Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi

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Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Sphinctomyrmex
Species: S. schoerederi
Binomial name
Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi
Feitosa, Brandão, Fernández & Delabie, 2011

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Specimen Labels

Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi is known only from the holotype. The specimen was collected in a leaf litter sample from a forest remnant in the campus of Universidade Federal de Vicosa, MG, Brazil, where it occurs in sympatry with Sphinctomyrmex stali. Nothing is known about its biology. (Feitosa et al. 2012)

Identification

Feitosa et al. (2012) - Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi can hardly be confounded with other congeners given the combination of subquadrate head, anterior margin of clypeus with two lateral lobes projecting over the mandibles, abdominal segments IV to VII with strongly developed pretergites, and the presence of short appressed hairs on the dorsal surface of gaster.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (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

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

  • schoerederi. Sphinctomyrmex schoerederi Feitosa, Brandão, et al. 2012: 3, figs. 1, 4 (w.) BRAZIL (Minas Gerais).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Brazil: Minas Gerais, Viçosa, ii.1994 (Sperber, Louzada & Lopez).
    • Type-depository: MZSP.
    • Distribution: Brazil.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HL 0.72;HW0.65; SL 0.43; EL 0.05; WL 1.01; PL 0.44; PW 0.41; GL 2.31; TL 4.48; CI 90.11; SI 65.81; OI 7.32.

Size comparatively large (TL 4.48mm). Body reddish-brown with appendages slightly lighter. Pilosity dense; gaster covered by short appressed hairs.

Posterior area of head (nuchal area) smooth and shiny; body dorsum foveolate; space between the foveae mostly smooth, with fine longitudinal striation on the anterior portion of head; declivous face of propodeum shallowly punctuate-reticulate; sides of mesosoma and petiole strongly sculptured, with shallow foveae and irregular reticulation; sides of gaster predominantly smooth and shiny, with a few coarse punctures.

Head subquadrate (CI 90.11); lateral margins gently convex; clypeus broadly inserted between the frontal lobes, so that the frontal carinae are well separated from each other; anterior margin of clypeus with two lateral lobes projecting over the mandibles; antennal scapes reaching the level of eyes; apical segment of antennae longer than the three preceding ones together; antennal club formed only by the apical segment; eyes strongly reduced, as large as the adjacent foveae of head surface, with about three small facets at its maximum diameter. In dorsal view, lateral margins of mesosoma convex; pronotum with humeral corners rounded; promesonotal suture distinct in dorsal view but not impressed. In dorsal view, petiole a little longer than broad, with lateral margins slightly divergent; subpetiolar process moderately developed. Abdominal segments IV to VII with strongly developed pretergites, separated from each other by comparatively shallow and wide constrictions.

Type Material

Holotype Worker. Brazil.Minas Gerais; Vicosa; ii.1994; Sperber, Louzada and Lopes cols Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo.

Etymology

The specific epithet honors our colleague Dr. Jose Henrique Schoereder, a prominent ant ecologist working at Universidade Federal de Vicosa, MG, Brazil. Dr. Schoereder kindly allowed us to describe this species formerly deposited in the ant collection of his laboratory.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Feitosa R. M. C. R. F. Brandão, F. Fernández and J. H. C. Delabie. 2011. The ant genus Sphinctomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Cerapachyinae) in the Neotropical region, with the description of two new species. Psyche 2012: Article ID 342623, (doi:10.1155/2012/342623):9 pp