Pseudomyrmex elongatulus

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Pseudomyrmex elongatulus
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)

Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0217577 p 1 high.jpg

Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0217577 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

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

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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

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png 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

Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246304 l 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246304 p 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246304 h 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246304 d 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246304 p 2 high.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0246304. Photographer Leah Benuska, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246351 l 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246351 h 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246351 p 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0246351 d 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0246351. Photographer Leah Benuska, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902874 p 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902874 h 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902874 d 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902874 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Pseudomyrmex elongatulusWorker. Specimen code casent0902874. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902875 d 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902875 p 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902875 h 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0902875 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pseudomyrma decipiensWorker. Specimen code casent0902875. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Pseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0907524 h 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0907524 d 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0907524 p 1 high.jpgPseudomyrmex elongatulus casent0907524 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pseudomyrma decipiensWorker. 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

Pseudomyrmex salvini

some Pseudomyrmex championi

some Pseudomyrmex championi

Pseudomyrmex apache

Pseudomyrmex fasciatus

some Pseudomyrmex cognatus

some Pseudomyrmex cognatus

Pseudomyrmex comitator

some Pseudomyrmex arcanus

some Pseudomyrmex arcanus

Pseudomyrmex capillatus

Pseudomyrmex veracruzensis

Pseudomyrmex nimbus

Pseudomyrmex exoratus

Pseudomyrmex ereptor

Pseudomyrmex elongatulus

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

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.