Myrmelachista amicta

Myrmelachista amicta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Myrmelachistini
Genus:	Myrmelachista
Species:	M. amicta
Binomial name
Myrmelachista amicta Wheeler, W.M., 1934 Specimen Labels

The types were taken by Skwarra "in Tillandsia balbisiana" and from the "hollow stem of composite".

Identification

Worker with nine antennal segments. See Longino's comments regarding Myrmelachista of southern Mexico.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 19.217° to 18.956167°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (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.

Nomenclature

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

• amicta. Myrmelachista amicta Wheeler, W.M. 1934g: 195 (w.) MEXICO.

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

Description

Worker

Length 1.5-1.75 mm.

Head moderately large, subrectangular, as broad as long, with straight posterior border and nearly straight sides. Eyes fiat, near the middle of the sides. Mandibles broad, very convex, 5-toothed, the median tooth very small. Clypeus convex, its anterior border with a minute median denticle. Antennae 9-jointed; rather short; scapes extending slightly beyond the posterior orbits; first joint rather narrow, fully twice as long as broad; joints 2-5 small; second joint nearly as long as broad; 3-5 much shorter; two basal joints of the large club distinctly longer than broad, together shorter than the swollen terminal joint. Thorax short but narrower than in skwarrae, with more pronounced mesoepinotal constriction; promesonotum convex, subhemispherical, considerably larger than the epinotum; mesonotum subelliptical, less than one and one-half times as broad as long; epinotum lower than the promesonotum, not longer than broad, subcuboidal, with subequal base and declivity, meeting at a distinct angle, the declivity less sloping than in skwarrae. Petiole short, its scale only slightly inclined forward, decidedly thinner than in skwarrae, subrectangular from behind, with sharp, distinctly emarginate superior border. Gaster ovoidal, its first segment rounded anteriorly, its tip rather long and pointed. Legs rather slender, fore femora somewhat enlarged.

Smooth and shining, with fine, very sparse, piligerous punctures on the body; mandibles and clypeus superficially reticulate-punctate. Hairs glistening white, much sparser and shorter than in skwarrae, numerous but appressed on the scapes and legs, more suberect on the funiculi.

Deep castaneous; mandibles, anterior portion of head and upper surface of pronotum red or yellowish red; femora dark brown except at their bases and tips, which, like the tibiae, tarsi and antennae are yellow; last joint of antennal clubs feebly infuscated.

Type Material

Described from 16 workers (618) taken by Dr. Skwarra at Mirador, Vera Cruz in Tillandsia balbisiana and three (296) from the hollow stem of a composite.

Longino (2006) - Syntypes Museum of Comparative Zoology, National Museum of Natural History (USNM syntype worker examined).

References

• Longino, J.T. 2006. A taxonomic review of the genus Myrmelachista in Costa Rica. Zootaxa. 1141:1-54.
• Varela-Hernández, F., Medel-Zosayas, B., Martínez-Luque, E.O., Jones, R.W., De la Mora, A. 2020. Biodiversity in central Mexico: Assessment of ants in a convergent region. Southwestern Entomologist 454: 673-686.
• Wheeler, W. M. 1934g. Neotropical ants collected by Dr. Elisabeth Skwarra and others. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 77: 157-240 (page 195, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
• Wheeler W. M. 1934. Neotropical ants collected by Dr. Elisabeth Skwarra and others. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 77: 157-240.