Crematogaster cerasi, (FITCH, 1855)

Ward, Philip S. & Blaimer, Bonnie B., 2022, Taxonomy in the phylogenomic era: species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships among North American ants of the Crematogaster scutellaris group (Formicidae: Hymenoptera), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 194, pp. 893-937 : 912

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab047

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6144DD31-0F7B-4589-86A3-F40994452C9

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6352249

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039987E6-FFEF-FFC3-FF55-7F3DFB6465AF

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Crematogaster cerasi
status

 

CREMATOGASTER CERASI ( FITCH, 1855) View in CoL

( FIGS 10B View Figures 3–12 , 31 View Figures 31–36 )

Myrmica cerasi Fitch, 1855: 835 . Four syntype workers, New York (USNM) (examined); one worker here designated lectotype (USNMENT00529078) (image on AntWeb).

Crematogaster cerasi ( Fitch, 1855) View in CoL ; Roger, 1863: 37.

Junior synonym of Crematogaster lineolata (Say) View in CoL : Dalla Torre, 1893: 83; Creighton 1950: 213.

Crematogaster lineolata var. cerasi (Fitch) : Emery, 1895: 282.

Crematogaster lineolata cerasi (Fitch) View in CoL : Smith, 1951: 809.

Status as species: Buren in Smith, 1958: 125; Buren, 1968: 92; Johnson, 1988: 318.

Senior synonym of Crematogaster kennedyi: Buren in Smith, 1958: 125.

Senior synonym of Crematogaster browni: Morgan & Mackay, 2017: 91 ; here overturned (see above).

Worker measurements (N = 17): HW 0.77–1.05, HL 0.74–0.99, SL 0.62–0.82, WL 0.83–1.17, MtFL 0.67– 0.95, MSC 2–7, A4SC 4–14, PP-SL/HW 0.15–0.19, CI 1.03–1.13, OI 0.22–0.25, SI 0.72–0.81, MtFL/HW 0.81– 0.92, SPL/HW 0.22–0.25, SPTD/HW 0.45–0.59.

Discussion: This is a common species in eastern North America that overlaps broadly in distribution with C. lineolata . It is distinguished from the latter by having the standing pilosity on the mesosoma dorsum restricted to one to several setae on each pronotal humerus (MSC 2–7 vs. 15–26 in C. lineolata ). The pilosity on the gaster is also sparser in C. cerasi (A4SC 4–14 vs. 16–42 in C. lineolata ) but the postpetiolar seta is longer (PP-SL/PPW 0.42–0.54 vs. 0.28–0.43 in C. lineolata ). For differences between C. cerasi and C. browni , see under the latter species.

Type notes: The four syntypes of C. cerasi in USNM are old and in poor condition; each is on a separate pin and labeled ‘N. Y.’, ‘Collection| T Pergande’ and ‘No 53583| U.S. N.M. |Cotype’. The specimens have also been assigned recent USNMENT specimen codes: 00921679, 00921680, 00921681 and 00529078. The last is in best condition and is here designated lectotype. Specific measurements of the lectotype are as follows: HW 1.05, HL 0.94, SL 0.80, ED 0.26, WL 1.14, MtFL 0.92, SPL 0.26, SPTD 0.61 .

Distribution and biology: Crematogaster cerasi is widespread in eastern North America, from southern Canada to Florida. It occurs as far west as North Dakota ( Wheeler & Wheeler, 1977), Colorado ( Gregg, 1963; as ‘ Crematogaster lineolata ’) and northern New Mexico (material examined in LACM). Records on AntWeb of ‘ C. lineolata’ from Montana (FMNHINS0000108303) and South Dakota (FMNHINS0000109880) almost certainly refer to C. cerasi . This species nests in rotten logs, in stumps, under stones and directly in the soil, in both open habitats (grasslands, fields) and in woodlands ( Wheeler & Wheeler, 1963; Johnson, 1988; Ellison et al., 2012; Deyrup, 2017). It is also known to colonize wooden structures in houses ( Smith, 1965).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Crematogaster

Loc

Crematogaster cerasi

Ward, Philip S. & Blaimer, Bonnie B. 2022
2022
Loc

Crematogaster lineolata cerasi (Fitch)

Smith MR 1951: 809
1951
Loc

Crematogaster cerasi ( Fitch, 1855 )

Roger J 1863: 37
1863
Loc

Myrmica cerasi

Fitch A 1855: 835
1855
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