Neivamyrmex punctaticeps

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Neivamyrmex punctaticeps
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Neivamyrmex
Species: N. punctaticeps
Binomial name
Neivamyrmex punctaticeps
(Emery, 1894)

Neivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173531 profile 1.jpg

Neivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173531 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Synonyms

Identification

Jack Longino:

Posterior face of propodeum straight, not concave, as long or longer than dorsal face; eye without distinct convex cornea; apex of scape does not exceed eye level; anteroventral tooth of petiole broadly triangular, shallow to nearly absent; face with abundant strong puncta; mesosomal dorsum with roughened sculpture; pilosity of mesosomal dorsum relatively dense, short, and of uniform length (contrasting with Neivamyrmex swainsonii, which has longer, sparser pilosity of variable length).

Similar species: Neivamyrmex swainsonii.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 25.68015° to -31.632389°.

     
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil (type locality), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

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

Jack Longino: I know this species from several widespread and diverse situations. Dana Meyer collected workers from a rotten log at Sirena in Corcovado National Park. I collected workers from a column on the main road in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, at 1500m elevation. I observed the column at 1240hrs. The column was tight, with rows of stationary workers on the sides, mandibles open and pointed upward (Fig. 1). The column was partially on open ground, partially under a soil-covered gallery before disappearing underground. There were several phorid flies running with the column.

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Neivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173532 head 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173532 profile 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173532 dorsal 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0173532 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0173532. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection.
Neivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178594 head 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178594 profile 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178594 dorsal 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178594 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0178594. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MIZA, Maracay, Venezuela.
Neivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178595 head 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178595 profile 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178595 dorsal 1.jpgNeivamyrmex punctaticeps casent0178595 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0178595. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MIZA, Maracay, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

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

  • punctaticeps. Eciton (Acamatus) punctaticeps Emery, 1894c: 181 (w.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (Germain).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Replacement name for Labidus spinolae Westwood, 1842: 77. [Junior primary homonym of Labidus spinolae Shuckard, 1840c: 327.]
    • [Note: punctaticeps oldest junior synonym of spinolae Westwood (synonymy by Borgmeier, 1953: 7, Borgmeier, 1955: 409); hence punctaticeps first available replacement name (Bolton, 1995b: 291).]
    • Combination in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1955: 409.
    • Emery, 1894c: 181 (w.).
    • Junior synonym of spinolae Westwood: Borgmeier, 1953: 7; Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Status as species: Forel, 1895b: 141; Emery, 1910b: 25; Santschi, 1912e: 526; Santschi, 1916e: 368; Borgmeier, 1923: 48; Borgmeier, 1936: 62; Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Bolton, 1995b: 291; Palacio, 1999: 157 (in key); Wild, 2007b: 26; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012: 254; Palacio, 2019: 621.
    • Distribution: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad.
  • columbicum. Eciton (Acamatus) fiebrigi r. columbicum Forel, 1912c: 46 (w.) COLOMBIA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Colombia: (no further data).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Junior synonym of commutatum: Borgmeier, 1953: 9.
    • Junior synonym of spinolae: Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Junior synonym of punctaticeps: Bolton, 1995b: 291.
  • commutatum. Eciton commutatum Emery, 1900a: 184 (w.) COLOMBIA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • [Note: this taxon is based on nitens Mayr, 1868a: 168, sensu Mayr, 1870a: 398, misidentification.]
    • Type-locality: Colombia (“Neugranada”): (no further data).
    • Type-depository: NHMW.
    • Combination in E. (Acamatus): Emery, 1900a: 187;
    • combination in E. (Neivamyrmex): Smith, M.R. 1942c: 568;
    • combination in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 6.
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 413; Wheeler, W.M. 1909b: 231; Emery, 1910b: 24; Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 562; Santschi, 1911d: 3; Smith, M.R. 1938b: 158; Smith, M.R. 1942c: 568 (redescription); Creighton, 1950a: 71; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 780.
    • Junior synonym of spinolae: Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Junior synonym of punctaticeps: Bolton, 1995b: 291.
  • fiebrigi. Eciton (Acamatus) fiebrigi Forel, 1909a: 255 (w.) PARAGUAY.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Paraguay: San Bernardino (Fiebrig).
    • Type-depositories: MHNG, NHMB.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1910b: 24.
    • Junior synonym of spinolae: Borgmeier, 1953: 9; Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Junior synonym of punctaticeps: Bolton, 1995b: 291.
  • hospes. Eciton latiscapum subsp. hospes Emery, 1906c: 111 (m.) ARGENTINA (Formosa).
    • Type-material: holotype male.
    • Type-locality: Argentina: Formosa (F. Silvestri).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Subspecies of latiscapus: Forel, 1907e: 2; Emery, 1910b: 26; Bruch, 1914: 215; Gallardo, 1920: 381.
    • Junior synonym of spinolae: Borgmeier, 1953: 7; Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Junior synonym of punctaticeps: Bolton, 1995b: 291.
  • ierense. Eciton (Acamatus) ierense Weber, 1938a: 207 (w.) TRINIDAD.
    • Type-material: 20 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: Trinidad: Mayaro Bay, 24.xi.1934 (N.A. Weber).
    • [Note: Weber also mentions (as “metatypes”) “a few worker heads” Trinidad: St Augustine, 22.iii.1935, ex stomach Bufo marinus (N.A. Weber).]
    • Type-depositories: AMNH, MCZC.
    • Junior synonym of spinolae: Borgmeier, 1955: 409; Kempf, 1972a: 159.
    • Junior synonym of punctaticeps: Bolton, 1995b: 291.
  • spinolae. Labidus spinolae Westwood, 1842: 77 (m.) BRAZIL (Goiás, and “Caisara”).
    • Type-material: 2 syntype males.
    • Type-localities: Brazil: Meia Ponte, 16.x.1827 (W. Burchell), and Caisara, 23.x.1827 (W. Burchell).
    • [Note: Caisara is the name of a municipality in both Rio Grande do Sul, and Paraiba.]
    • Type-depository: OXUM.
    • [Junior primary homonym of Labidus spinolae Shuckard, 1840c: 327.]
    • Combination in Eciton: Forel, 1895b: 121;
    • combination in E. (Acamatus): Emery, 1900a: 187;
    • combination in E. (Labidus): Bruch, 1914: 215;
    • combination in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 17.
    • Status as species: Smith, F. 1859b: 8; Roger, 1863b: 42; Mayr, 1863: 425; Dalla Torre, 1893: 6; Forel, 1895b: 121; Emery, 1900a: 178 (in key); Emery, 1910b: 27; Forel, 1913l: 213; Bruch, 1914: 215; Borgmeier, 1923: 49; Borgmeier, 1955: 409 (redescription); Kempf, 1972a: 159; Watkins, 1976: 14 (in key); Watkins, 1982: 211 (in key).
    • Replacement name: Eciton (Acamatus) punctaticeps Emery, 1894c: 181 (Bolton, 1995b: 291).
    • [Note: punctaticeps oldest junior synonym of spinolae Westwood (synonymy by Borgmeier, 1953: 7, Borgmeier, 1955: 409); hence punctaticeps first available replacement name (Bolton, 1995b: 291).]

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

Description

Worker

Smith (1942), for the synonym commutatum - Major. Length 4-5 mm.

Eye extremely small, indistinct, apparently placed beneath general surface of head, and only observable after careful examination. Superior border of mandible with remarkably large, blunt, angular, basal tooth; margin deeply excised between this tooth and masticatory border; masticatory border usually with a number of small, irregular teeth, which may often be worn off. Antennal scape remarkably robust, short, less than three times as long as its greatest width; funiculus exceedingly short and broad, all segments, except first two and last, very noticeably broader than long. Antennal socket open in front, that is, without a flange (this best seen from above). Posterior border of head, from above, deeply emarginate, forming distinct, blunt,• angular posterior corners; posterior corners not outwardly curved as in wheeleri. Thorax compressed. Pronotum without transverse carina. Promesonotum approximately two and a half times length of epinotum when measured from the point where the carina should be back to meso-epinotal suture; meso-epinotal suture broad, distinct, but not deep. Anterior half of promesonotum, in profile, convex; posterior half distinctly flattened; posterior part of promesonotum clearly elevated above base of epinotum. Base of epinotum meeting declivity in blunt, obtuse angle, which in some aspects does not appear much greater than a right angle. Petiole robust, subquadrate, approximately seven-eighths as broad as long. Postpetiole scarcely shorter than petiole but very clearly broader, approximately one and one-fourth times as broad as long, broader posteriorly than anteriorly.

Body and appendages unusually smooth and highly polished, with the following exceptions: Mandibles subopaque, coarsely and longitudinally striated, and bearing scattered piligerous punctures near the masticatory border; anterior declivity of pronotum, propleura, and sides of petiole and postpetiole faintly shagreened, subopaque; meso- and metapleura more coarsely granulate-punctate; meso-epinotal suture granulate-punctate, with also longitudinal striae; tarsi and funiculi opaque owing to the abundant pile. Head with small, scattered, but distinct punctures.

Hairs yellowish, moderately abundant, of variable length, apparently sparse or absent on sides of thorax and head: Appressed pubescence more visible on gaster than elsewhere.

Deep yellowish brown to reddish brown, with lighter petiole, post-petiole, gaster, and legs; mandibles and frontal carinae much darker, especially around borders.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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  • Borgmeier T. 1923. Catalogo systematico e synonymico das formigas do Brasil. 1 parte. Subfam. Dorylinae, Cerapachyinae, Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae. Archivos do Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro) 24: 33-103.
  • Borgmeier T. 1936. Sobre algumas formigas dos generos Eciton e Cheliomyrmex (Hym. Formicidae). Archivos do Instituto de Biologia Vegetal (Rio de Janeiro) 3: 51-68.
  • Borgmeier T. 1953. Vorarbeiten zu einer Revision der neotropischen Wanderameisen. Studia Entomologica 2: 1-51.
  • Bruch C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Revista del Museo de La Plata 19: 211-234.
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