Rogeria prominula

Rogeria prominula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Rogeria
Species:	R. prominula
Binomial name
	Rogeria prominula; Kugler, C., 1994

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification

Kugler (1994) - stigmatica species group. WL 0.78mm. Basal angle of mandibles greatly reduced. Body of clypeus projects strongly over the truncate clypeal apron. Frontal region elevated and laterodorsa slightly concave. Eyes very small. Metapleural lobes and metapleural gland bulla reduced. Body almost devoid of erect hair.

This is perhaps the most aberrant Rogeria species, with its unusual head shape and pilosity. But it has the characteristic Rogeria antennae, nuchal grooves and square anteroventral corners of the pronotum. It has affinities with Rogeria ciliosa, Rogeria gibba, and Rogeria stigmatica, as described in the stigmatica-group discussion.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Brazil and Guyana

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 2.990584° to -24.5442°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality), Guyana.

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.

Biology

The following is modified from Kugler (1994): Little is known about these cryptic ants. Collection records typically range from sea level to 1000m, but five species extend higher and two (Rogeria unguispina and Rogeria merenbergiana) can be found at 2000m. Rogeria are generally collected in moist forests (primary or secondary forests, coffee or cacao plantations), but at higher elevations can be found in pastures (Rogeria leptonana, Rogeria merenbergiana). Several species (Rogeria creightoni, Rogeria cuneola, Rogeria foreli) have been found in moist and dry climates. Rogeria foreli is the most unusual, with some members dwelling at over 1800m in the temperate mountains of southern Arizona.

Most species have only been collected as strays or by Berlese or Winkler sampling, from leaf litter and rotten wood, but occasionally among epiphytes and moss (Rogeria belti, creightoni, Rogeria exsulans). Nests of several species (belti, Rogeria blanda, merenbergiana) have been found under the loose bark of rotten logs. Nests of blanda and Rogeria tonduzi have been taken from the trunks of cacao trees. A nest of Rogeria leptonana was found at 1750m under a rock in a pasture.

Nests are rarely found. Males are known for only four species (belti, blanda, leptonana and Rogeria stigmatica) and queens associated through nest series for only nine species.

Castes

Only known from workers.

Nomenclature

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

prominula. Rogeria prominula Kugler, C. 1994: 35, fig. 14 (w.) BRAZIL.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 2.88, HL 0.66, HW 0.56, SL 0.51, EL 0.05 (4 facets), PW 0.435, WL 0.78, SpL 0.15, PetL 0.30, PpetL 0.19mm, CI 0.85, OI 0.09, SI 0.91, PSI 0.19.

Kugler 1994 fig 7-14

Mandibles with 5 teeth, basal angle greatly reduced (Fig. 14). Frontal lobes wide, closely approximated. Eyes small, round, sunken; facets indistinct. Nuchal groove visible laterally as a distinct notch. Pronotal shoulders well rounded. Dorsal face of propodeum wide, weakly concave. Propodeal spiracle about 2 diameters from edge of infradental lamella. Metapleural lobes reduced to low carinae. Metapleural gland bulla small. Petiolar node large, wider than long. Petiolar peduncle short, with weak keel and small, dentate inferior process. Postpetiole sub rectangular in dorsal view. Postpetiolar sternum projects shelflike under articulation with petiole. GW/WL 0.84. Terminal segments of gaster not rotated ventrad. Shaft of undissected sting slender, with slightly enlarged apex; lancets acute and appear strong.

Mandibles strongly carinulate for most of length. Frontal area impressed, smooth. Median head longitudinally rugose-areolate. Cheeks near antennal insertions microareolate. Laterodorsa, sides and posterior head densely macroareolate; cells small, u sually obscuring the effaced microareolate background. Promesonotal dorsum with same areolate sculpture as on back and sides of head. Mesosoma sides strongly microareolate and macroareolate; in different places one or the other predominates. Scrobiculate sculpture in mesosoma sutures. Dorsal face of propodeum distinctly microareolate, with branching rugulae crossing between propodeal spines. Peduncle and anterior face of petiole as well as sterna of petiole and postpetiole microareolate; rest of petiole and postpetiole macroareolate, somewhat effaced mesad. Gaster T1 densely covered with piligerous punctures; punctures weaker caudad. Other terga smooth except for vaguely roughened posterior margins.

Most of body covered with very fine, appressed pilosity. Sparse erect hairs on clypeus, frontal lobes and nearby head middorsum. A few short, decumbent hairs on mesosoma dorsum; dense erect hairs on terminal segments of gaster. No pilosity on ventral petiole.

Type Material

Holotype locality. BRAZIL: Amazonas;-Ig. Marianil, Rio Branco Road, 24km NE Manaus, 22-VIII-1962, #M-2 (W. L. Brown) Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

The name prominula, meaning little prominence, describes the body of the clypeus.

References

Albuquerque, E., Prado, L., Andrade-Silva, J., Siqueira, E., Sampaio, K., Alves, D., Brandão, C., Andrade, P., Feitosa, R., Koch, E., Delabie, J., Fernandes, I., Baccaro, F., Souza, J., Almeida, R., Silva, R. 2021. Ants of the State of Pará, Brazil: a historical and comprehensive dataset of a key biodiversity hotspot in the Amazon Basin. Zootaxa 5001, 1–83 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5001.1.1).
Kugler, C. 1994. A revision of the ant genus Rogeria with description of the sting apparatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Hym. Res. 3:17-89. (page 35, fig. 14 worker described)
LaPolla, J. S. and J. Sosa-Calvo. 2006. Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana. Zootaxa. 1330:59-68.