Myrmelachista arthuri

Myrmelachista arthuri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Myrmelachistini
Genus:	Myrmelachista
Species:	M. arthuri
Binomial name
Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903 Specimen Label
Subspecies
Myrmelachista arthuri brunneiceps Forel, 1908
Synonyms
Myrmelachista ute Kusnezov, 1969

This species nests in wood or stems of live or dead, standing plants.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -22.809943° to -23.530278°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (type locality), Paraguay.

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

Castro et al 2017.

Castro et al (2017) studied the nesting and foraging biology of this species in a block of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. They found M. arthuri nests in wood or stems of live or dead, standing plants. It does not create satellite nests in twigs on the ground, as has been observed in some other Myrmelachista species. Workers are visible and active on the stems of plants, using established foraging trails throughout the day. They forage in the leaf litter and arborearly. Activity tended to be more intense during the warmer parts of the day, a pattern that was more pronounced during the cold/dry season. Warm/wet season foraging, less intense despite alate production during that time, likely results in more efficient foraging due to higher food availability. Seasonal shifts in diet, i.e., the quantity and identity of food items, was evident through examining laden foragers. Overall, M. arthuri is a generalist. It collects all kinds of insects and feeds on plant exudates as well. One unexpected finding was the high abundance of springtails collected.

Nomenclature

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

• arthuri. Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903c: 263 (diagnosis in key) (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in M. (Decamera): Emery, 1925b: 33; in M. (Hincksidris): Kempf, 1972a: 148. Senior synonym of ute: Kempf, 1978: 36. Current subspecies: nominal plus brunneiceps.
• ute. Myrmelachista ute Kusnezov, 1969: 34 (w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of arthuri: Kempf, 1978: 36.

References

• Castro, G.H.P., Kayano, D.Y., Souza, R.F., Hilsdorf, A.W.S., Feitosa, R.M., Morini, M.S.C. 2017. Seasonal Patterns of the Foraging Ecology of Myrmelachista arthuri Forel, 1903 (Formicidae: Formicinae). Sociobiology, 64(3), 237-243 DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v64i3.1629).
• Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 33, Combination in M. (Decamera))
• Forel, A. 1903e. Mélanges entomologiques, biologiques et autres. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 47: 249-268 (page 263, (diagnosis in key) worker described)
• Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 148, Combination in M. (Hincksidris))
• Kempf, W. W. 1978b. Five new synonyms for the Argentine ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). 112. Stud. Entomol. 20: 35-38 (page 36, Senior synonym of ute)
• Nakano, M.A., Miranda, V.F.O, Feitosa, R.M. & Morini, M.S.C. 2014. The geneic Characterizaion of Myrmelachista Roger Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in the Atlanic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. Sociobiology 61, 21-27.

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.
• Calixto J. M. 2013. Lista preliminar das especies de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do estado do Parana, Brasil. Universidad Federal do Parana 34 pages.
• Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
• Forel A. 1908. Ameisen aus Sao Paulo (Brasilien), Paraguay etc. gesammelt von Prof. Herm. v. Ihering, Dr. Lutz, Dr. Fiebrig, etc. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 58: 340-418.
• Kempf W. W. 1978. Five new synonyms for the Argentine ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). 112. Studia Entomologica 20: 35-38.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Kusnezov N. 1969. Nuevas especies de hormigas. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 24: 33-38.
• Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.
• Luederwaldt H. 1918. Notas myrmecologicas. Rev. Mus. Paul. 10: 29-64.
• Nakano M. A., V. F. Oliveira de Miranda, D. Rodrigues de Souza, R. M. Feitosa, and M. S. C. Morini. 2013. Occurrence and natural history of Myrmelachista Roger (Formicidae: Formicinae) in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 86: 169-179.
• Suguituru S. S., D. R. de Souza, C. de Bortoli Munhae, R. Pacheco, and M. S. de Castro Morini. 2011. Diversidade e riqueza de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em remanescentes de Mata Atlântica na Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Tietê, SP. Biota Neotrop. 13(2): 141-152.
• Suguituru S. S., M. Santina de Castro Morini, R. M. Feitosa, and R. Rosa da Silva. 2015. Formigas do Alto Tiete. Canal 6 Editora 458 pages
• Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
• Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.