Neoponera schoedli

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Neoponera schoedli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Neoponera
Species: N. schoedli
Binomial name
Neoponera schoedli
(Mackay, W.P. & Mackay, E.E., 2006)

Neoponera schoedli casent0428732 p 1 high.jpg

Neoponera schoedli casent0428732 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

The type series was extracted from forest litter. Individual foragers were collected in June and November.

Identification

From Mackay and Mackay (2010): The worker of N. schoedli is very similar to the worker of Neoponera carbonaria. The two species can be separated as N. schoedli lacks the extensive bluish reflections of N. carbonaria and is less sculptured, specifically the upper half of the mesopleuron (anepisternum) mostly lacks the obliquely horizontal striae, which are present in N. carbonaria.

Pachycondyla schoedli is also similar to Neoponera aenescens. It can be easily separated as the mesopleuron is mostly smooth and glossy, not roughly sculptured and dull as in N. aenescens. The extensive and golden appressed pubescence of N. schoedli could cause confusion with the worker of Neoponera eleonorae. It can be easily separated by the straight anterior face of the petiole, which is convex and somewhat angulate anteriorly in N. eleonorae.

Two workers in the LACM (Venezuela, Trujillo) are similar and intermediate between N. schoedli and N. aenescens, but the punctate head and the completely sculptured mesopleuron of these workers suggest that they are more closely related to N. aenescens.

Distribution

ECUADOR (Mackay and Mackay 2010)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 0.05778° to -0.417°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Ecuador (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Habitat

This species was found in a montane forest at 1978 - 2150 meters elevation. (Mackay and Mackay 2010)

Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Images from AntWeb

Neoponera schoedli casent0428732 d 2 high.jpgNeoponera schoedli casent0428732 p 2 high.jpg
Holotype of Neoponera schoedli. Worker. Specimen code casent0428732. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • schoedli. Pachycondyla schoedli Mackay & Mackay, 2006: 49, figs. 1–3 (w.) ECUADOR.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 10 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Ecuador: Pichincha, Bellavista Reserve, 2150 m., 12 km. S Nanegalito (00°00’32’’S, 78°41’08’’W and 0°0’54’’S, 78°40’56’’W), 30.x.1999 (R. Anderson); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); CASC, IAVH, MCZC, MZSP, NHMW, PUCE, WEMC (paratypes).
    • Combination in Neoponera: Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 151.
    • Status as species: Mackay & Mackay, 2010: 508 (redescription).
    • Distribution: Ecuador.

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

Description

Worker

From Mackay and Mackay (2010): The worker is a moderate sized (total length 10 mm) black mostly shiny ant with some bluish or greenish reflections. The mandibles have approximately 10 teeth. The anterior border of the clypeus is broadly convex but concave medially. The malar carina is absent, but a small raised area is located near the posterior edge of the clypeus and the surface is slightly raised at the position where the carina would be expected to be present. The head is 2.35 mm long and 2.15 mm wide. The sides of the head are broadly convex, the posterior margin is concave. The eyes are small (maximum diameter 0.48 mm) located about one maximum diameter from the anterior margin of the head. The scape is long (length 2.5 mm) and extends about two funicular segments past the posterior lateral corner of the head. The pronotal shoulder has a slightly developed margin; the metanotal suture is depressed below the level of the remainder of the mesosoma and breaks the sculpture on the dorsum of the mesosoma. The propodeal spiracle is slit-shaped. The petiole is moderately thickened when viewed in profile with poorly developed spiracular horns, a straight anterior face and a broadly rounded posterior face, which meets the anterior face near the anterior edge. The posterior lateral edges of the petiole are sharp. The subpetiolar process is poorly developed and consists of a tiny ventrally directed anterior angle and a thick posterior process, which gradually diminishes in width. The anterior surface of the postpetiole is weakly angulate between the two faces, the stridulatory file is well developed on the second pretergite, but the arolia are weakly developed. The lobes of the metasternal process are triangular-shaped and widely spaced, similar to the condition in P. aenescens and Neoponera fauveli.

Erect hairs are abundant on the mandibles and clypeus (up to 0.6 mm in length), absent on the shaft of the scape except at the apex. A few scattered hairs are present on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the head, but are generally absent on the sides and the posterior margin, the dorsum of the mesosoma has a few scattered short (0.2 mm) erect hairs, as does the petiole and the gaster. The coxae and femora have a few erect hairs, the tibiae are without erect hairs, except near the region of the spur. Golden appressed pubescence is present on most surfaces, but is not especially dense and does not hide the sculpturing.

Most surfaces are moderately to strongly shining, but with punctures, including the head, dorsum of the mesosoma, sides of the mesosoma, petiole and gaster. Moderate bluish reflections are present, especially on the head and the mesosoma.

Type Material

ECUADOR: Pichincha, Bellavista Reserve. Holotype worker (California Academy of Sciences), 10 paratype workers (California Academy of Sciences William and Emma Mackay Collection Humboldt Institute Museum of Comparative Zoology Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna Museo de Zoologia) (Mackay and Mackay 2010)

Etymology

This species was named in honor of the memory of Stefan Schödl of the Naturhistorisches Museum in Wien, Vienna, Austria, friend and myrmecologist, recognizing all of his assistance of our work. (Mackay and Mackay 2010)

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • MacKay W. P., and E. E. MacKay. 2006. A new species of the ant genus Pachycondyla F. Smith, 1858 from Ecuador (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8: 49-51.
  • Mackay, W.P. and E.E. MacKay. 2010. The systematics and biology of the New World ants of the genus Pachycondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Edwin Mellen Press Lewiston, NY
Retrieved from "https://antwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Neoponera_schoedli&oldid=686392"