Calyptomyrmex

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Members of the genus Calyptomyrmex are rare ants that forage on the ground or in leaf litter. They are most commonly encountered in rainforests where they forage singly or in small numbers (Bolton, 1981). The few nests that have been found were in rotten wood (Shattuck, 1999; Taylor, 1991) or directly in soil (Bolton, 1981). Workers are often covered with a layer of soil, the enlarged and often spatulate hairs presumably assisting in the retention of this camouflaging material. Similar behaviours are known in many species of basicerotines as well as Stegomyrmex (Holldobler & Wilson, 1986), this behaviour being convergent as these groups are not closely related. The majority of species of Calyptomyrmex are known from only limited numbers of collections, with even the most common having been collected fewer than 20 times. Although this rarity makes estimates of true distribution patterns problematic, it appears that most species have restricted ranges while only a single species has become widespread.

Biogeographically, Calyptomyrmex is known from Africa and India east to New Caledonia. Baroni Urbani (1975) revised the fauna of the Indian subcontinent and Bolton (1981) the Afrotropical species while Shattuck (2011) investigated the fauna of South-east Asia and eastward. Shattuck (2011) added 14 new species, bringing the total known for the genus to 28 (Bolton et al., 2006). Taylor (1991) provided an overview of the Australian fauna, synonymised the only Australian-based name with the widespread species Calyptomyrmex beccarii and outlined seven undescribed Australian species (although none were formally named).

The South-east Asian Calyptomyrmex fauna is similar in diversity to that of Australia, with eight species so far known (Calyptomyrmex asper, Calyptomyrmex beccarii, Calyptomyrmex danum, Calyptomyrmex loweryi, Calyptomyrmex rectopilosus, Calyptomyrmex retrostriatus, Calyptomyrmex ryderae, Calyptomyrmex sabahensis), one of these (Calyptomyrmex beccarii) being shared with Australia. Given that many of these species are known from only single or a few collections it is likely that additional species exist which are yet to be encountered. Only single species are known from Papua New Guinea (Calyptomyrmex beccarii) and New Caledonia (Calyptomyrmex caledonicus).

At a Glance • Larval Hemolymph Feeding  

Photo Gallery

  • Calyptomyrmex Shattuck 53252 ANIC32-059576 Danum Valley Sabah-web.jpg
  • Calyptomyrmex Shattuck 53239 ANIC32-059576 Danum Valley Sabah-web.jpg

Identification

Workers belonging to Calyptomyrmex may be separated from those of other myrmicine genera by the presence of distinct, elongate depressions (antennal scrobes) on the front of the head which contain the entire antennae when at rest and the conspicuous, broad, bilobed appendage (the clypeal fork) which projects over the rear section of the mandibles. The deep antennal scrobes and the unique configuration of the clypeus will separate these ants from all others. For a more complete description see Bolton (1981).

Eguchi, Bui and Yamane (2011) - The worker of the Vietnamese species is somewhat similar to that of Mayriella, but in the latter the antenna is 10-segmented, the eye is large and elongate, and the dorsa of the head and mesosoma bear sparse, long, standing hairs.

AntWeb icon 02.png See images of species within this genus

Keys including this Genus

 

Keys to Species in this Genus

Distribution

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

Afrotropical Region Australasian Region Indo-Australian Region Malagasy Region Nearctic Region Neotropical Region Oriental Region Palaearctic Region
Species 17 9 8 0 0 0 8 2
Total Species 2840 1735 3042 932 835 4378 1740 2862

Biology

Life History Traits

  • Mean colony size: ~112 (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Diet class: predator (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)

Morphology

Worker Morphology

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: 3 • Palp formula: 2,2 • Total dental count: 6-9 • Spur formula: 0,0 • Eyes: 2-10 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent; dentiform • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: absent


Male Morphology

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Male Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

 • Antennal segment count 12 • Antennal club 0 • Palp formula 3,2; 2,2 • Total dental count 5-6 • Spur formula 0, 0

Phylogeny

Myrmicinae
Myrmicini
Pogonomyrmecini
Stenammini
Solenopsidini
Attini

Ochetomyrmex  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Tranopelta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Diaphoromyrma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lachnomyrmex  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Blepharidatta  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Allomerus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Wasmannia  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Pheidole  (1,294 species, 7 fossil species)

Cephalotes  (123 species, 16 fossil species)

Procryptocerus  (44 species, 0 fossil species)

Strumigenys  (879 species, 4 fossil species)

Phalacromyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Pilotrochus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Protalaridris  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Rhopalothrix  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Basiceros  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Octostruma  (35 species, 0 fossil species)

Eurhopalothrix  (55 species, 0 fossil species)

Talaridris  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthognathus  (7 species, 1 fossil species)

Daceton  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Lenomyrmex  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Microdaceton  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Orectognathus  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Colobostruma  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Epopostruma  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

Mesostruma  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Paleoattina

Apterostigma  (44 species, 2 fossil species)

Mycocepurus  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmicocrypta  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Neoattina

Cyatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Kalathomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetarotes  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetosoritis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex  (23 species, 2 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex

Paramycetophylax  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetophylax  (21 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetagroicus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetomoellerius  (31 species, 1 fossil species)

Sericomyrmex  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Xerolitor  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Paratrachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Trachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Amoimyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Atta  (20 species, 1 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex  (56 species, 0 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex

Pseudoatta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogastrini

Rostromyrmex  (1 species, 6 fossil species)

Cardiocondyla  (90 species, 0 fossil species)

Ocymyrmex  (34 species, 0 fossil species)

Nesomyrmex  (84 species, 2 fossil species)

Xenomyrmex  (5 species, 0 fossil species)

Terataner  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Atopomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Cataulacus  (65 species, 3 fossil species)

Carebara  (248 species, 9 fossil species)

Diplomorium  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Melissotarsus  (4 species, 1 fossil species)

Rhopalomastix  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Calyptomyrmex  (38 species, 0 fossil species)

Strongylognathus  (27 species, 0 fossil species), Tetramorium  (598 species, 2 fossil species)

Cyphoidris  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Dicroaspis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Aretidris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Vollenhovia  (83 species, 3 fossil species)

Dacetinops  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Indomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogaster  (782 species, 3 fossil species)

Meranoplus  (91 species, 0 fossil species)

Lophomyrmex  (13 species, 0 fossil species)

Adlerzia  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Recurvidris  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Stereomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Trichomyrmex  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Eutetramorium  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Royidris  (15 species, 0 fossil species)

Malagidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Vitsika  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Huberia  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Podomyrma  (62 species, 1 fossil species)

Liomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Metapone  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Kartidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Mayriella  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Tetheamyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Dacatria  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Proatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Dilobocondyla  (22 species, 0 fossil species)

Secostruma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthomyrmex  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmecina  (106 species, 0 fossil species)

Perissomyrmex  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Pristomyrmex  (61 species, 3 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma  (36 species, 0 fossil species)

Propodilobus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lasiomyrma  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Ancyridris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Paratopula  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Poecilomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Romblonella  (10 species, 0 fossil species)

Rotastruma  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Gauromyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Vombisidris  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Temnothorax  (504 species, 7 fossil species)

Harpagoxenus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Formicoxenus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Leptothorax  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

See Phylogeny of Myrmicinae for details.

Nomenclature

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

  • CALYPTOMYRMEX [Myrmicinae: Stenammini]
    • Calyptomyrmex Emery, 1887b: 471. Type-species: Calyptomyrmex beccarii, by monotypy.
    • Calyptomyrmex senior synonym of Weberidris: Donisthorpe, 1949f: 186; Brown, 1949f: 84.
  • WEBERIDRIS [junior synonym of Calyptomyrmex]
    • Weberidris Donisthorpe, 1949a: 281. Type-species: Weberidris rufobrunnea (junior synonym of Calyptomyrmex beccarii), by original designation.
    • Weberidris junior synonym of Calyptomyrmex: Donisthorpe, 1949f: 186; Brown, 1949f: 84.

References

  • Arnold, G. 1917. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part III. Myrmicinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 271-402 (page 360, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Meranoplini)
  • Ashmead, W. H. 1905c. A skeleton of a new arrangement of the families, subfamilies, tribes and genera of the ants, or the superfamily Formicoidea. Can. Entomol. 37: 381-384 (page 384, Calyptomyrmex in Cryptoceridae, Cataulacinae)
  • Baroni Urbani, C. 1975a. Primi reperti del genere Calyptomyrmex Emery nel subcontinente Indiano. Entomol. Basil. 1: 395-411 (page 410, Revision of Oriental species)
  • Blaimer, B.B., Ward, P.S., Schultz, T.R., Fisher, B.L., Brady, S.G. 2018. Paleotropical diversification dominates the evolution of the hyperdiverse ant tribe Crematogastrini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insect Systematics and Diversity 2(5): 3; 1-14 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixy013).
  • Bolton, B. 1981a. A revision of the ant genera Meranoplus F. Smith, Dicroaspis Emery and Calyptomyrmex Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 42: 43-81 (page 61, Revision of Afrotropical species)
  • Bolton, B. 1994. Identification guide to the ant genera of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 222 pp. (page 106, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Stenammini)
  • Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 202, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Stenammini)
  • Brown, W. L., Jr. 1949h. Revision of the ant tribe Dacetini: IV. Some genera properly excluded from the Dacetini, with the establishment of the Basicerotini new tribe. Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 75: 83-96 (page 84, Calyptomyrmex senior synonym of Weberidris)
  • Brown, W.L., Jr. (1951) New synonymy of a few genera and species of ants. Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society, 46, 101–106.
  • Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
  • Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
  • Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 136, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae)
  • Dlussky, G. M.; Fedoseeva, E. B. 1988. Origin and early stages of evolution in ants. Pp. 70-144 in: Ponomarenko, A. G. (ed.) Cretaceous biocenotic crisis and insect evolution. Moskva: Nauka, 232 pp. (page 80, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Calyptomyrmecini)
  • Dlussky, G.M. & Radchenko, A.G. (1990) The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Vietnam. Subfamilies Pseudomyrmicinae and Myrmicinae (tribes Calyptomyrmecini, Meranoplini and Cataulacini), pp. 119–125 in Akimov, I.A., Emelianov, I.G. & Zerova, M.D. (eds.). News of Faunistics and Systematics, Kiev (Naukova Dumka) [in Russian].
  • Donisthorpe, H. (1949a) A new genus and species of dacetine ant from New Guinea. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 84 (1948), 281.
  • Donisthorpe, H. 1949g. A species of Calyptomyrmex Emery (Hym., Formicidae) from New Guinea. Entomol. Mon. Mag. 85: 186 (page 186, Calyptomyrmex senior synonym of Weberidris)
  • Eguchi, K., Bui, T.V. & Yamane, S. 2011. Generic synopsis of the Formicidae of Vietnam. Part 1 – Myrmicinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa 2878: 1-61.
  • Emery, C. 1887h. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine). [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 25[=(2)(5): 465-473 (page 471, Calyptomyrmex as genus)
  • Emery, C. 1895l. Die Gattung Dorylus Fab. und die systematische Eintheilung der Formiciden. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 685-778 (page 770, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Tetramoriini)
  • Emery, C. 1914e. Intorno alla classificazione dei Myrmicinae. Rend. Sess. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna Cl. Sci. Fis. (n.s.) 18: 29-42 (page 41, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Meranoplini)
  • Emery, C. 1924f [1922]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [concl.]. Genera Insectorum 174C: 207-397 (page 224, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Meranoplini)
  • Forel, A. (1901) Formiciden des Naturhistorischen Museums zu Hamburg. Neue Calyptomyrmex, Dacryon, Podomyrma, und Echinopla-Arten. Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen Wissenschaftlichen Anstalten, 18, 45–82.
  • Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 244, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Meranoplini)
  • Hölldobler, B. & Wilson, E.O. (1986) Soil-binding pilosity and camouflage in ants of the tribes Basicerotini and Stegomyrmecini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoomorphology (Berl.), 106, 12–20.
  • Ito F. 2001. Specialized predation on arthropod eggs in a myrmicine ant, Calyptomyrmex sp. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), in the Oriental tropics. Tropics 10, 405–407.
  • Jansen, G., Savolainen, R. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the ant tribe Myrmicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160(3), 482–495 (doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00604.x).
  • Shattuck, S.O. (1999) Australian Ants: Their biology and identification. Monographs in Invertebrate Taxonomy, 3, 1–226.
  • Shattuck, S.O. (2011) Revision of the ant genus Calyptomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South-east Asia and Oceania. Zootaxa, 2743, 1-26.
  • Taylor, R.W. (1991) Nomenclature and distribution of some Australasian ants of the Myrmicinae. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 30, 599–614.
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 141, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Tetramoriini)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 664, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Meranoplini)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1934a. Formicidae of the Templeton Crocker Expedition, 1933. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. (4) 21: 173-181 (page 176, Calyptomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Mer*Wheeler, W.M. (1919) The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 63, 43–147.

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