Acromyrmex heyeri

Acromyrmex heyeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Acromyrmex
Species:	A. heyeri
Binomial name
	Acromyrmex heyeri; (Forel, 1899) Specimen labels
Synonyms
	Acromyrmex heyeri gaudens Santschi, 1925; Acromyrmex heyeri lillensis Santschi, 1925;

Acromyrmex heyeri is common in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and is known to inhabit swamps in Parana, Brazil (Goncalves, 1961; Jaffe, 1993). They harvest monocotyledonous leaves (Loeck and Grutzmacher 2001) and masticate their collected plant material into tiny pieces to create the substrate for growing their fungal gardens. A molecular study of co-occuring populations of this species and Acromyrmex ambiguus showed both of these species are cultivating Leucoagaricus gongylophorus but that there are differences in the fungal strains used by the two ant species (Pereira et al. 2015). This ant is host to the socially parasitic Pseudoatta argentina in Argentina and Acromyrmex charruanus in Uruguay.

At a Glance

• Polygynous • Diploid male

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 9.870555556° to -34.833°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (type locality), Paraguay, Uruguay.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Explore Fungus Growing

For additional details see Fungus growing ants.

A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source.

These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius).

The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3.

Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category):

Nest Construction

A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests.

some Crematogaster
some Lasius

Lower Agriculture

Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae.

Coral Fungus Agriculture

Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae.

some Apterostigma

Yeast Agriculture

Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi.

some Cyphomyrmex

Generalized Higher Agriculture

Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi.

Leaf-Cutter Agriculture

A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus.

Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

Barrera et al. 2015 studied the diversity of leaf cutting ants along a forest-edge-agriculture habitat gradient. Their study site, in Chaco Serrano of Central Argentina, had forest remnants of various sizes within an agriculture area with wheat, soy and maize. A few colonies of Ac. heyeri and Amoimyrmex silvestrii were found along the forest edge. Acromyrmex crassispinus was the most commonly sampled (42% of 162 colonies) and was most abundant in the forest interior. Acromyrmex lundii and Amoimyrmex striatus were also present, with the former also found in the forest interior. The latter and Ac. striatus were the most abundant in the forest edge habitat with Ac. crassispinus present there at a slightly lower density.

This species was found to be a pest in pastures in Paraguay, feeding on the grass Paspalum notatum (Sarubbi & Ramirez, 2020).

Association with Other Organisms

Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus neivai (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
This species is a host for the phorid fly Myrmosicarius catharinensis (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).

Life History Traits

Queen number: polygynous (Cournault & Aron, 2009)

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Worker. Specimen code casent0173796. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection.

Queen


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Male


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Diploid males are known to occur in this species (found in 1.2% of 118 examined nests) (Araújo & Cavalli-Molina, 2001; Cournault & Aron, 2009).

Nomenclature

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

heyeri. Atta (Moellerius) heyeri Forel, 1899c: 31 (footnote) (s.w.) BRAZIL (Rio Grande do Sul).
- Emery, 1905c: 43 (q.m.); Goni, et al. 1983: 365 (k.).
- Combination in Acromyrmex: Bruch, 1914: 217;
- combination in Acromyrmex (Moellerius): Gallardo, 1916d: 335; Emery, 1924d: 351.
- Status as species: Forel, 1905b: 157; Emery, 1906c: 166; Emery, 1905c: 43; Forel, 1908c: 352; Forel, 1912e: 179; Santschi, 1912e: 530; Bruch, 1914: 217; Gallardo, 1916d: 335; Santschi, 1916e: 389; Bruch, 1921: 198; Emery, 1924d: 351; Santschi, 1925a: 386; Borgmeier, 1927c: 135; Kusnezov, 1956: 34 (in key); Gonçalves, 1961: 127; Kempf, 1972a: 15; Zolessi & Abenante, 1977: 76; Zolessi, et al. 1988: 5; Fowler, 1988: 287; Cherrett & Cherrett, 1989: 50; Brandão, 1991: 323; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Wild, 2007b: 30.
- Senior synonym of gaudens: Fowler, 1988: 287; Brandão, 1991: 323; Bolton, 1995b: 55.
- Senior synonym of lillensis: Fowler, 1988: 287; Brandão, 1991: 323; Bolton, 1995b: 55.
gaudens. Acromyrmex (Moellerius) heyeri var. gaudens Santschi, 1925a: 386 (w.) ARGENTINA (no province data).
- [Also described as new by Santschi, 1925e: 164 (no province data).]
- Subspecies of heyeri: Kempf, 1972a: 15.
- Junior synonym of heyeri: Fowler, 1988: 287; Brandão, 1991: 323; Bolton, 1995b: 55.
lillensis. Acromyrmex (Moellerius) heyeri var. lillensis Santschi, 1925a: 386 (w.) ARGENTINA (Santa Fe).
- [Also described as new by Santschi, 1925e: 165.]
- Subspecies of heyeri: Kempf, 1972a: 15.
- Junior synonym of heyeri: Fowler, 1988: 287; Brandão, 1991: 323; Bolton, 1995b: 55.

Description

Karyotype

2n = 38, karyotype = 2M+6SM+16ST+14A (Brazil; Uruguay) (Goni et al., 1983; Santos-Colares et al., 1997).

References

Araújo, D.E., Cavalli-Molina, S. 2001. Genetic variability and social structure of colonies in Acromyrmex heyeri and A. striatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Braz J Biol 61:667–678.
Barrera, C. A., L. M. Buffa, and G. Valladares. 2015. Do leaf-cutting ants benefit from forest fragmentation? Insights from community and species-specific responses in a fragmented dry forest. Insect Conservation and Diversity. 8:456-463. doi:10.1111/icad.12125
Barros, L.A.C., Aguiar, H.J.A.C., Teixeira, G.C., Souza, D.J., Delabie, J.H.C., Mariano, C.S.F. 2021. Cytogenetic studies on the social parasite Acromyrmex ameliae (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) and its hosts reveal chromosome fusion in Acromyrmex. Zoologischer Anzeiger 293, 273–281 (doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2021.06.012).
Bollazzi, M., and Roces, F. 2002. Thermal preference for fungus culturing and brood location by workers of the thatching grass-cutting ant Acromyrmex heyeri. Insectes Soc. 49: 153–157.
Bruch, C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Rev. Mus. La Plata 19: 211-234 (page 217, Combination in Acromyrmex)
Bruch, C. 1921. Estudios mirmecológicos. Rev. Mus. La Plata 26: 175-211 (page 199, queen, male described)
Cantarelli, E.B., Costa, E.C., Pezzutti, R.V., Zanetti, R., Fleck, M.D. 2019. Damage by Acromyrmex spp. to an initial Pinus taeda L. planting. Floresta e Ambiente 26, e20160060 (doi:10.1590/2179-8087.006016).
Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
Cardoso, D. C., Cristiano, M. P. 2021. Karyotype diversity, mode, and tempo of the chromosomal evolution of Attina (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini): Is there an upper limit to chromosome number? Insects 1212, 1084 (doi:10.3390/insects12121084).
Dahan, R.A., Grove, N.K., Bollazzi, M., Gerstner, B.P., Rabeling, C. 2021. Decoupled evolution of mating biology and social structure in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 76, 7 (doi:10.1007/s00265-021-03113-1).
de la Mora, A., Sankovitz, M., Purcell, J. 2020. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as host and intruder: recent advances and future directions in the study of exploitative strategies. Myrmecological News 30: 53-71 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_030:053).
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Forel, A. 1899d. Formicidae. [part]. Biol. Cent.-Am. Hym. 3: 25-56 (page 31, soldier, worker described)
Fowler, H. G. 1988b. Taxa of the neotropical grass-cutting ants, Acromyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini). Científica (Jaboticabal) 16: 281-295 (page 287, senior synonym of gaudens and lillensis)
Gonçalves, C. R. 1961. O genero Acromyrmex no Brasil (Hym. Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 4: 113-180 (page 127, see also)
Goñi, B.; Zolessi, L. C. de; Imai, H. T. 1984 [1983]. Karyotypes of thirteen ant species from Uruguay (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Caryologia 36: 363-371 (page 365, karyotype described)
Jaffe, K. 1993. Surfing ants. Florida Entomologist 76: 182-183.
Loek and Grutamacher. 2001 Ocorrência de formigas cortadeiras nas principais regiões agropecuárias do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas: UFPEL, 2001. 1v.
Mueller, U.G., Ishak, H.D., Bruschi, S.M., Smith, C.C., Herman, J.J., Solomon, S.E., Mikheyev, A.S., Rabeling, C., Scott, J.J., Cooper, M., Rodrigues, A., Ortiz, A., Brandão, C.R.F., Lattke, J.E., Pagnocca, F.C., Rehner, S.A., Schultz, T.R., Vasconcelos, H.L., Adams, R.M.M., Bollazzi, M., Clark, R.M., Himler, A.G., LaPolla, J.S., Leal, I.R., Johnson, R.A., Roces, F., Sosa-Calvo, J., Wirth, R., Bacci, M. 2017. Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants. Molecular Ecology 26, 6921–6937 (doi:10.1111/mec.14431).
Pereira, D. I. B., S. d. A. Botton, M. I. d. Azevedo, D. U. Monteiro, C. Weiblen, V. S. Machado, M. G. Donatti, and A. E. Loeck. 2015. Isolation and molecular characterization of symbiotic fungus from Acromyrmex ambiguus and Acromyrmex heyeri ants of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Ciência Rural. 45:1256-1261. doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20141064
Rabeling, C.; Schultz, T. R.; Bacci, M., Jr.; Bollazzi, M. 2015. Acromyrmex charruanus: a new inquiline social parasite species of leaf-cutting ants. Insectes Sociaux. 62:335–349. doi:10.1007/s00040-015-0406-6
Saldanha, M.A., Costa, E.C., Muniz, M.F.B., Quevedo, A.C., Pedron, L., Sarzi, J.S. 2023. Pathogenicity of isolates of entomopathogenic fungi to workers of Acromyrmex heyeri (Forel, 1899) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Revista Floresta 53(1): 72-79 (doi:10.5380/rf.v53i1.84838).

Sarubbi, H.J., Ramirez, M.B. 2020. Pest insects in natural and sown pastures of Paraguay. Tropical Grasslands-Forrajes Tropicales 8(2) 158–161 (doi:10.17138TGFT(8)158-161).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Abril, A.B. and E.H. Bucher. 2007. Genetic Diversity of Fungi Occurring in Nests of Three Acromyrmex Leaf-Cutting Ant Species from Córdoba, Argentina. Microbial Ecology 54(3):417-423
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Boscardin J., E. C. Costa, J. H. C. Delabie. 2014. Relation between ant communities and environmental quality in Eucalyptus grandis submitted to different weedy species control in the south of Brazil. Entomotropica29(3): 173-182.
Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
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Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
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