Rhopalothrix weberi Brown & Kempf, 1960

Guerrero, Roberto J., Grajales-Andica, Andres F., Fernandez, Fernando, Tocora, Maria C., Fiorentino, Gianpiero & Garcia, Delly R., 2024, The ants of the genus Rhopalothrix Mayr, 1870 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in Colombia, ZooKeys 1191, pp. 129-150 : 129

Rhopalothrix weberi Brown & Kempf, 1960

Figs 2 , 10

Worker measurements

(N = 1). MdL 0.16, MdbW 0.07, ClyL 0.12, ClyW 0.25, HL 0.36, HW 0.37, WL 0.38, PrnW 0.24, PetL 0.17, PpetL 0.09, PetW 0.14, PpetW 0.2, T4L 0.33, GL 0.41.

Geographic range.

Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname.

Examined material.

Colombia • 1 worker; Santander, Puerto Wilches, Vereda Centro ; 7.32972°N, 73.84256°W; 87 m a.s.l.; 13 Jul. 2021; G. Mercado leg.; ex sifted leaf litter riparian forest; IAvH-E-233235 .

Natural history.

The only specimen studied here was extracted from the low-density litter of a riparian forest with shrubby vegetation.

Comments.

This species is recorded by Achury and Suarez (2018) from the Colombian inter-Andean valley, but we were not able to study those specimens to corroborate the identity. Ants recently collected in Puerto Wilches (Santander) in eastern Colombia included one specimen that matches the taxonomic definition of R. weberi , thus corroborating the presence of this species in Colombia.

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution map of Rhopalothrix species in Colombia.

Figure 10. Rhopalothrix weberi worker (IAvH-E- 233235). A full-face view B lateral view C mandible distinguishing the teeth of the apical fork; drawing inserted showing the arrangement of the teeth of the apical fork of the mandible D dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.3 mm.