Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens

Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Pogonomyrmecini
Genus:	Pogonomyrmex
Species group:	naegelii
Species:	P. tenuipubens
Binomial name
	Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens; Santschi, 1936 Specimen Labels

Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens appears to be uncommon given the very few times that it has been collected. Kusnezov (1951) and the author searched the type locality for this species: both found numerous colonies of Pogonomyrmex naegelii but none of P. tenuipubens. Little is known about the biology of P. tenuipubens, but it is probably similar to that of P. naegelii. (Johnson 2015)

Identification

Johnson (2015) - Within the P. naegelii-group, the combination of: (1) approximately 16–20 fine, weak, longitudinal rugae between frontal lobes, (2) abundant, very short, delicate hairs on head (including psammophore) and mesosoma, maximal length similar to width of cephalic interrugae uniquely characterize this species.

Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens co-occurs with both Pogonomyrmex abdominalis and Pogonomyrmex naegelii. Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens can be distinguished from these two species based on the following characters: (1) P. tenuipubens has approximately 16–20 fine, weak, longitudinal rugae between the frontal lobes, and (2) very short, thin, delicate hairs on head (including psammophore) and mesosoma, their maximal length similar to width of cephalic interrugae. Both P. abdominalis and P. naegelii have: (1) approximately 8–10 coarse longitudinal rugae between frontal lobes, and (2) hairs on head (including psammophore) and mesosoma longer and coarse, their maximal length much longer than width of cephalic interrugae.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -22.809943° to -27.331°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality), Paraguay.

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.

Habitat

Johnson (2015) - Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens appears to inhabit low elevation sites (the type locality is at an elevation of about 65 m), and it is only known from the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion as defined by Olson et al. (2001).

Biology

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Images from AntWeb


Lectotype of Pogonomyrmex tenuipubens. Worker. Specimen code casent0281113. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

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

tenuipubens. Pogonomyrmex (Ephebomyrmex) tenuipubens Santschi, 1936d: 403, fig. 4 (w.) ARGENTINA. Combination in Ephebomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 106; in Pogonomyrmex: Bolton, 1995b: 341.

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

Description

Worker

Johnson (2015) - Lectotype (n = 1 paralectotype). HL 1.19 (1.23); HW 1.10 (1.16); MOD 0.27 (0.28); OMD 0.27 (0.27); SL 0.78 (0.75); PNW 0.77 (0.80); HFL 1.07 (1.15); ML 1.37 (1.38); PW 0.35 (0.37); PPW 0.50 (0.50). Indices: SI 70.91 (64.66); CI 92.44 (94.31); OI 24.55 (24.14); HFI 97.27 (99.14).

Head elongate (CI = 92.44–94.31), widest just posterior to eye; posterior margin flat. Longitudinal rugae on cephalic dorsum fine and dense, slightly wavy; approximately 16–20 fine, longitudinal rugae between frontal lobes; in full-face view, medial rugae not diverging toward posterior corners of head. In profile, area posterior to eyes rugose, rugae converging between posterior margin of eye and vertex. Cephalic interrugae moderately granulate, weakly shining; vertex rugose. Anterior margin of clypeus moderately concave, dorsal surface with numerous fine, subparallel, longitudinal rugae; lateral lobe of clypeus lacking small lobe that projects from anterior margin of antennal fossa. Mandible with five teeth; mandibular dorsum coarsely rugose. Up to several moderately long, curved, bristle-like, yellow-brown to brownish hairs project from anterior margin of clypeus. MOD = 0.23x HL. In profile, eyes situated anterior to middle of head, OMD = 0.96–1.00x MOD. Antennal scapes moderately long (SI = 64.66–70.91), failing to reach vertex by approximately 2.0x length of basal funicular segment; entire scape strongly striate, dull. Basal flange of scape flattened, moderately well-developed with carinate margin. Psammophore poorly-developed, consisting of numerous very short hairs scattered across ventral side of head.

Mesosomal profile weakly convex; all mesosomal surfaces with weak, wavy to irregular rugae or rugoreticulate. Mesoepinotal sulcus not impressed. Dorsum and sides of pronotum with irregular rugae to rugoreticulate. Dorsum of mesonotum with irregular transverse rugae, mesopleura with irregular rugae angling posterodorsally; dorsum of propodeum with wavy, transverse rugae that traverse anteroventrally. Propodeum with moderately long, bluntly tipped spines connected by well-defined keel; spine length approximately 0.5-0.6x distance between their bases. Inferior propodeal spines well-developed, acuminate, length approximately 0.6x that of superior spines, width at base greater than length of superior spines; inferior and superior spines connected by a weak ruga. Propodeal spiracles ovoid to circular facing posterad. Interrugae on mesosoma moderately granulate, weakly shining. Legs weakly coriarious, weakly shining.

Peduncle of petiole about 0.7x as long as petiolar node, anteroventral margin weakly convex but lacking triangular process. In profile, petiolar node asymmetrical with anterior surface shorter than posterior surface, apex weakly rounded, anterior surface meeting peduncle at a right angle. In dorsal view, petiolar node longer than wide, widest near middle, narrowing to rounded anterior margin; maximal width of posterior surface slightly greater than distance between tips of superior propodeal spines; posterior surface and sides with weak transverse to oblique rugae, interrugae moderately granulate, weakly shining. Dorsum of postpetiole convex in profile; robust in dorsal view, widest at or near posterior margin, margins of posterior one-half mostly parallel, anterior one-half narrowing to broadly rounded anterior margin, maximal width greater than length, dorsum and sides moderately to strongly granulate-punctate, dull. Ventral process of postpetiole large, bulbous, height similar to dorsal portion of postpetiole. First gastral tergum smooth and strongly shining.

Short, thin, delicate, suberect, whitish pilosity moderately abundant on head, mesosoma, petiolar node, and postpetiole, hairs rarely longer than width of cephalic interrugae; one very long hair on each frontal lobe, length >MOD, and one to several long, coarse hairs occasionally present on posterior margin of head and pronotum. Moderately abundant short, appressed pilosity on scape plus several longer suberect hairs; abundant decumbent hairs on funicular segments. Legs with moderately abundant appressed setae; gastral terga with sparse, appressed, thin, delicate hairs that are longer than those on rest of body; posterior margin of second gastral tergum with several long erect hairs >MOD. Concolorous tan to tannish-brown with darker brownish gaster.

Type Material

Johnson (2015) - Syntypes examined: 1 worker FML, 1 worker Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel, ARGENTINA, Misiones: Loreto, #2055 (Dr. A. Ogloblin, 19 September 1933). NHMB worker here designated LECTOTYPE [CASENT0281113].

Etymology

Johnson (2015) - Santschi named this species (Latin, tenui- = thin, narrow, or slender plus pubens = hair of an adolescent) for the fairly abundant, extremely short, fine pubescence over most of the body.

References

Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 341, Combination in Pogonomyrmex: revived combination)
Johnson, R.A. 2015. A taxonomic revision of South American species of the seed-harvester ant genus Pogonomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Part I. Zootaxa 4029:1–142 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4029.1.1).
Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 106, Combination in Ephebomyrmex)
Santschi, F. 1936d. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes de la République Argentine. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 6: 402-421 (page 403, fig. 4 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
Johnson Robert. 2014. List of South American species of Pogonomyrmex. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/pogonomyrmex/SOUTHAMERICANPOGOS.htm
Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
Kusnezov N. 1949. Pogonomyrmex del grupo Ephebomyrmex en la fauna de la Patagonia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 8: 291-307.
Kusnezov N. 1951. El género Pogonomyrmex Mayr (Hym., Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 11: 227-333.
Kusnezov N. 1978. Hormigas argentinas: clave para su identificación. Miscelánea. Instituto Miguel Lillo 61:1-147 + 28 pl.
Santschi F. 1936. Fourmis nouvelles ou intéressantes de la République Argentine. Revista de Entomologia (Rio de Janeiro). 6: 402-421.
Vittar, F. 2008. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Mesopotamia Argentina. INSUGEO Miscelania 17(2):447-466
Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.