Temnothorax emmae

Temnothorax emmae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species group:	obturator
Species:	T. emmae
Binomial name
	Temnothorax emmae; (Mackay, W.P., 2000)

A whole nest (one queen, 116 workers) was collected from the dead branch of a live Emory oak. A second collection was made in a similar nesting location but inhabiting a dead branch in a live Gray Oak (Quercus grisea).

Identification

Prebus (2017) - A member of the obturator clade.

Mackay (2000) - The 11-segmented antenna, well developed medial clypeal carina, with two prominent lateral carinae, the thick, blunt petiole and the well-developed suprapeduncular process are all similar to Temnothorax whitfordi. Temnothorax emmae differs by a mesosoma with longitudinal striae and is bicolored, whereas T whitfordi has a punctate or partially smooth, shining mesosoma and is dark brown.

Keys including this Species

Key to the New World Temnothorax

Distribution

USA New Mexico, Arizona.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 34.156971° to 30.33361111°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

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.

Habitat

From the type series nest collection (Mackay, 2000): "The trees were located in the bottom of a draw, in a flat area of oak-juniper grassland. The soils are a light brown, sandy loam, where the moisture level was high." Cover (collection #1471) collected a sample from a riparian oak-pine-juniper woodland in a ravine.

Abundance

Only known from a few collections.

Biology

Explore Overview of biology

Not much is known about the the biology of this taxon. We can speculate that its biology is likely to be similar to other North American species of this genus.

Temnothorax is a diverse genus but most species do show a remarkable consistency in some important aspects of their biology. Workers and colonies are small. As a group they nest in many places: small cavities in the soil, under or among stones or in small cavities in living or dead vegetation. Individually, most species have a strong preference for how and where they nest, e.g., there are gall nesting species, soil nesters, arboreal species, those that nest in small downed twigs, etc. Their nest entrances are often a cryptic, tiny hole that is only found by observing a worker exiting or entering the nest. A few common and abundant species are relatively well studied but the majority are rare or are rarely collected. For all but the most common and abundant species finding a nest is difficult because of the combination of their small colony size, small workers, unaggressive behavior, and diminutive, inconspicuous nests. In a few cases where we do know the diet of a species, it consists of sweet exudates and general scavenging of insect pieces and other items. It is presumed most of the unstudied Temnothorax have a similar diet. Aphid tending and hunting small soil arthropods may also be a part of their foraging repertoire. For all the consistency in these characters, individual species exhibit wide variation in others. Habitat affinities are often restrictive at the species level (but overall Temnothorax can be found in places that range from high elevation, high latitude, forests to hot, dry desert regions). Queen number is difficult to predict; there are species that are polygnous, monogynous, and even some species with seasonal polydomy that vary in nesting site queen number over the course of the year. There is also little consistency in color from species to species. ‎

Castes

Nomenclature

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

emmae. Leptothorax (Myrafant) emmae Mackay, W.P., 2000: 342, figs. 67, 107, 108 (w.q.) U.S.A. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.

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

Description

Worker

Mandible with 6 teeth; anterior horder of clypeus slightly concave, crenulated by carinae, surface of clypeus with well developed medial carina and several lateral carinae; head nearly quadrate, almost as wide as long, vertex slightly conave; eyes reaching side of head; scape failing to reach occipital corer by about first three funicular segments; mesosoma without depression at site of sutures; propodeal spines consisting of small angles; petiolar node rounded (profile), subpeduncular tooth well formed, broad.

Erect hairs sparse, short (0.06mm), bristly, several on dorsal surface and ventral surface of head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, and gaster. Decumbent hairs nearly absent.

Dorsal surface of head mostly smooth and polished, semi-circular carinae present posterior to insertion of antenna, longitudinal carinae on each side along frontal carinae, side of mesosoma densely sculptured, consisting of punctae and striae, dorsum of mesosoma similar except striae more developed, posterior face of propodeum with transverse carinae, side of petiole punctate, dorsum with fine rugae, top of postpetiole with fine rugulae, dorsum of gaster smooth and polished.

Color dark brown, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole yellow-red.

Worker measurements: HL 0.60-0.62. HW 0.53-0.54. SL 0.39-0.41. ELO.14. WLO.66-0.70. PW 0.16-0.18. PL 0.18-0.19. PPW 0.20-0.23. PPL 0.16-0.17. Indices CI 87-94, SI 65-68, PI 87-97, PPI 131-135.

Queen

Mandible with 5 teeth; anterior border of clypeus convex, medial carina well formed, several lateral carinae present; head narrowed slightly anteriorly; vertex convex; eyes extending well past sides of head; scape failing to reach occipital comer by first 2 funicular segments; propodeum without spines, but with lateral swellings; petiole thickened in profile with rounded node, subpetiolar peduncle moderately developed.

Erect hairs abundant on head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster; decumbent hairs scarce, few present on head and gaster.

Sculpture on dorsum of head consisting of fine striae or rugulae, most surfaces moderately to strongly shining, dorsum of mesosoma with parallel striae, sides of petiole and postpetiole very finely punctate with scattered rugae, dorsum of petiole with transverse striae, dorsum of postpetiole nearly smooth, with the few lateral striae, dorsum of gaster smooth and shining.

Dorsum of head dark brown, lower surfaces lighter, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole yellow-brown, gaster dark brown.

Female measurements: HL 0.68, HW 0.62, SL 0.47, EL 0.22, WL 1.18, PW 0.27, PL 0.20, PPW 0.31, PPL 0.22. Indices CI 91, SI68, PI 132, PPI 144

Male

No Males known for this species.

Type Material

New Mexico, Hidalgo Co., Peloncillo Mts., Coronado National Forest, 31°30'58"N 109°00'04"W, 21-iii-1998, Mackay family #17975; 54 paratype workers, same area, Cloverdale Creek, 31°26'25"N lO8°58'29"W, 1491 m 19-iii-1998 Mackay family #17925. Holotype worker (MCZC), 115 paratype workers (AMNH, CASC, CWEM, FMNH, LACM, EMAU, MCSN, MCZC, MHNG, MZSP, USNM, UNAM), 1 paratype female (MCZC).

Etymology

Patronym. Named for Emma Mackay.

References

Alatorre-Bracamontes, C.E., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2010. Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17(1): 9-36.
Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
MacKay, W. P. 2000. A review of the New World ants of the subgenus Myrafant, (genus Leptothorax) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 36: 265-444 (page 342, figs. 67, 107, 108 worker, queen described)
Mackay, W. P. and E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press, Lewiston, NY.
Prebus, M. 2017. Insights into the evolution, biogeography and natural history of the acorn ants, genus Temnothorax Mayr (hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bmc Evolutionary Biology. 17:250. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1095-8 (The doi link to the publication's journal webpage provides access to the 24 files that accompany this article).
Prebus, M.M. 2021. Taxonomic revision of the Temnothorax salvini clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key to the clades of New World Temnothorax. PeerJ 9, e11514 (doi:10.7717/peerj.11514).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Cover S. P., and R. A. Johnson. 20011. Checklist of Arizona Ants. Downloaded on January 7th at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/AZants-2011%20updatev2.pdf
Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
Mackay W. P. 2000. A review of the New World ants of the subgenus Myrafant, (genus Leptothorax) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 36: 265-444.
Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
Ulyssea M. A., L. P. Prado, C. R. F. Brandao. 2015. Type specimens of the traditional Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ant tribes deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil: Adelomyrmecini, Basicerotini, Blepharidattini, Crematogastrini, Formicoxenini, Lenomyrmecini, Myrmicini, Phalacromyrmecini, Pheidolini, Stegomyrmecini, Stenammini and Tetramoriini. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo 55(12): 175-204.
Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133