Adelomyrmex microps
Adelomyrmex microps | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
Genus: | Adelomyrmex |
Species: | A. microps |
Binomial name | |
Adelomyrmex microps Fernández, 2003 |
Adelomyrmex microps occurs in lowland rainforest and is extremely rare. It is currently known from 13 specimens. Ten of those are from La Selva Biological Station, from eight different Berlese and MiniWinkler samples (far less than 1% of samples). The LLAMA project collected a specimen in a MiniWinkler sample from a 280 m elevation site near La Ceiba, Honduras, and two in MiniWinkler samples from 310 m elevation on Cerro Saslaya, Nicaragua. (Longino 2012)
Identification
Adelomyrmex microps is a lowland version of Adelomyrmex laevigatus, differing in lighter color, less robust sculpture, and denser, longer pilosity. Additional material shows that the key characters used in Fernández and Mackay (2003) will not separate the species: both usually have smooth shiny areas on the side of the pronotum and stout hypostomal teeth. Ommatidial count is variable. One specimen from Costa Rica (La Selva Biological Station), currently considered a nanitic or aberration, has short, sparse, completely appressed pilosity on the face and gaster, and the overall sculpture is feeble. The specimen from Honduras has several longitudinal rugae on the side of the pronotum instead of a smooth patch. (Longino 2012)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 15.692937° to 9.266667°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (type locality), Honduras, Nicaragua.
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
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.
- microps. Adelomyrmex microps Fernández, in Fernández & Mackay, 2003: 602, fig. 8C (w.) COSTA RICA.
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Costa Rica: Heredia, Estación Biológica La Selva, 10°26’N, 84°01’W, 50-150 m., 1.x.1993, B/04/246 (JTL 005) (J. Longino).
- Type-depository: INBC.
- Status as species: Fernández, 2003b: 23 (redescription); Longino, 2012: 24.
- Distribution: Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Mandibles with 6 teeth, the three apical-most larger. Anterior margin of clypeal plate strongly concave. Eyes reduced to about 2 ommatidia. Hypostomal tooth small. Promesonotum evenly convex and higher than propodeum. Metanotal groove wide, shallow. Propodeal spines long, much longer than wide. Petiole rounded above. Postpetiole with narrow concavity posteriorly. First tergum anteriorly concave in dorsal view. Head with dense rugo-foveolate sculpture. Most of promesonotum smooth and shining, with longitudinal striae on periphery. Sides of mesosoma with irregular striae. Pilosity dorsal on body long, dense. Body reddish-brown.
References
- Fernández, F. 2003b. Revision of the myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 361: 1-52 (page 23, see also)
- Fernández, F.; Mackay, W. P. 2003. Myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex laevigatus species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 41: 593-604 (page 602, fig. 8C, Map 4 worker described)
- Longino, J.T. 2012. A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America. Zootaxa 3456, 1–35.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Fernández F., and W. P. MacKay. 2003. The myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex laevigatus species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology. 41: 593-604.
- Fernández, F. 2003. Revision of the myrmicinae ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group. Zootaxa 361: 1-52.
- Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
- Longino J. T. 2012. A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America. Zootaxa 3456: 1-35
- Longino J. T. 2013. Ants of Nicargua. Consulted on 18 Jan 2013. https://sites.google.com/site/longinollama/reports/ants-of-nicaragua
- Longino J. T., and R. K. Colwell. 2011. Density compensation, species composition, and richness of ants on a neotropical elevational gradient. Ecosphere 2(3): 16pp.
- Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/