Gnamptogenys boliviensis

Gnamptogenys boliviensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae
Tribe:	Ectatommini
Genus:	Gnamptogenys
Species:	G. boliviensis
Binomial name
	Gnamptogenys boliviensis; Lattke, 1995

Nothing is known about the biology of Gnamptogenys boliviensis.

Identification

A member of the mordax subgroup (in the mordax species group). Gnamptogenys boliviensis is near to Gnamptogenys continua and the possibility exists that the collection and study of more material may show them to be conspecific. In G. continua the sculpture is coarser, costate-costulate, and the mandibles are more robust, without a concave inner edge. (Lattke 1995)

Keys including this Species

Key to New World Gnamptogenys workers

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.15° to -14.15°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Gnamptogenys biology

Not much is known about the the biology of Gnamptogenys boliviensis. We can speculate that the biology of this species is similar to other species of the genus. Gnamptogenys are predatory ponerine ants that inhabit tropical and subtropical mesic forests. Nesting is typically at ground level in rotten wood or leaf litter. Some exceptions include species that are arboreal, a dry forest species and species that nests in sandy savannahs. Colony size tends to be, at most, in the hundreds. Queens are the reproductives in most species. Worker reproduction is known from a few species in Southeastern Asia. Generalist predation is the primary foraging/dietary strategy. Specialization on specific groups (millipedes, beetles, other ants) has developed in a few species.

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Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Paratype of Gnamptogenys boliviensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0900556. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

boliviensis. Gnamptogenys boliviensis Lattke, 1995: 160, figs. 43, 44 (w.m.) BOLIVIA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 12 paratype workers, 4 paratype males.
- Type-locality: holotype Bolivia: Tumupasa (W.M. Mann); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: USNM (holotype); BMNH, LACM, MIZA, MZSP, USNM (paratypes).
- Status as species: Lattke, et al. 2007: 260 (in key); Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 111; Camacho, et al. 2020: 458 (in key); Marcineiro & Lattke, 2020: 4 (in key); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
- Distribution: Bolivia, Peru.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype (Paratypes) measurements: HL 0.88 (0.83-0.88); ML 0.36 (0.39-0.41); HW 0.70 (0.69-0.70); SL 0.49 (0.48-0.50); ED 0.10 (0.10-0.1 2); WL 1.23 (1.06-1.15) mm; CI 0.70 (0.80-0.84); SI 0.70 (0.69-0.71); OI 0.15 (0.15-0.18). n = 4.

Head in frontal view elongate, lateral margins fairly parallel, vertexal margin concave; anterior lamella of clypeus laterally rounded and medianly convex; eyes situated at mid-length; antennae smooth and shining, dorsoventrally compressed widest apicad; mandibles smooth and shining dorsally, with sparse punctae, subfaleate, laterobasally with small area of longitudinal rugae, including small sulcus never longer than one-fourth of the mandible; gula with longitudinal costulae, front of head with longitudinal striae.

Occasional transverse costulae on pronatal collar; mesosomal dorsum with longitudinal costulae, slightly thicker on metanotum and propdeum than on promesonotum; pronotal suture softly impressed, visible only in certain angles of view; metanotal suture deeply impressed but doesn't break longitudinal sculpture; declivitous propodeal face with oblique to transverse costulae and two superolateral ridges; pronotum laterally with transverse costulae, smooth and shining along ventral margin; anepisternum elongate and obliquely costulate; katepisternum and metepisternum with transverse costulae; costulae on metepisternum have same direction as on katepisternum, but costulate on lateral propodeal face are more horizontal; propodeal spiracle round and not prominently higher than surrounding sculpture; petiole slighty pedunculate, dorsally with longitudinal costulae, anterior face with transverse costula or rugae, sometimes partially effaced, laterally with longitudinal costulae with slight oblique tendency; node in lateral view with softly convex dorsal margin, anteriorly concave; anterior and posterior faces fairly sharply separated from dorsal face; posterior face with 4-5 convex costulae; subpetiolar process varies from subquadrate anteriorly and posteriorly concave.

Anterior postpetiolar face smooth and shining; gastric terga I and II with longitudinal striae, sternum I laterally costulate, but discal area smooth and shining as is rest of gaster; procoxa anteriorly and anterolaterally smooth and shining, posterolaterally costulate; mesocoxae with transverse costulae that tend to be effaced; dorsum of metacoxa with transverse costulate and basal, low triangular lobe; tibia and femora smooth and shining. Body ferruginous brown; legs and antennae testaceous.

Male

Mandibles triangular, apical edge serrate, dorsally smooth and shining; cephalic dorsum with longitudinal striae that tend to be effaced before reaching mid-ocellus, faint transverse rugae above the posterior ocelli but rest of head smooth and shining; propodeum rugose; petiole with lateral rugulae, dorsum shining, with slight roughened aspect and median longitudinal costulae; gastric sterna and terga smooth and shining; vestigial arolea present.

Type Material

Holotype worker. Bolivia, Tumupasa, W.M. Mann, leg. Deposited in the National Museum of Natural History. Paratypes: Seven workers deposited in the National Museum of Natural History; One worker and one male in each of the following: The Natural History Museum, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Museum of Comparative Zoology. One worker in MUSP. All from same locality and probably from the same nest. One specimen bears an additional label: “Mulford Biological Expedition, 1921-1922.” Consultation of maps locates Tumupasa at 14°09'S 67°55' W in lowland forests of the upper Rio Beni watershed.

Etymology

The name is derived from the name of the type locality country, Bolivia.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
Scott-Santos, C.P., F.A. Esteves, C.R.F. Brandao. 2008. Catalogue of "Poneromorph" ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia 48(11):75-88.