Hylomyrma sagax

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Hylomyrma sagax
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Pogonomyrmecini
Genus: Hylomyrma
Species: H. sagax
Binomial name
Hylomyrma sagax
Kempf, 1973

Only one worker is known, apart from the type specimens. All material examined was collected from leaf-litter of tropical rainforest, which suggests that nests are located in fallen logs, rotten wood, between leaves, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers. (Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021)

Identification

Vermicular striae on head dorsum and mesosoma; propodeal spine long; dorsal margin of petiole continuous, convex; petiole ventral surface smooth; longitudinal and anastomosed striae on postpetiole and tergum of first gastral segment; subpostpetiolar process prominent, convex; profemur almost entirely striate, apical region of posterior surface smooth; protibia entirely striate; long striae on tergum of first gastral segment.

This species is similar to Hylomyrma virginiae and Hylomyrma mitiae in the vermicular sculpture on the head dorsum and mesosoma, and the anastomosed striae on the postpetiole and first gastral tergite.

Hylomyrma sagax is distinguished from H. virginiae (characteristic in parentheses) based on the following characters: a pair of large teeth laterally at the clypeus anterior margin (vs. a pair of medium teeth), the propodeal spine comparatively longer and needle-like (vs. shorter and thicker), and the continuous dorsal margin of petiole (vs. discontinuous).

Hylomyrma sagax is distinguished from H. mitiae in the pair of large teeth laterally at the clypeus anterior margin (vs. medium teeth), the presence of smooth interspaces between the vermicular striae on the entire mesosoma (vs. smooth interspaces only on the mesosomal dorsum; the lateral of mesosoma is covered with very thin striae with indistinguishable interspaces), and the convex subpostpetiolar process (vs. subtriangular).

All three species are allopatric; Hylomyrma sagax is restricted to southeast Colombia (Fig. 83), whereas H. mitiae occurs in French Guiana (Fig. 87), and H. virginiae is recorded in Ecuador (both sides of The Andes) and in western Colombia (Fig. 89).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 0.2° to -4°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate
  • Source: Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (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

Nomenclature

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

  • sagax. Hylomyrma sagax Kempf, 1973b: 249, fig. 3 (w.q.) COLOMBIA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 6 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen.
    • Type-locality: holotype Colombia: Amazonas, 7 km. NW Leticia, 20-25.ii.1972, berlesate no. 230, forest litter (S. & J. Peck); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); MCZC, MZSP (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Kutter, 1977a: 88; Brandão, 1991: 346; Bolton, 1995b: 213; Pierce, M.P., Branstetter, et al. 2017: 137; Fernández & Serna, 2019: 797; Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 109 (redescription).
    • Distribution: Colombia.

Type Material

  • Holotype: COLOMBIA: Amaz.[Amazonas]: 7km NW Letícia, 20–25 Feb 1972, #230, forest litter, berlesate, S. & J. Peck [leg.] (1W) (MCZ35422) [MCZC] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].
  • Paratypes: same data as holotype (2W 1Q) (MCZ35422) [MCZC] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)]; (2W) (ANTWEB-1008993 MZSP67450) [MZSP] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)]; (1W) (MZHY212) [MZSP] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
  • Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
  • Groc S., J. H. C. Delabie, F. Fernandez, M. Leponce, J. Orivel, R. Silvestre, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos, and A. Dejean. 2013. Leaf-litter ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a pristine Guianese rainforest: stable functional structure versus high species turnover. Myrmecological News 19: 43-51.
  • Pierce M. P., M. G. Branstetter, and J. T. Longino. 2017 . Integrative taxonomy reveals multiple cryptic species within Central American Hylomyrma FOREL, 1912 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecological News 25: 131-143.
  • Resende J. J., G. M. de M. Santos, I. C. do Nascimento, J. H. C. Delabie, and E. M. da Silva. 2011. Communities of ants (Hymenoptera – Formicidae) in different Atlantic rain forest phytophysionomies. Sociobiology 58(3): 779-799.