20.015 - 76.84, ±150 m, 1370 m, 3 Feb 2012, dry mixed forest, ex sifted leaf litter (R. S. Anderson #2012-023) California Academy of Sciences, unique specimen identifier CASENT0639338]. Paratype workers: same data as holotype National Museum of Natural History, CASENT0630188; Museum of Comparative Zoology, CASENT0639337; Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, CASENT0639339; University of California, Davis, CASENT0639340; John T. Longino Collection, CASENT0639341.

Etymology

The name is based on the Taino word for front or forehead. It is a noun in apposition and thus invariant.

References

  • Longino J. T. 2013. A review of the Central American and Caribbean species of the ant genus Eurhopalothrix Brown and Kempf, 1961 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a key to New World species. Zootaxa 3693: 101-151 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3693.2.1).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. 2013. A review of the Central American and Caribbean species of the ant genus Eurhopalothrix Brown and Kempf, 1961 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with a key to New World species. Zootaxa 3693(2): 101-151.