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Mayaponera becculata
| Mayaponera becculata | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponerinae |
| Tribe: | Ponerini |
| Genus: | Mayaponera |
| Species: | M. becculata |
| Binomial name | |
| Mayaponera becculata (Mackay, W.P. & Mackay, E.E., 2010)
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This species nests in rotten logs. Workers are found in leaf litter and in leaf mold. Dealate females were collected in June and July (Ecuador). (Mackay and Mackay 2010)
Identification
From Mackay and Mackay (2010): Mayaponera becculata could be easily confused with Mayaponera arhuaca. The worker and female can be separated by the sharp tooth or process on the anterior edge of the clypeus, which is absent in M. arhuaca as well as in most of the other species of Mayaponera and Rasopone. Other species with angulate medial borders of the clypeus include Neoponera concava and Neoponera coveri, which can be easily separated by the presence of a pronotal carina, which is lacking in M. becculata.
Distribution
PANAMA, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR, PERU, VENEZUELA. (Mackay and Mackay 2010)
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Ecuador (type locality), Panama, Peru, Venezuela.
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. |
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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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Habitat
Specimens have been collected in bamboo forests, moss-bamboo forests, on an oak ridge, on steep slopes of primary forest, cloud forest at 1450 and 2024m, riparian montane evergreen forest, ridge top montane forest and even second growth rain forest, at elevations between 1000 - 2000 meters. (Mackay and Mackay 2010)
Biology
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0249130. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by PSWC, Philip S. Ward Collection. |
Phylogeny
| Mayaponera |
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Relationships among selected species of Mayaponera by Longino & Branstetter (2020).
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- becculata. Pachycondyla becculata Mackay & Mackay, 2010: 216, figs. 27, 47, 195, 341-346 (w.q.) ECUADOR, PANAMA, COLOMBIA, PERU, VENEZUELA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 18 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Ecuador: Prov. Pichincha, 20-30 km. ENE Alluriquin on Chiriboga Rd, 1400-1800 m., 1975, moss forest, B301 (S. & J. Peck); paratypes with same data..
- Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); CASC, GFMP, IAVH, LACM, MIZA, MZSP, PUCE, WEMC (paratypes).
- Combination in Rasopone: Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 210;
- combination in Mayaponera: Longino & Branstetter, 2020: 10.
- Status as species: Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 125; Fernández & Guerrero, 2019: 544.
- Distribution: Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Venezuela.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
The worker of this species is relatively small (total length 5.5 - 7 mm) nearly black with medium brown appendages and reddish brown man-dibles. The anterior edge of the clypeus forms a sharp tooth medially. The head length (including the clypeal tooth) is 1.3 - 1.4 mm, the head width 1.1 mm. The eyes are relatively small (maximum length 0.2 mm), which is nearly twice the length of the distance from the eye to the anterior edge of the head (side view). The scape is relatively short (1.1 mm) and extends only slightly past the posterior lateral corner of the head. The metanotal suture is deeply impressed on the dorsum of the mesosoma, the propodeal spiracle is circular. The anterior face of the petiole is straight or slightly convex, the posterior face appears convex (both seen from the side), the posterior face appears concave (when seen from above) with sharp lateral margins. The stridulatory file is absent on the dorsum of the gaster. The metasternal process consists of two well-developed train-gular lobes.
Erect hairs are moderately abundant on nearly all surfaces, including the head, scapes, mesosoma, petiole and gaster; most hairs on the tibiae are appressed, although short bristly hairs are present on the extensor and flexor surfaces. The mandible is mostly striate, the remainder of the surfaces is mostly punctate and dull and the posterior face of the petiole is very finely punctate shiny and glossy.
Queen
The female is similar to the worker, with a less developed clypeal tooth (length 0.12 mm). It is a simple angle or process in some females. The head length is 1.6 mm; the head width is 1.4 mm and the scape length is 1.25 mm. The eye is moderately large (0.25 mm in maximum diameter) located < 1 diameter from the anterior edge of the head (side view). The ocelli are well developed; the scape extends to the posterior lateral corner of the head. The pronotal carina is absent. The propodeal spiracle is nearly circular. The anterior face of the petiole is vertical and meets the broadly rounded posterior face in a moderately sharp angle. Erect hairs are moderately abundant on most surfaces, including the legs, but mostly short (0.1 - 0.2 mm); appressed pubescence is golden and short. The sculpture is similar to that of the worker.
Male
Males are unknown for this species.
Type Material
ECUADOR: Prov. Pichincha, S.&J.Peck 1975; 20-30 Km ENE Alluriquin on Chiriboga Rd 1400-1800 m, moss for. B301. Holotype worker (Museum of Comparative Zoology), 18 paratype workers (California Academy of Sciences, William and Emma Mackay Collection, Graham B. Fairchild Museo de Invertebrados, Humboldt Institute, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Museo de Zoologia).
Etymology
From Latin, beccus meaning beak and lattus meaning flank, referring to the spine on the anterior margin of the clypeus. William Brown suggested the name.
References
- Mackay, W.P., Mackay, E.E. 2010. The systematics and biology of the New World ants of the genus Pachycondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellon Press, Lewiston.
- Esteves, F.A., Fisher, B.L. 2021. Corrieopone nouragues gen. nov., sp. nov., a new Ponerinae from French Guiana (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1074, 83–173 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1074.75551).
- Longino, J.T., Branstetter, M.G. 2020. Phylogenomic species delimitation, taxonomy, and ‘bird guide’ identification for the Neotropical ant genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insect Systematics and Diversity 4(2): 1; 1–33 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixaa004).
- Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, S.O. 2014. The higher classification of the ant subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of ponerine ecology and behavior. Zootaxa 3817, 1–242 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3817.1.1).