Rasopone Identification

The table shown here is table 2 from: Longino, J.T. and M.G. Branstetter. 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). In this study they explain: Identification should be carried out using diagnoses in individual species accounts, Figs. 6–13, and Table 2. These figures are standard images and a distribution map of each species, with species in order of mean HW. Specimen identification can be done by measuring the HW, going to that HW in the figures, and working up and down from there to locate potentially matching species. Table 2 provides a list of species in order of size, with key characteristics and geographic ranges." Text from the species accounts are also found on their respective Antwiki species pages and the Rasopone morphospecies page.

Longingo and Branstetter provided some context about these Rasopone identification resources.

The Rasopone identification resources are incomplete due to sampling limitations:

"The sampling of Rasopone species is still a long way from complete. Even with the intensive sampling in Middle America, we were able to examine a total of only 549 species occurrences (i.e., not counting duplicate occurrences of the same species within individual collection events). Among these, we recognized 29 species, but eight of these, nearly 30%, are still known from single occurrences. Panama and South America in particular are terra incognita, where a combination of greater sampling and DNA sequencing would undoubtedly reveal many additional species.

Details about the specimens used for this study:

This study was based on 549 separate species occurrence records. Most of the examined material was from the Middle American corridor (Veracruz, Mexico to Nicaragua). Almost all the specimens were from Winkler or Berlese samples of sifted leaf litter and rotten wood from wet forest habitats. Most material was from large-scale biodiversity inventory projects in Central America and southern Mexico, spanning 25 yr (Projects ALAS, LLAMA, and ADMAC). All holotypes and paratypes associated with the new species described here have unique specimen-level identifiers (‘specimen codes’) affixed to each pin, and most dry-mounted non-type specimens do as well. Specimen codes should not be confused with collection codes, which are associated with particular collection events. When reported, collection codes follow the collector. Collection data are derived from a specimen database and are not direct transcriptions of labels. Latitudes and longitudes, when present, are reported in decimal degrees, as a precise point (five decimal places) followed by an error term in meters. Material examined is not listed in the species accounts, but instead is available as digital supplementary material to this article (Supp Table 1 [online only]), at the journal’s website. Images of holotypes, distribution maps, and all specimen data on which this paper is based are available on AntWeb, where they are subject to future modification (data corrections and reidentifications).

Species	HW	CI	SI	PTI	Clypeus	Petiole	Mandible	Range
Rasopone pluviselva	0.76–0.93	79–97	66–81	57–70	Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Honduras-Panama
Rasopone minuta	0.79–0.96	78–96	70–85	51–63	Truncate	Tapered	Smooth	Chiapas-Honduras
Rasopone JTL043	0.85–1.04	81–98	72–87	54–65	Truncate	Cuboidal	Smooth	Ecuador
Rasopone JTL048	0.88–1.08	80–98	73–89	49–59	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	French Guiana
Rasopone MAS010	0.90–1.10	79–97	72–87	53–64	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Costa Rica
Rasopone cryptergates	0.96–1.18	77–95	71–87	51–63	Truncate	Cuboidal	Striate	Costa Rica
Rasopone JTL042	0.99–1.21	81–99	71–87	49–60	Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Colombia-Brazil
Rasopone JTL034	0.99–1.22	83–102	69–85	52–64	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	Puebla-Honduras
Rasopone lunaris	1.00–1.22	82–100	70–85	54–66	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	South America
Rasopone guatemalensis	1.00–1.22	77–94	77–95	51–62	Truncate	Tapered	Smooth	Chiapas-Guatemala
Rasopone costaricensis Form c	1.00–1.23	79–96	80–97	48–58	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Costa Rica
Rasopone JTL027	1.00–1.23	75–91	86–106	58–70	Truncate	Cuboidal	Striate	Panama
Rasopone costaricensis	1.03–1.26	78–95	76–93	48–59	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Costa Rica
Rasopone politognatha	1.05–1.28	83–101	74–90	50–62	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	Chiapas-Nicaragua
Rasopone JTL035	1.05–1.28	87–107	69–85	48–58	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	Veracruz
Rasopone JTL049	1.07–1.31	82–100	69–85	55–67	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	Colombia
Rasopone costaricensis Form b	1.07–1.31	77–94	82–100	49–60	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Costa Rica
Rasopone JTL047	1.09–1.33	86–105	66–81	53–65	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	French Guiana
Rasopone panamensis	1.11–1.35	79–97	75–92	52–63	Truncate	Cuboidal	Striate	Costa Rica-Panama
Rasopone subcubitalis	1.13–1.38	80–98	76–93	50–61	Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Chiapas-Honduras
Rasopone ferruginea	1.14–1.39	82–101	74–90	48–59	Sinuous	Tapered	Striate	Mexico-Nicaragua
Rasopone JTL040	1.16–1.42	82–100	66–80	53–65	Truncate	Cuboidal	Smooth	Colombia
Rasopone JTL041	1.19–1.45	83–101	74–91	50–61	Truncate	Tapered	Smooth	Colombia
Rasopone costaricensis Form a	1.19–1.46	76–93	79–97	50–61	Truncate	Intermediate	Smooth	Costa Rica
Rasopone JTL030	1.26–1.54	79–97	74–90	51–63	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Panama
Rasopone JTL037	1.27–1.55	80–98	83–101	46–56	Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Guatemala
Rasopone mesoamericana	1.33–1.62	80–98	76–93	50–61	Truncate	Tapered	Striate	Chiapas-Costa Rica
Rasopone JTL029	1.37–1.67	84–102	67–81	50–61	Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Panama
Rasopone cubitalis	1.40–1.71	82–100	82–100	50–61	Sinuous	Cuboidal	Smooth	Nicaragua-Costa Rica
Rasopone titanis	1.51–1.84	84–102	78–96	52–64	Sinuous	Tapered	Smooth	Chiapas
Rasopone breviscapa	1.53–1.87	90–110	71–87		Truncate	Intermediate	Striate	Bolivia
Rasopone rupinicola	1.53–1.87	78–96	95–117		Sinuous	Intermediate	Smooth	Panama-Colombia

Additional Resources