Nesomyrmex echinatinodis (Forel, 1886)

Figs 21, 29

Leptothorax echinatinodis Forel, 1886: 48. Holotype (worker): Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. [NHMW] (AntWeb image examined, CASENT 0909004).

Combination in Leptothorax (Goniothorax): Emery 1896: 59.

Leptothorax (Goniothorax) aculeatinodis Emery, 1896: 60. Holotype (worker): Costa Rica, Jiménez. [MSNG]. (AntWeb image examined, CASENT 090475). Synonymy by Kempf 1959: 425.

Leptothorax (Goniothorax) pungentinodis Emery, 1896: 2. Holotype (queen): Panama, Gulf of Darien. [MSNG]. (AntWeb image examined, CASENT 0904726) Synonymy by Kempf 1959: 425.

Leptothorax echinatinodis r. dalmasi Forel, 1899: 55. Syntype (worker): Colombia, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, San Antonio [MHNG]. (AntWeb image examined, CASENT 0909005). Synonymy by Kempf 1959: 425.

Combination in Leptothorax (Caulomyrma): Forel 1914: 233.

Leptothorax (Goniothorax) echinatinodis subsp. schmidti Menozzi, 1927: 275 Syntype series (male, queen, worker): Costa Rica, San José. [DEIB]. (AntWeb image examined, FOCOL 0198-1). Synonymy by Kempf 1959: 426.

Leptothorax (Goniothorax) echinatinodis subsp. cordincola Wheeler, 1942: 205. Syntype (worker): Panama, Canal zone, Chivachiva Trail. [MCZC]. (AntWeb image examined, CASENT 0912925). Synonymy by Kempf 1959: 426.

Combination in Leptothorax (Nesomyrmex): Smith 1950: 30.

Combination in Nesomyrmex: Bolton 2003: 272.

Worker measurements.

(n = 15) HL 0.55–0.7, HW 0.49–0.65, SL 0.38–0.54, ML 0.28–0.35, EL 0.11–0.19, PW 0.30–0.45, PTW 0. 15–0.26, PPW 0.19–0.31, WL 0.63–0.91, PH 0.17–0.28, PTL 0. 20–0.34, PTH 0.16–0.25, PPL 0.19–0.35, PPH 0.17–0.25, GL 0.67–0.93. CI 89–92, SI 77–83.

Geographic range.

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela

Examined material.

Colombia • 1 worker; Antioquia, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Vda. El Espinal, Estación Agraria Cotové, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín; 6.5613889°N, 75.83166667°W; 600 m a. s. l.; 06 Oct. 2000; E. Vergara, F. Serna legs.; manual coll; UNAB . • 1 worker; Antioquia, Santa Fé de Antioquia, Vda. El Espinal, Estación Agraria Cotové, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Sede Medellín; 6.5358333°N, 75.82972222°W; 515 m a. s. l.; 02 Apr. 2020; B. Arredondo leg.; MEFLG -NC 53153 . • 2 workers; Arauca, Tame, La Casirba; 6.360678°N, 71.894257°W; 675 m a. s. l.; 20 Mar. 2024; H. Sierra y S. De La Hoz legs.; Manual coll; CBUMAG:ENT:41658 . • 1 worker; Arauca, Tame, La Casirba; 6.360678°N, 71.894257°W; 675 m a. s. l.; 19 - 21 Mar. 2024; H. Sierra y S. De La Hoz legs.; Winkler; CBUMAG:ENT:41659 . • 1 worker; Bolívar, San Jacinto, SFF los Colorados, La Yaya; 9.899947°N, 75.116645°W; 280 m a. s. l.; 06 - 21 Apr. 2001; E. Deulefe leg.; Malaise trap; IAvH -E-251264 . • 9 workers; Cundinamarca, Anapoima; 4.566113°N, 74.529935°W; 25 Mar. 1981; I. Zenner leg.; CTNI - NC 8245-1, 8245-2, 8245-3, 8245-4, 8245-5, 8245-6, 8245-7, 8245-8, 8245-9 . • 1 worker; Cesar, Codazzi, Cgto. Casacará, Vda. Villa Matilde, RNSC Altahona-Castro; 9.793531°N, 73.190414°W; 403 m a. s. l.; 22 - 24 Sep. 2023; H. Sierra, L. Ramos, R. J. Guerrero, S. De La Hoz legs.; Pitfall.; CBUMAG:ENT:41660 . • 1 worker; La Guajira, Barranca, Cgto. San Pedro; 10.878276°N, 72.704619°W; 422 m a. s. l.; 10 - 11 Sep. 2023; H. Sierra, S. De la Hoz, R. J. Guerrero, L. Ramos legs.; Manual coll.; CBUMAG:ENT:41662 . • 1 worker; La Guajira, Barranca, Cgto. San Pedro; 10.876713°N, 72.704164°W; 404 m a. s. l.; 10 - 11 Sep. 2023; H. Sierra, S. De la Hoz, R. J. Guerrero, L. Ramos legs.; Manual coll.; CBUMAG:ENT:41663 . • 1 worker; La Guajira, Barranca, Cgto. San Pedro; 10.913786°N, 72.733971°W; 221 m a. s. l.; 09 - 11 Sep. 2023; H. Sierra, L. Ramos, R. Guerrero, S. De La Hoz legs.; Winkler.; CBUMAG:ENT:41661 . • 1 worker; Magdalena, Santa Marta, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, sector Zaino, sendero 9 Piedras; 11.2833333°N, 74.18333333°W; 600 m a. s. l.; C. Martínez leg.; manual coll.; ICN 106594 . • 1 worker; Sucre, Ovejas; 9.53°N 75.23361111°W; 277 m. a. s. l.; 05 Apr. 2016; H. Cadena leg.; manual coll.; MEFLG -NC 48120 . • 1 worker; Sucre, Ovejas; 9.5346111°N, 75.22086111°W; 277 m. a. s. l.; 05 Apr. 2016; H. Cadena leg.; manual coll.; MEFLG -NC 48121 . • 3 workers; Valle del Cauca, Santander de Quilichao, Las Chatas; 3.1096°N, 76.5265°W; 909 m a. s. l.; 17 Aug. 2021; M. A. Bautista-Giraldo; I. Armbrecht legs.; meadow; CBUMAG:ENT:40123, CBUMAG:ENT:40124, CBUMAG:ENT:40125 .

Natural history.

Workers were collected in dry forest fragments associated with mango ( Mangifera indica L.) and Uvito ( Cordia dentata Poir.) trees. Several workers were collected foraging on the ground on secondary TDF fragments in Arauca. A single record comes from the Malaise trap inside the mature TDF in SFF Los Colorados, to the northwest of Colombia. These ants are distributed from sea level up to 909 m altitude.

Comments.

Nesomyrmex echinatinodis populations throughout its distribution in Colombia (unpublished data), including those from TDF, show wide morphological variability as noted by Kempf (1959) in his discussion of this species. For example, the sculpture on the head and mesosoma may present intra and intercolonial variability, but all the ants studied here share the diagnostic traits proposed by Kempf (1959) for this species, i. e., 11 antennomeres, mesosoma at least partly dark-colored, head with frontal and vertex area partially smooth and shiny, clypeus smooth and shiny, propodeal lobe short and uniformly rounded, basal third of the first gastral tergum slightly striate, were determined as N. echinatinodis s. str.

Nesomyrmex echinatinodis, N. spininodis, and N. konina sp. nov. share several traits, thus form the echinatinodis group, which can be recognized by short scapes which in repose do not reach the occipital margin, laterally serrated mesonotum, long and curved propodeal spines, propodeal lobe short and uniformly rounded., petiolar and postpetiolar node with lateral tubercles, scapes and legs lacking erect hairs.

Nesomyrmex echinatinodis has been previously recorded for the departments of Cundinamarca and La Guajira (Kempf 1959), Huila (Fernández et al. 1996), Magdalena (Fernández and Serna 2019), and Valle del Cauca (Armbrecht et al. 2001, Chacón de Ulloa et al. 2012). Nesomyrmex echinatinodis is one of two species previously recorded for the tropical dry forest in Colombia (Valle del Cauca), extending its distribution to TDF fragments in the departments of Antioquia, Bolívar, Cundinamarca, and Sucre.