Acanthostichus quirozi

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Acanthostichus quirozi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Acanthostichus
Species: A. quirozi
Binomial name
Acanthostichus quirozi
Mackay, W.P., 1996

Acanthostichus quirozi casent0903674 p 1 high.jpg

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Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Acanthostichus quirozi.

Identification

A member of the brevicornis species complex. Mackay (1996) - This species is apparently most closely related to Acanthostichus skwarrae. The petioles are almost identical in shape and are both smooth and highly polished. The two species are easily separated as A. skwarrae has no erect hairs on the dorsum of the petiole. In addition, A. skwarrae has possibly as many as 10 erect hairs on the dorsum of the mesosoma, the longest of which is 0.1 mm in length. The gaster of A. skwarrae is almost without hair, except for the area near the pygidium. The longest hair on the gaster is about 0.05 mm in length. Thus these two species appear to be very similar, but A. quirozican be easily distinguished by the longer and much more abundant erect hairs. It would not be likely to confuse this species with any of the other species, based on the shape and sculpture of the petiole. The unknown workers of Acanthostichus emmae should have a subquadrate petiole and larger eyes, and thus be distinguishable from this species.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.84652778° to 18.58805556°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • quirozi. Acanthostichus quirozi Mackay, 1996: 164, figs. 5, 34, 35 (w.) MEXICO (Veracruz).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 8 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Mexico: Veracruz, Tuxtlas, 28.viii.1992 (L. Quiroz); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: UNAM (holotype); BMNH, ICNB, IMLT, MCZC, MIZA, MZSP, WEMC (paratypes).
    • Distribution: Mexico.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Mackay 1996. Figures 34-49.

HL 0.80-0.89, HW 0.68-0.74, SL 0.33-0.40, EL 0.03-0.04, WL 1.15-1.25, PW 0.33-0.35, PL 0.40-0.44, SI 45-47, CI 83-84, PI 123-125, SL/SW 2.7.

Mandibles without teeth; anterior medial border of clypeus concave, without medial tooth; vertex strongly concave; eyes very small, without defined ommatidia; scape relatively elongate, anterior surface slightly concave, with tiny angle near apex; mesosoma as in other species; propodeum with spiracle approximately at middle height; petiole elongate (Fig. 34), wider posteriorly than anteriorly; gaster as in other species; erect hairs abundant (up to 0.25 mm in length), dorsum of scape with at least 8, dorsum of mesosoma with at least 20, dorsum of petiole with at least 6, dorsum of gaster with at least 30; decumbent pubescence absent. Entire surface, including scapes and dorsum of petiole, smooth and polished. Color golden red.

Type Material

Holotype worker (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) and 8 paratype workers (2 headless) (The Natural History Museum, William and Emma Mackay Collection, Fundacion e Instituto Miguel Lillo , Museum of Comparative Zoology, Museo de Historia Natural, Bogata, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo), MEXICO, Veracruz, Tuxtlas, 28-viii-92, L. Quiroz.

Etymology

Named in honor of my good friend and fellow “mirmecologo” Luis Quiroz of the Instituto de Ecologia (Mexico), who has sent me specimens of this species as well as numerous other interesting ants.

References

  • Mackay, W. P. 1996. A revision of the ant genus Acanthostichus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 27: 129-179 (page 164, figs. 5, 34, 35 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Castano-Meneses, G., M. Vasquez-Bolanos, J. L. Navarrete-Heredia, G. A. Quiroz-Rocha, and I. Alcala-Martinez. 2015. Avances de Formicidae de Mexico. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
  • Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
  • Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133