Apsychomyrmex tristani Menozzi
Adelomyrmex tristani
Revision of the myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
Fernández, F.
Zootaxa
2003
361
1
52
9XX7
urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:24999
Insecta
Formicidae
Adelomyrmex
CoL
Animalia
Adelomyrmex tristani (Menozzi)
Hymenoptera
30
Arthropoda
species
tristani
Apsychomyrmex tristani Menozzi, 1931:260 (w); Borgmeier, 1937:240 (w); M.R. Smith, 1947:472 (worker redescription). [Holotype not seen, presumably in Deutsches Entomologisches Institut]. Adelomyrmex tristani: Kempf, 1972:18 ( New combination); Bolton, 1995:58 (w.).
Worker measurements (n=40). HL 0.53 - 0.73 HW 0.45 - 0.65 SL 0.29 - 0.41 EL 0.05 - 0.08 WL 0.53 - 0.73 GL 0.63 - 0.92 TL 2.00 - 2.84 CI 90 - 91 SI 55 - 63.
Worker diagnosis: Head with posterior margin weakly flat to feebly concave. Mandibles with 5 to 6 teeth decreasing in size from the apical teeth. Tooth of basal margin of mandible not protuberant, smaller than subapical masticatory tooth. Eyes small, with 7 to 22 facets. Hypostomal tooth small but visible. Promesonotum slightly convex, higher than propodeal dorsum; metanotal groove well marked. Lateral sides of pronotum angulated. Propodeal spiracle rounded. Propodeum sloping, with the spines variable in size and shape, from low, triangular to long and narrow. Petiole high, with anterior side sloping and posterior side more or less feebly convex; sometimes petiole nearly quadrate, with anterior and posterior faces nearly parallel. Postpetiole campaniform with a ventral transverse ridge toothlike as seen in profile. Sting well developed. Mandibles dorsally with moderate longitudinal rugulations. Clypeal plate smooth and shining. Head frons longitudinally rugulate, head sides irregularly rugulated and mixed with punctures. Promesonotal dorsum variously sculptured, from longitudinal fine rugulae to longitudinal to strong coarse costae, in some workers the rugae or striae mixed, anteriorly oblique to transverse, in a few workers only a very few central longitudinal rugae visible. Promesonotal rugae or striae mixed with punctures. Propodeal declivity transversely rugulated between propodeal spines. Declivitous face of propodeum from smooth to covered with transverse rugae. Petiole and postpetiole normally transversely rugulated, sometimes times dorsally smooth and shining. Legs and gaster smooth and shining. Hairs yellowish, long and flexuous on the body, more short and appressed on antennae and legs. Body black, dark brown or brown, legs light brown, tarsi yellowish.
Queen measurements: HL 0.75 HW 0.66 SL 0.45 EL 0.11 WL 0.84 GL 1.05 TL 3.22 CI 88 SI 68.
As worker with the following differences: Mandibles with all teeth of masticatory border of similar size. Three ocelli present. 12 - 13 ommatidia in the largest diameter of eye. Pronotum laterally costulated. Promesonotum longitudinally costulated with areas smooth and shining variable, from anterior half to nearly all promesonotum. Metanotum longitudinally costulated. Mesopleurae with longitudinal costulation and areas smooth and shining. Propodeum costulated longitudinally in the sides, transversely in the declivitous face. Male: Unknown.
Material examined: MEXICO: 3 w, Chiapas, 17.3 km NW Bochi, 1800 m., 24.ix.1992, R.S. Anderson No. 92-115( INBio); 6 w, 10 q, Chiapas, 7.4 km SSW Motozintla de Mendoza, 2000 m., 21.ix.1992, R.S. Anderson No. 92-110( INBio, IAvH); 2 w, Chiapas, km N UnionJuarez, VolcanTacana, lower slopes, 2000 m, 19.ix.1992, R.S. Anderson No. 92-110( INBio); 9 w, Puebla, Tezitlan, 18.iv.46, F. Bonnet No. 1350( LACM, USNM); 6 w, Veracruz, Fortin Canyon, Metlac River, 5.viii.69, S. & J. Peck( BMNH); GUATEMALA: 1 w, San Francisco, 19.iii.46 No. 20342, in Odontoglossumsp.Lot. No. 46-3094 ( MZSP); COSTA RICA: 2 w, Alajuela, 6.5 km E Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°45’W, 950 m., 22.viii.1985, J. Longino No. 861-s( INBio); 3 w, 1 q, Alajuela, 3 km E Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°47’W, 1400 m., 26.iv.1990, J. Longino No. 2674-s( INBio); 2 w, Guanacaste, Cerro Cacao, 10°56’N 85°27’W, 1500 m., 9- 11.ii.1989, J. Longino No. 2339-s( INBio); 13 w, Heredia, 18 km N VolcanBarba, 10°17’N 84°05’W, 800 m, 14.vii.1986, J. Longino No. 1383-S( INBio); 1 w, Heredia, La Selva Biological Station, 10°26’N 84°01W, 50-150 m, x.1992, OET( INBio); 14 w, 1 f., Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1560 m, 15.vii.1984, L. Longino( LACM); 24 w, 7 q, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1300-1800 m, 15.vii.1984- 14.v.1991, J. Longino Nos. 1572 - 2888-s( INBio, IAvH); 15 w, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1400 m., iv.- v.1987, S. Little( INBio, IAvH); 14 w, 5 q, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1550 m, 8.iv.1988- 10.xii.1987, J. Longino No. 1994-s to 1973-s( INBio); 6 w, 1 q, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1600 m., 30.iv.1989, L. Longino No. 2486-s( INBio); 3 w, 1 f, Puntarenas, Monteverde, 10°18’N 84°48’W, 1600 m., 1.v.1991, U. California EAP( INBio); 1 w, Puntarenas, EstacionPittier, 9°02’N 82°55’W, 1670 m., 2.vii.1989( INBio); 2 w, Puntarenas, Fila Cruces, 8°47’N 83°03’W, 1200 m., 29.vi.1995, J. Longino No. 3693-s( INBio); 3 w, San Jose, Laredo, en Philodendron, tunnel, 8.v.57, ( USNM); 1 w, " From Mexicoor Costa Rica, in orchid, intercepted in Brownsville, Texas, 1 w, ( ICN). COLOMBIA: 2 w, Antioquia, El Retiro, Fca. El Barcino, 2100 m, 11°51’N 83°95’W, winkler trap, 13.xii.1993, A. Vahosleg. ( ICN); 1 w, Quindio, Filandia, 1870 m, 1.vi.2002, J. Sossaleg. ( IAvH); 11 w, Santander, Encino, CachaluNatural Reserve, 06°04’N 73°07’W, 2000 m, winkler trap, 20.iii.1999, E.L. Gonzalezleg. ( IAvH, ICN); 4 w, Valle, Alto Anchicaya, Farallones de Cali National Park, 650 m, winkler trap, S. Sarrialeg. ( IAvH, ICN); 1 w, Valle, Cali, El Ensueno, 27 km road Cali-Buenaventura, 1780 m, in litt., 8.xii.1993, P. Chaconleg. ( ICN).
Comments. This species is highly variable in size, color, pilosity, configuration of the propodeal spines, and to a lesser extent, petiole configuration. Relative to other groups of monomorphic myrmicines, there is a great deal of size variation, with worker HW ranging from 0.45 to 0.65 mm. The eyes vary from 7-8 to 20-22 ommatidia, with this number correlated with size. In color, the majority of the specimens are black with brown appendages and yellowish extremities. The normal pilosity is moderately long, although very long in some small brown workers (Costa Rica, Barbas Volcano, 800 m). The petiole typically has a short peduncle, curving continuously into the dorsal rounded face; in some workers, the petiole is somewhat more square, with the anterior and posterior faces almost parallel. The characteristics with the greatest variability are the sculpturing of the promesonotum and the size and form of the propodeal spines. The most typical tendency in worker sculpturing is the formation of rugulae or longitudinal carinae, either moderately or strongly marked, which form 14-15 coarse costulae over the dorsal area. Most of the time these costae or rugulae do not touch the anterior border of the pronotum, instead being replaced by oblique or transverse rugae. In a few cases these rugae reach the anterior margin of the pronotum, and in some workers they are concentric around a few central longitudinal rugae. In a few other workers, they are mostly oblique, almost transverse. Figures 23, 39 and 40 show some examples of the sculpturing. The teeth or propodeal spines are variable as well, from low and triangular (shorter than their bases), to elongated and slender in shape. With such wide variation it would be easy to interpret the endpoints (in isolation) as different species, and in fact at the beginning of this revision some of the extreme examples seemed to represent new species, based especially on the size and sculpturing of the promesonotum. Nevertheless, critical examination of wider samples, from Mexicoto Colombia, reveals a continuum of size, sculpturing, and color mixtures. There are samples from the same locality and even the same nest in which the workers are different in size and promesonotum sculpturing. Under these circumstances, it is a challenge to identify characteristics by which species can be unambiguously separated. It is possible that A. tristaniis actually a complex of closely-related species that have very recently undergone (or are undergoing) speciation. Populations in valleys or isolated mountains might be in the process of becoming discontinuous from neighboring populations, with accompanying differences in size, color, pilosity, or habits. Males associated with workers (lacking to date) could provide important information for evaluating these alternatives. Bigger samples, males, and genetic study should elucidate whether A. tristaniis an extremely variable species or a set of closely-related species. Some of the biggest specimens of A. tristanilook like A. robustus. Nevertheless, the latter has a typical HW equal or greater than 0.83 mm, and most are around 0.85 mm. The rugulae of the head and promesonotum in A. robustusare more irregular, never straight, with more abundant and marked piliferous punctures. The tooth of the basal margin is large and robust, as big as or bigger than the subapical tooth of the masticatory margin; the clypeal teeth are also conspicuous. The propodeal spines are always low and black.
A. robustusis known only from Mexico.
923930699
1992-09-24
INBio
R. S. Anderson
MEXICO
Bochi, 1800 m.
17.3 km NW
No. 92 - 115
Chiapas
923930685
1992-09-21
INBio, IAvH
R. S. Anderson
MEXICO
Motozintla de Mendoza, 2000 m.
7.4 km SSW
No. 92 - 110
Chiapas
923930679
1992-09-19
INBio
R. S. Anderson
MEXICO
km N Union Juarez, Volcan Tacana, lower slopes, 2000 m
No. 92 - 110
Chiapas
923930695
1946-04-18
LACM, USNM
F. Bonnet
MEXICO
Tezitlan
No. 1350
Puebla
923930690
1969-08-05
BMNH
S. Peck, J. Peck
MEXICO
Fortin Canyon, Metlac River
Veracruz
923930701
1946-03-19
MZSP
GUATEMALA
San Francisco, in Odontoglossum sp.
No. 20342
923930688
1985-08-22
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 950 m.
6.5 km E
-84.75
No. 861 - s
Alajuela
923930691
1990-04-26
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1400 m.
3 km E
-84.78333
No. 2674 - s
Alajuela
923930684
1989-02-11
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.933333
Cerro Cacao, 1500 m.
-85.45
No. 2339 - s
Guanacaste
923930689
1986-07-14
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.283334
Volcan Barba, 800 m
18 km N
-84.083336
No. 1383 - S
Heredia
923930683
1992-10
OET, INBio
COSTA RICA
10.433333
La Selva Biological Station, 50-150 m
-84.01666667
Heredia
923930700
1984-07-15
LACM
L. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1560 m
-84.8
Puntarenas
923930687
1991-05-14
INBio, IAvH
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1300-1800 m
-84.8
Nos. 1572 - 2888 - s
Puntarenas
923930697
1987-05
INBio, IAvH
S. Little
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1400 m.
-84.8
Puntarenas
923930698
1988-04-08
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1550 m
-84.8
No. 1994 - s to 1973 - s
Puntarenas
923930692
1989-04-30
INBio
L. Longino
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1600 m.
-84.8
No. 2486 - s
Puntarenas
923930686
1991-05-01
INBio
U. California EAP
COSTA RICA
10.3
Monteverde, 1600 m.
-84.8
Puntarenas
923930702
1989-07-02
INBio
COSTA RICA
9.033334
Estacion Pittier, 1670 m.
-82.916664
Puntarenas
923930682
1995-06-29
INBio
J. Longino
COSTA RICA
8.783334
Fila Cruces, 1200 m.
-83.05
No. 3693 - s
Puntarenas
923930713
1957-05-08
tunnel
USNM
COSTA RICA
Laredo, en Philodendron
San Jose
923930719
ICN
USA
From Mexico or Costa Rica, in orchid, intercepted in Brownsville
Texas
923930704
1993-12-13
winkler trap
ICN
A. Vahos
COLOMBIA
11.85
El Retiro, Fca. El Barcino, 2100 m
-84.583336
Antioquia
923930706
2002-06-01
IAvH
J. Sossa
COLOMBIA
Filandia, 1870 m
Quindio
923930725
1999-03-20
winkler trap
IAvH, ICN
E. L. Gonzalez
COLOMBIA
6.0666666
Encino, Cachalu Natural Reserve, 2000 m
-73.11667
Santander
923930707
winkler trap
IAvH, ICN
S. Sarria
COLOMBIA
Alto Anchicaya, Farallones de Cali National Park, 650 m
Valle
923930721
1993-12-08
ICN
P. Chacon
COLOMBIA
Cali, El Ensueno, 27 km road Cali-Buenaventura, 1780 m
Valle