Azteca nanogyna

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Azteca nanogyna
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dolichoderinae
Tribe: Leptomyrmecini
Genus: Azteca
Species: A. nanogyna
Binomial name
Azteca nanogyna
Longino, 2007

Azteca nanogyna jtlc000004288 p 1 high.jpg

Azteca nanogyna jtlc000004288 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The single specimen was collected in tropical moist forest. John Noyes collected the specimen using a screened sweep net.

Identification

A member of the Azteca aurita group. Azteca nanogyna has by far the smallest queen of any known species in the genus. The color and narrow head clearly ally it with Azteca lanuginosa and Azteca schimperi.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.96666667° to 10.96666667°.

 
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

Explore-icon.png Explore Overview of Azteca biology 
All known Azteca species are arboreal, nesting in living or dead wood, or external carton nests. Some species exhibit obligate associations with myrmecophytes, especially of the genus Cecropia (see Chapter 14 of The Ants). Feeding habits are generalized with foraging occurring both arboreally and on the ground.

Castes

Known only from the queen holotype specimen.

Queen

Longino 2007 A nanogyna fig 9.jpg
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Nomenclature

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

  • nanogyna. Azteca nanogyna Longino, 2007: 57, figs. 4A, 9 (q.) COSTA RICA.
    • Status as species: Guerrero, et al. 2010: 54 (in key).

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

Description

Queen

Holotype. HLA 0.86, HLB 0.91, HW 0.64, SL 0.58, EL 0.22, OC 0.04, MTSC 6 (very fine, short).

Palpal formula 4,3; middle and hind tibia lacking apical spur; dorsal surface of mandible smooth and shiny, pubescent; medial clypeal lobe strongly convex and protruding, extending well beyond lateral clypeal lobes; head subrectangular, somewhat swollen between ocellar region and compound eye, posterior margin a smoothly rounded excavation; petiolar node bluntly triangular; posteroventral petiolar lobe very low, very shallowly convex, ending posteriorly in a somewhat abrupt shelf, rising steeply to tergosternal suture, leaving small posterior rim on sternite; entire body covered with uniform vestiture of sparse, white, suberect pubescence; scape, all margins of head, legs, petiole, and first gastral tergum with evenly distributed short, white, erect setae emerging above pubescence, similar but sparser setae on mesosomal dorsum; body dark brown becoming lighter brown on mandibles, legs; body with smooth, highly polished and reflective surface.

Type Material

Holotype queen: Costa Rica, Prov. Guanacaste, Estacion Maritza, Guanacaste Conservation Area, 10°58'N, 85°30'W, 600m, 23 Feb 2003 (J. S. Noyes) Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, specimen code JTLC000004288

Etymology

The name refers to the small size of the queen.

References