Temnothorax laetus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Temnothorax laetus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Temnothorax
Species group: sallei
Species: T. laetus
Binomial name
Temnothorax laetus
(Wheeler, W.M., 1937)
Synonyms

Wheeler (1931) reports this species has been observed nesting in bar and in dead or decaying wood.

Identification

Prebus (2017) - A member of the sallei clade.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 23.133° to 19.983333°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Cuba (type locality), Greater Antilles.

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

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • affinis. Macromischa (Macromischa) affinis Mann, 1920: 417, fig. 5 (w.) CUBA. [Junior secondary homonym of affinis Mayr, above.] Replacement name: Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501.
  • laetus. Macromischa affinis subsp. laeta Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 456 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Junior synonym of similis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154. Senior synonym of maerens, similis: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154; of umbratipes: Fontenla Rizo, 1997a: 51.
  • maerens. Macromischa affinis subsp. maerens Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 456 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of similis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501; of laetus: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154.
  • umbratipes. Macromischa affinis subsp. umbratipes Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 455 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 522. Raised to species: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 522. Junior synonym of laetus: Fontenla Rizo, 1997a: 51.
  • similis. Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501. Replacement name for affinis Mann, 1920: 417. [Junior secondary homonym of Leptothorax affinis Mayr, 1855: 442.] Junior synonym of laetus: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154.

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

Description

Worker

Length about 3.4 mm.

Peduncle somewhat longer than in the typical affinis and the preceding subspecies; epinotal spines more elevated; sculpture of both head and thorax finer, the thoracic rugae especially much finer and more numerous. Yellowish ferruginous; head slightly darker and more reddish; mandibles, clypeus, cheeks, neck, epinotal spines, petiolar peduncle, gaster and legs yellow; antennae, tips of femora, tips and bases of tibiae and entire basitarsi black; postpetiole and node of petiole ferruginous like the thorax. Lateral borders of first gastric segment and ill-defined bands at the posterior borders of the first, second and third segments, brown.

Type Material

One specimen from the Sierra de Purial, north of Imias, 3500 ft., July 25, 1936.

References

  • Baroni Urbani, C. 1978b. Materiali per una revisione dei Leptothorax neotropicali appartenenti al sottogenere Macromischa Roger, n. comb. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 3: 395-618 (page 501, Combination in Leptothorax, and junior synonym of similis)
  • Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
  • Fontenla Rizo, J. L. 1997b. Notas y sinónimos nuevos de Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Cuba. Avicennia 7: 47-53 (page 51, Senior synonym of umbratipes)
  • Prebus, M. 2017. Insights into the evolution, biogeography and natural history of the acorn ants, genus Temnothorax Mayr (hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bmc Evolutionary Biology. 17:250. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1095-8 (The doi link to the publication's journal webpage provides access to the 24 files that accompany this article).
  • Snelling, R. R. 1986. New synonymy in Caribbean ants of the genus Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 88: 154-156 (page 154, Senior synonym of maerens and similis, Revived from synonymy and raised to species)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1931b. New and little-known ants of the genera Macromischa, Creosomyrmex and Antillaemyrmex. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 72:1-34.
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1937b. Ants mostly from the mountains of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 81: 439-465 (page 456, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Alayo D. P. 1974. Introduccion al estudio de los Himenopteros de Cuba. Superfamilia Formicoidea. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Instituto de Zoologia. Serie Biologica no.53: 58 pp. La Habana.
  • Baroni Urbani C. 1978. Materiali per una revisione dei Leptothorax neotropicali appartenenti al sottogenere Macromischa Roger, n. comb. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 3: 395-618.
  • Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
  • Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
  • Fontenla J. L. 2001. Claves para las especies cubanas del taxon Macromischa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptothorax). Cocuyo (Havana) 11: 15-17.
  • Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
  • Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1993. Composición y estructura de comunidades de hormigas en un sistema de formaciones vegetales costeras. Poeyana. Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba 441:1-19.
  • Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
  • Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Notas y sinónimos nuevos de Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Cuba. Avicennia 6/7: 47-53.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Kusnezov N. 1963. Zoogeografia de las hormigas en sudamerica. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 19: 25-186
  • Mann W. M. 1920. Additions to the ant fauna of the West Indies and Central America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 42: 403-439.
  • Mann W. M. 1924. Notes on Cuban ants. Psyche (Cambridge) 31: 19-23.
  • Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2002. Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa. Cocuyo 12: 10-13
  • Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2006. Species of Hymenoptera recorded in the Reserva Ecológica Pico Mogote, Santiago de Cuba Province, 20-25 September 2002. In: Maceira F., D., A. Fong G., y/and W. S. Alverson, eds. 2006. Cuba: Pico Mogote. Rapid Biological Inventories Report 09. The Field Museum, Chicago.
  • Portuondo Ferrer, E. and J. Fernandez Triana. Biodiversidad del orden Hymenoptera en Los Macizos Montanosos de Cuba Oriental. Boletin S.E.A. 35:121-136.
  • Reyes, J. L. "Inventario de la colección de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba." Boletín de la Sociedad Aragonesa 36 (2005): 279-283.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1931. New and little-known ants of the genera Macromischa, Creosomyrmex and Antillaemyrmex. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 72: 1-34.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1937. Ants mostly from the mountains of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 81: 439-465.