Megalomyrmex emeryi

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Megalomyrmex emeryi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Megalomyrmex
Species group: leoninus
Species: M. emeryi
Binomial name
Megalomyrmex emeryi
Forel, 1904

Nothing is known about the biology of Megalomyrmex emeryi.

At a Glance • Ergatoid queen  

Identification

Brandão (1990) - M. emeryi exhibits various characters representing extremes within the variation range of the genus, suggesting a high degree of derivation. For instance, the node shape. pronotal lateral swellings and the degree of the longitudinal depression on propodeum dorsum. The extreme development of the genual plates in a spine-like projection called my attention. At the largest portion of the plate there is a white rounded spot, which may correspond to a gland, but confirmation would require alive specimens.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -1.77° to -1.77°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname (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

Brandão (2003) - Until now, the only known specimen of the rather aberrant M. emeryi is a worker, the holotype, collected somewhere in Suriname (see Brandão, 1990). I tentatively assigned a male from southern French Guyana to this species, which has also aberrant characters in relation to the known males of other species in this group, and does not belong to any of the species in the Leoninus group known to occur in the region. It was with great surprise that I received from the LACM 6 workers clearly belonging to this rather distinctive species from Boquerón (500 m), Loreto, Peru collected by J. Schunke in July 7 to 14, 1965, and bearing a label that reads “M. latreillei Emery, R. Hamton det.”. At first, I thought the extreme modifications could be the result of some kind of parasitism, but I am not aware of any case where parasitism might have resulted in such extreme modifications, particularly involving the characters that separate M. emeryi from all other taxa in this species group. Notwithstanding, since this new sample comes from a locality so distant from that of the holotype, I cannot rule out this hypothesis.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • emeryi. Megalomyrmex emeryi Forel, 1904d: 174 (w.) SURINAME.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • [Note: Brandão, 1990b: 433, 434, records a unique holotype, but in the original description Forel gives worker measurements of 8.0-8.5 mm., which implies more than one specimen.]
    • Type-locality: Suriname: (no further data) (coll. Ballion, ex-coll. Puls).
    • Type-depositories: ISNB, MHNG.
    • Brandão, 1990b: 434 (m.).
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1909b: 237 (in key); Emery, 1922e: 190; Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 34 (in key); Ettershank, 1966: 105; Kempf, 1972a: 139; Brandão, 1990b: 433 (redescription); Brandão, 1991: 355; Bolton, 1995b: 249; Brandão, 2003: 152; Guénard & Economo, 2015: 227.
    • Distribution: French Guiana, Suriname, Peru.

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

Description

Worker

Brandão (1990) - Mandibles smooth. anterior clypeal border straight without denticle; frontal suture impressed; 3-segmented antennal club; 21 ocular facets at compound eye largest diameter; occipital margin raised, visible at head frontal view; lateral portions of pronotal disc distinctly swollen, separated by a sagital depression: promesonotal suture impressed dorsally; mesosternum and metasternun with developed acrotergites paired teeth; dorsal face of propodeum, in side view. depressed transversally: dorsal face and declivity of propodeum meeting laterally in conical tubercles divergent and round at apex; propodeum dorsum deeply impressed longitudinally; declivity smooth; epipetiolar carina incomplete; non-pedunculate petiole with anteroventral denticle: dorsal margin of petiolar node, in side view, straight; squamiform petiole with sharp dorsal margin. notched at the center: pospetiole without ventral processes and longitudinally depressed node: genual plates acuminate.

Male

Brandão (1990) - Clypeus smooth without anterior denticle: cephalic integument smooth next to the compound eyes; 3 first funicular segments larger than scape; mesonotum with parapsidal suture impressed. but no notaulus: epipetiolar carina incomplete: dorsal face of propodeum smooth; petiolar spiracles laterally produced: petiolar node globose; postpetiolar node conical and ventral process spatulate advancing beneath the first gastric segment; Rs divided in Rs 1 and Rs2, Rs2 not equally developed on right and left wings.

Type Material

Brandão (1990) - Holotype at Institute Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles (coli. Ballion, ex coli. Puis).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Brandão C. R. F. 1990. Systematic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of thirteen new species. Arquivos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 31: 411-481
  • Brandão C. R. F. 2003. Further revisionary studies on the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 43: 145-159
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
  • Forel A. 1904. Fourmis du Musée de Bruxelles. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 48: 168-177.
  • 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.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).