Pseudomyrmex elongatulus
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Pseudomyrmecinae |
Genus: | Pseudomyrmex |
Species group: | elongatulus |
Species: | P. elongatulus |
Binomial name | |
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus (Dalla Torre, 1892) | |
Synonyms | |
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This species is widely distributed in eastern Mexico, from Tamaulipas to Chiapas, with outlying populations in Guatemala and Belize. The record from Morelos needs to be confirmed since it lies outside the expected range of this species. It may represent a transient introduction. There are records of P. elongatulus being intercepted at U.S. ports of entry in Texas and California, from shipments originating in Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Guatemala (see list of material examined in Ward & Branstetter (2022)), indicating that this species has a propensity to be transported by human commerce. A single worker collected recently by Mark Deyrup in a natural setting in south Florida evidently represents an accidental introduction. It is unclear if P. elongatulus is established in that state; a second visit to the site failed to locate additional workers (Deyrup, personal communication). P. elongatulus has been recorded from lowland rainforest, rainforest edge, second-growth rainforest, mixed tropical/temperate mesic forest, shaded coffee, tropical dry forest, and roadside habitats, at elevations ranging from 20 m to 1355 m (mean 417 m; n = 53). Nests are found in dead twigs of various plants. Specific nest site records include dead stalk of grass, dead twig of liana, and dead twigs/stems of Cecropia, Heliocarpus appendiculatus, Gliricidia sepium, Mimosa, Orchidaceae, woody Asteraceae, and unidentified woody plants.
Identification
Medium-sized species (HW 0.93–1.06, LHT 0.80–0.97); head only moderately elongate (CI 0.81–0.90) and with rounded posterolateral corners in full-face view (Fig. 10); eyes relatively large (see REL and REL2 values); frontal carinae separated by less than basal scape width; metanotal groove strongly impressed, conspicuous in profile; dorsal face of propodeum flat, rounding into declivitous face, the two subequal in length; petiole slender, elongate-triangular in profile (PLI 0.47–0.53, PL/HL 0.57–0.61, PL/ LHT 0.75–0.80); petiole with slight anterior peduncle, in profile the anterodorsal face flat to convex, ascending gradually to summit in posterior quarter of node, then rounding into steeply descending posterior face; profemur moderately robust (FI 0.43–0.47); hind leg moderately long (LHT/HL 0.74–0.79). Head subopaque to sublucid, densely punctulate-coriarious, the punctures becoming less dense on vertex (separated by their diameters or more). Standing pilosity sparse, absent from propodeum and mesonotum (MSC 2–4). Typically light yellow-brown to orange-brown, with darker brown anterolateral patches on abdominal tergite 4 (first gastric tergite) and brown transverse bands on abdominal tergites 5–7 (gastric tergites 2–4); in some samples from Guatemala and Belize head and mesosoma more infuscated, and gaster tending to be more uniformly medium brown. (Ward & Branstetter, 2022)
Distinctive features of this species are the moderately elongate head with rounded posterolateral corners, large eyes (worker REL 0.47–0.53, queen REL 0.44–0.46), conspicuous metanotal groove in the worker (Fig. 10), and slender elongatetriangular petiole (worker PLI 0.44–0.52, queen PLI 0.45–0.51). Pseudomyrmex elongatulus is typically light yellow-brown to orange-brown with darker transverse maculation on the gaster, but some specimens from Guatemala and Belize are darker brown overall. Leaving aside Pseudomyrmex ereptor, the closest relative of P. elongatulus is Pseudomyrmex exoratus (Fig. 1), easily told apart by its much more elongate head (worker CI 0.67–0.69, vs 0.81–0.90 in P. elongatulus). (Ward & Branstetter, 2022)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 23° to 14.561111°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps; Ward & Branstetter, 2022
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States.
Neotropical Region: Belize, Guatemala, 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. |
Biology
Association with Other Organisms
- Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
- This species is a xenobiont for the ant Tapinoma litorale (a xenobiont).
- This species is a host for the eupelmid wasp Anastatus reduvii (a parasite) (Universal Chalcidoidea Database) (primary host).
- This species is a host for the eupelmid wasp Anastatus reduvii (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (multiple encounter modes; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
Castes
Images from AntWeb
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0246304. Photographer Leah Benuska, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
Worker. Specimen code casent0246351. Photographer Leah Benuska, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA. |
Holotype of Pseudomyrmex elongatulus. Worker. Specimen code casent0902874. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMUK, London, UK. |
Syntype of Pseudomyrma decipiens. Worker. Specimen code casent0902875. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMUK, London, UK. |
Syntype of Pseudomyrma decipiens. Worker. Specimen code casent0907524. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Phylogeny
Relationships among Pseudomyrmex elongatulus group species based on Ward & Branstetter (2022).
Pseudomyrmex |
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- elongata. Pseudomyrma elongata Smith, F. 1877b: 67 (w.) MEXICO. [Junior primary homonym of elongata Mayr, 1870a: 413, below.] Replacement name: elongatula Dalla Torre, 1892: 89.
- elongatulus. Pseudomyrma elongatula Dalla Torre, 1892: 89. Replacement name for elongata Smith, above. [Junior primary homonym of elongata Mayr, 1870a: 413, below.] Combination in Pseudomyrmex: Kempf, 1967c: 6. Senior synonym of decipiens: Kempf, 1967c: 6.
- decipiens. Pseudomyrma decipiens Forel, 1899c: 95, pl. 4, fig. 9 (w.q.) MEXICO. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1956: 382 (l.). Combination in Pseudomyrmex: Creighton, 1953b: 132. Junior synonym of elongatulus: Kempf, 1967c: 6.
Type Material
- Pseudomyrma elongata. Syntype worker, Mexico (BMNH) [examined by Ward & Branstetter, 2022].
- Pseudomyrma decipiens. Syntype workers, queens, Teapa, Mexico (H. H. Smith) (BMNH, MHNG) [examined by Ward & Branstetter, 2022].
Description
References
- Creighton, W. S. 1957b [1955]. Observations on Pseudomyrmex elongata Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 63: 17-20.
- Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1892. Hymenopterologische Notizen. Wien. Entomol. Ztg. 11: 89-93 (page 89, Replacement name for elongata Smith, above)
- Franco, W., Ladino, N., Delabie, J.H.C., Dejean, A., Orivel, J., Fichaux, M., Groc, S., Leponce, M., Feitosa, R.M. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674, 509–543 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.2).
- Kempf, W. W. 1967c. Estudos sôbre Pseudomyrmex. IV (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 12: 1-12 (page 6, Combination in Pseudomyrmex, and senior synonym of decipiens)
- Ward, P.S., Branstetter, M.G. 2022. Species paraphyly and social parasitism: Phylogenomics, morphology, and geography clarify the evolution of the Pseudomyrmex elongatulus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a Mesoamerican ant clade. Insect Systematics and Diversity 6(1), 4: 1-31 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixab025).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Del Toro, I., M. Vazquez, W. Mackay, P. Rojas, and R. Zapata-Mata. "Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Tabasco: explorando la diversidad de la mirmecofauna en las selvas tropicales de baja altitud." Dugesiana 16, no. 1 (2009): 1-14.
- Del Toro, I., M. Vázquez, W.P. Mackay, P. Rojas and R. Zapata-Mata. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Tabasco: explorando la diversidad de la mirmecofauna en las selvas tropicales de baja altitud. Dugesiana 16(1):1-14.
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part IV. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (suite). Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 1-32.
- Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
- Vasquez-Bolanos M. 2011. Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mexico. Dugesiana 18(1): 95-133.
- Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
- Wheeler W. M. 1925. Neotropical ants in the collections of the Royal Museum of Stockholm. Arkiv för Zoologi 17A(8): 1-55.
- Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
- Wheeler, William Morton. 1911. Additions to the Ant-Fauna of Jamaica. Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. 30:21-29.
- Wheeler, William Morton. 1934. Ants From The Islands Off The West Coast Of Lower California and Mexico. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 10(3):131-144.
- Wheeler, William Morton. 1934. Some Ants From The Bahama Islands. Psyche. 41(4):230-232.