Adelomyrmex bispeculum

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Adelomyrmex bispeculum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Adelomyrmex
Species: A. bispeculum
Binomial name
Adelomyrmex bispeculum
Longino, 2012

Adelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618435 p 1 high.jpg

Adelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618435 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Known only from the cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Identification

Longino (2012) - With the characters of Adelomyrmex tristani, differing in the presence of an expansive, completely flat, smooth, shining space on anterolateral head, from level of compound eye across to frontal carina, anteriorly to clypeus, with abrupt transition to strong rugose sculpture on rest of face; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes smooth and shining, without coarse rugae.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.31716° to 10.31716°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (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

Longino (2012) - This species occurs in montane cloud forest. It is known only from three nest collections in the cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica, and not from any of the many Winkler samples that have been taken at the site. The nests were collected at 1400 m and 1675 m elevation. One nest was under a stone on the forest floor. It was a 1 cm diameter chamber that contained a few workers and brood. Two additional nests were found in close proximity in a shaded, moss-covered clay bank along a trail. The bank material was moderately friable, not stiff clay. For one nest, the entrance was a horizontal turret, about 1 cm long and 1 cm outer diameter, 5 mm inner diameter. The turret was of fresh material, with a rough surface of adhering particles. A large lower chamber extended 2–3 cm into the bank. A smaller upper chamber, about 1 cm long, had an entrance in the ceiling of the lower chamber. Most workers and brood were in the upper chamber; a few workers were in the lower chamber. The nest contained one dealate queen, 17 workers, and brood. A similar nest was about 50 cm higher on the bank. The internal structure was nearly identical to the first nest, but it lacked a turret; the entrance was a simple hole in the bank. This second nest contained 76 workers and brood.

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Adelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618512 h 1 high.jpgAdelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618512 p 1 high.jpgAdelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618512 d 1 high.jpgAdelomyrmex bispeculum casent0618512 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype Adelomyrmex bispeculumWorker. Specimen code casent0618512. Photographer Jeremy Pilllow, uploaded by University of Utah. Owned by CAS.

Nomenclature

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

  • bispeculum. Adelomyrmex bispeculum Longino, 2012: 13, figs. 9, 13, 21 (w.q.) COSTA RICA.

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

Description

Worker

HW 0.54–0.59 (n=3); mandible with differentiated masticatory and basal margins; masticatory margin with 5–6 teeth; basal margin sinuous with a distinct basal tooth and notch between tooth and condyle; dorsal surface of mandible largely smooth and shining, with a few faint longitudinal striae and several large piligerous puncta; in full face view, lateral clypeal teeth project from beneath clypeal shelf; lateral clypeal teeth forming juncture between anterior (ventral) margin of clypeus and transverse carina that forms clypeal shelf; hypostomal tooth absent; compound eye composed of 8–9 ommatidia; face with longitudinally oriented, parallel linear rugae, barring smooth space described in diagnosis.

Short anterior face of pronotum meeting dorsal face at obtuse angle, separated by a low, simple transverse ruga; promesonotum evenly and shallowly convex; metanotal groove impressed; propodeal spines short, triangular, acute at tip; space between propodeal spines a broad concavity without distinct dorsal and posterior faces, smooth and shiny with 3–4 transverse rugae, strongest anteriorly; rugae of dorsal promesonotum and side of mesosoma mostly with strong, longitudinally oriented, parallel linear rugae; petiolar and postpetiolar nodes rounded, smooth and shining, without rugae; postpetiole in dorsal view about as long as wide, evenly rounded posteriorly; gastral dorsum smooth and shining.

Scape with abundant subdecumbent pubescence; clypeus and frontal carinae with long erect setae; posterior and posterolateral margins of head with long erect setae; mid and hind tibia with abundant subdecumbent pilosity but lacking any differentiated erect setae; in profile, dorsal surfaces of head, mesosoma, and gaster with relatively short, dense subdecumbent to suberect setae; FSH about 0.04–0.06, FSI 0.07–0.11 (n=3).

Color dark brown to black.

Queen

Similar to worker except for queen-specific characters of large compound eyes, ocelli, and enlarged mesosoma with queen-typical sclerites; pronotum smooth medially, laterally with a few faint rugulae; dorsal mesonotum completely smooth and shining; scutellum smooth and shining medially, longitudinally rugose laterally; katepisternum smooth and shining; anepisternum smooth ventrally, longitudinally rugose dorsally; side of propodeum longitudinally rugose.

Type Material

Holotype worker. Costa Rica, Alajuela: 4km ENE Monteverde, 10.31716 −84.7761 ±10 m, 1675 m, 23 Dec 2010 (J. Longino#7220) [CAS, unique specimen identifier CASENT0618512]. Paratypes (workers): same data as holotype [BMNH, CASENT0627886], [EAPZ, CASENT0627887], [ECOSCE, CASENT0627888], [ICN, CASENT0627890], [INBIO, CASENT0627891], [LACM, CASENT0627894], [MCZC, CASENT0627883], [MZSP, CASENT0627884], [UCD, CASENT0627889], [UNAM, CASENT0627892], [USNM, CASENT0627885], [UVGC, CASENT0627893]

Etymology

Two mirrors, referring to the shiny patches on the face.

References

  • Longino, J.T. 2012. A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America. Zootaxa 3456, 1–35.