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Typhlomyrmex prolatus
| Typhlomyrmex prolatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ectatomminae |
| Tribe: | Ectatommini |
| Genus: | Typhlomyrmex |
| Species: | T. prolatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Typhlomyrmex prolatus Brown, 1965 | |
Typhlomyrmex prolatus specimens examined by Fernández et al. (2023) from Colombia were collected exclusively in the soil at 0–10 cm depth; the collection substrate in previous records is unknown. This species has been found in fragmented rain forests in piedmont area. The individuals of CATAC-00879 were collected sharing the soil galleries with a colony of the termite Anoplotermes meridianus.
Photo Gallery
Fernández et al. (2023), Figure 3. Photomicrographs of Typhlomyrmex prolatus (CATAC-00879). A, head in frontal view; B, body in dorsal view; C, body in lateral view; D, postpetiolar carinae in dorsal view; E, lateral view. Arrows pointing out the petiolar carinae. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (A, D, E); 0.5 mm (B, C).
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Identification
Fernández et al. (2023) - This species is easily separated from any other Typhlomyrmex by the possession of the short protruding carina on the anterior dorsum of the first metasomal tergum. This trait is described in the female of the species in Brown (1965) where they posit that it may be present in the worker. All workers examined in this work share this characteristic, so the possibility that it is a pointing error or a mutation in the first specimen observed by Brown is clearly ruled out. The function of this structure, if it exists, is unknown. As far as we know, this structure is unknown in other ants within this genus.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Fernández et al. (2023) - Until this present work, the only confirmed localities of this species were in Central America (Brown 1965; Mackay et al. 2004; Dáttilo et al. 2020); however, records for Brazil and Venezuela were mentioned by Lacau et al. (2008) without pointing out the records; our records and the literature records establish an altitudinal distribution from 50 m to 1,200. m for T. prolatus. With these records, along with our own presented herein, we confirm the presence of this species in South America. Confirmed records range from Mexico to Colombia, with the possibility of having a broader distribution.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 19.38111111° to 13.7695434°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica (type locality), Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela.
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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- prolatus. Typhlomyrmex prolatus Brown, 1965c: 72, fig. 6 (q.) COSTA RICA.
- Type-material: holotype queen.
- Type-locality: Costa Rica: vic. San José, 1940 (H. Schmidt).
- Type-depository: MZSP.
- Status as species: Kempf, 1972a: 256; Bolton, 1995b: 422; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
- Distribution: Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Fernández et al. (2023) - HW 0.578, HL 0.528, SL 0.464, PrW 0.307, PeW 0.239, PeL 0.314, PeH 0.305, WL 0.913, CI 109, SI 80, TL 1.85.
Head. Elongated; vertexal margin weakly concave; posterolateral corners narrowly rounded; sides of head weakly convex; clypeus medially domeshaped, the dome conspicuously protruding from the lateral clypeal margins and with a vertical anterior face; clypeal margin medially convex; anterior clypeal lamella narrow, without a medial lobe; eyes reduced to one ommatidia situated near the middle of the capsule sides; antennal sockets partially concealed by the frontal lobes frontal carinae; frontal lobes short and subquadrate; toruli circular and definitely separated, visible by transparency through the frontal groove integument; antenna 12-segmented with a 3 segmented club; scape conspicuously bent ventrally at one third of its apical length in frontal view, the maximal width being nearly equal to the pedicel length; when folded backward, its apex reach the vertexal margin; pedicel about twice as long as wide, and about as long as the 2 following segments together; segments A3–A9 quadrate to wider than long; segment 10 to 12 forming antennal club; mandible shape elongated-subtriangular, the apical margin joining basal margin at a round angle; masticatory margin with 7–9 small teeth from base to apex before the bigger apical tooth.
Mesosoma. Sub-rectangular in lateral view; pronotum anteriorly rounded in dorsal view, a little wider than long and strongly sloping anteriorly in lateral view, its posterior part horizontal; promesonotal suture underlined by a weak furrow, forming an arch, widely concave posteriorly; promesonotal suture well marked in dorsal view; mesonotum almost flat dorsally; metanotal groove distinct but weak; sides of the propodeum weakly concave medially in dorsal view; metapleural gland orifice in profile as a short oblique slit, bounded below by a convex rim of cuticle that directs the orifice posterodorsally; the swollen bulla of the gland is visible through the integument, its anterior margin in touch with the propodeal spiracle; dorsal face of the propodeum weakly inclined and almost flat, gradually rounding beyond the spiracle towards the sloping posterior face; propodeal spiracle opened laterally and slightly downward, its large orifice bordered by a thin cuticular ring, its diameter (0.041 mm); propodeal lobes lacking.
Metasoma. Petiole short, higher than wide, shortly pedunculate and broadly constricted between abdominal pre- and postsegment; petiolar node broad, anterior face slightly concave in lateral view, the anterior apex sharp followed by a evenly curved posterior face; in dorsal face node trapezoidal, wider than long, posterior face strongly concave; spiracles on lateral protuberances near anterolateral base of node, their orifices circular, opening laterally and slightly posteriorly; sternite with a short medial carina lengthened anteriorly by a medium sized; subpetiolar process elongated triangular with a sharp point directed forward; gaster elongated, its maximal width at the level of abdominal segment IV; abdominal tergite III with a median short anterior carena strongly produced and seen in lateral view.
Sculpture. Cephalic capsule wholly sculptured with rugosities and punctuations; frons and vertex medially impressed by a narrow longitudinal band striae, from frontal lobes diffusely diverging just before the vertexal margin; the lateral margins of genae with weakly sinuous striae, almost all the dorsum of capsule is covered by scattered piliferous punctuations nearly aligned except on genae at the level of the antennal sockets, on the medial part of the frons and the vertex; punctuations denser dorsally than ventrally, conspicuously more impressed on the posterior two third of the capsule and especially dense at the transition between vertex and genae; mandibles smooth and shiny; pronotum and mesonotum with a dense piliferous punctuation except on a narrow median band and on anterolateral margins of the pronotum which are smooth and shiny; pronotum with narrow longitudinal smooth band; propodeum with a broad smooth and shining area widening toward the propodeal declivity; mesopleura with central area smooth and shining, nearly circular; propodeum finely striated and punctuated laterally but medially smooth and shining; petiole node dull with fine punctuations denser anteriorly and laterally, in lateral view mostly smooth and shining; gaster and femora entirely covered by sparse piliferous punctuation, weaker than on head and thorax.
Pilosity and color. Short and abundant on head and body. Erect hairs (longer than antennal segment 11) on clypeal dome, petiolar dorsum and gaster. Shorter erect hairs on most metasomal sterna; appressed pubescence formed by dense short setae, distributed on most of the body. Color: body reddish brown, antennae, and legs lighter.
References
- Brown, W. L., Jr. 1965c. Contributions to a reclassification of the Formicidae. IV. Tribe Typhlomyrmecini (Hymenoptera). Psyche (Camb.) 72: 65-78 (page 72, fig. 6 queen described)
- Camacho, G.P., Franco, W., Branstetter, M.G., Pie, M.R., Longino, J.T., Schultz, T.R., Feitosa, R.M. 2022. UCE phylogenomics resolves major relationships among Ectaheteromorph ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ectatomminae, Heteroponerinae): A new classification for the subfamilies and the description of a new genus. Insect Systematics and Diversity 6(1): 5; 1–20 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixab026).
- Fernández, F., Fiorentino, G., Castro, D. 2023. A new species of Typhlomyrmex from Colombia, re-description of the worker of T. clavicornis Emery, description of the worker of T. prolatus Brown, and key of known species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 96, 579–597 (doi:10.3897/jhr.96.103219).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Brown W. L., Jr. 1965. Contributions to a reclassification of the Formicidae. IV. Tribe Typhlomyrmecini (Hymenoptera). Psyche (Camb.) 72: 65-78.
- Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
- Fernández F., and T. M. Arias-Penna. 2008. Las hormigas cazadoras en la región Neotropical. Pp. 3-39 in: Jiménez, E.; Fernández, F.; Arias, T.M.; Lozano-Zambrano, F. H. (eds.) 2008. Sistemática, biogeografía y conservación de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Bogotá: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, xiv + 609 pp.
- Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.