Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides

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Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Atopomyrmex
Species: A. cryptoceroides
Binomial name
Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides
Emery, 1892

Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0005914 profile 1.jpg

Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0005914 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

Strongly polymorphic arboreal ants that nest in the wood of standing trees. Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides forage arboreally, frequently coming down the trunk but only rarely venturing onto the ground. This species is confined to the rain-forest zones of west of central Africa, where it is sympatric with Atopomyrmex mocquerysi. (Bolton 1981)

Identification

Bolton (1981) - Answering to the description of Atopomyrmex mocquerysi and falling into the size range noted there; differing from mocquerysi as follows:

cryptoceroides - Sides of head behind eyes smooth and shining between widely scattered pits, not blanketed by reticulate-punctate sculpture and never with rugulae in this area; Propodeal dorsum strongly rugose, without or only with vestiges of punctate sculpture; Pronotal dorsum closely and coarsely rugose, without dense punctate ground-sculpture; Propodeal spines in dorsal view with their basal portions projecting outwards before angling backwards, the projecting portion concealing the spiracle which is not at all visible from above; Propodeal spiracle large and relatively close to the margin of the declivity below the spine; diameter of spiracle equal to or greater than the distance separating the spiracular hind margin from the edge of the declivity at its closest point.

mocquerysi - Sides of head behind eyes blanketed by dense reticulate punctate sculpture; sometimes rugulae may also occur in this area; Propodeal dorsum predominantly or entirely reticulate-punctate, if rugulae occur they are secondary to the punctuation; Pronotal dorsum usually with rugae present but with punctate ground-sculpture which is usually conspicuous and dense; Propodeal spines in dorsal view directed more or less evenly backwards, not projecting outwards basally; the spiracle (or at least its annulus) clearly visible from above; Propodeal spiracle smaller and some distance away from the margin of the declivity below the spine; diameter of spiracle less than the distance separating the spiracular hind margin from the edge of the declivity at its closest point.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 3.383333333° to -5.3119°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast (type locality), Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe.

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

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 head 1.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 profile 1.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 profile 2.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 dorsal 1.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 dorsal 2.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 dorsal 3.jpgAtopomyrmex cryptoceroides casent0102046 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0102046. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Nomenclature

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

  • cryptoceroides. Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides Emery, 1892d: 561, pl. 15, figs. 5, 6 (q.) IVORY COAST.
    • Type-material: holotype queen.
    • Type-locality: Ivory Coast: Assinie, vii-viii.1886 (Ch. Alluaud).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Subspecies of mocquerysi: Forel, 1913b: 336; Forel, 1915c: 343; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 182, 886.
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 60; Emery, 1899e: 477; Stitz, 1910: 145; Emery, 1912b: 102; Santschi, 1914d: 351; Stitz, 1916: 374; Emery, 1924d: 240; Santschi, 1925h: 163 (in key); Bernard, 1953b: 242; Bolton, 1981b: 250 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 75.
    • Senior synonym of curvispina: Emery, 1912d: 273; Emery, 1924d: 240; Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.
    • Senior synonym of deplanatus: Emery, 1899e: 477; Stitz, 1910: 145; Emery, 1924d: 240; Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.
    • Senior synonym of melanoticus: Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.
    • Distribution: Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Sierra Leone.
  • curvispina. Atopomyrmex mocquerysi var. curvispina Forel, 1911c: 311 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Democratic Republic of Congo: Kondué. (E. Luja)
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Arnold, 1916: 192 (q.).
    • Subspecies of mocquerysi: Forel, 1914d: 232; Arnold, 1916: 191; Forel, 1916: 419; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 885.
    • Junior synonym of cryptoceroides: Emery, 1912d: 273; Emery, 1924d: 240; Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.
  • deplanatus. Atopomyrmex deplanatus Mayr, 1895: 133 (w.) SIERRA LEONE.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Sierra Leone: Riv. N’Gamie, Chûtes de Samlia (A. Mocquerys).
    • Type-depository: ISNB.
    • Junior synonym of cryptoceroides: Emery, 1899e: 477; Stitz, 1910: 145; Emery, 1912d: 273; Emery, 1924d: 240; Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.
  • melanoticus. Atopomyrmex cryptoceroides var. melanoticus Santschi, 1925h: 163 (in key).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Democratic Republic of Congo: between Lukolela and Basoko, on fire-wood (H.O. Lang, Lang & Chapin).
    • Type-depositories: BMNH, MCZC.
    • [First available use of Atopomyrmex mocquerysi subsp. cryptoceroides var. melanoticus Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 182, 886 (w.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name (Bolton, 1981b: 250).]
    • Subspecies of cryptoceroides: Menozzi, 1942: 173; Eidmann, 1944: 469.
    • Junior synonym of cryptoceroides: Bolton, 1981b: 250; Bolton, 1995b: 75.

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

Description

Emery 1892. Page 561
Emery 1892. Page 562
Emery 1892. Page 563

Type Material

Bolton (1981):

Holotype female, IVORY COAST: Assinie (c. Alluaud) (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa, Genoa) [examined].

Atopomyrmex deplanatus Holotype worker, Sierra Leone: 'Riv. N' Gamie, Chutes de Samlia (A. Mocquerys) (IRSNB, Brussels).

Atopomyrmex mocquerysi var. curvispina Syntype workers, Zaire: Kondue (E. Luja) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Geneva) [examined].

Atopomyrmex mocquerysi subsp. cryptoceroides var. melanoticus Syntype workers, Zaire: between Lukolela and Basoko (H. O. Lang) (The Natural History Museum) [examined].

References

  • Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 75, senior synonym of melanoticus; new synonymy, catalogue)
  • Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
  • Emery, C. 1892f [1891]. Voyage de M. Ch. Alluaud dans le territoire d'Assinie (Afrique occidentale) en juillet et août 1886. Formicides. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 60: 553-574 (page 561, pl. 15, figs. 5, 6 queen described)
  • Emery, C. 1899d. Fourmis d'Afrique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 43: 459-504 (page 477, senior synonym of deplanatus)
  • Emery, C. 1912d. Les espèces-type des genres et sous-genres de la famille des Formicides. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 56: 271-273 (page 273, senior synonym of curvispina)
  • Emery, C. 1924f [1922]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [concl.]. Genera Insectorum 174C: 207-397 (page 240, revived status as species, senior synonym of curvispina)
  • Forel, A. 1913b. Formicides du Congo Belge récoltés par MM. Bequaert, Luja, etc. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 2: 306-351 (page 336, race of mocquerysi)
  • Forel, A. 1915c. Formicides d'Afrique et d'Amérique nouveaux ou peu connus. IIe partie. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 50: 335-364 (page 343, race of mocquerysi)
  • Bolton, B. 1981. A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology. 43:245-307. PDF
  • Santschi, F. 1925h. Formicidae. Mission Rohan-Chabot 4(3 3: 159-168 (page 163, revived status as species (in key))
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1922j. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 711-1004 (page 886, race of mocquerysi)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Arnold G. 1916. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part II. Ponerinae, Dorylinae. Annals of the South African Museum. 14: 159-270.
  • Bernard F. 1953. La réserve naturelle intégrale du Mt Nimba. XI. Hyménoptères Formicidae. Mémoires de l'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire 19: 165-270.
  • Bolton B. 1981. A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 43: 245-307.
  • Emery C. 1892. Voyage de M. Ch. Alluaud dans le territoire d'Assinie (Afrique occidentale) en juillet et août 1886. Formicides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 60: 553-574.
  • Emery C. 1899. Fourmis d'Afrique. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 43: 459-504.
  • Menozzi C. 1942. Formiche dell'isola Fernando Poo e del territorio del Rio Muni (Guinea Spagnola). 24. Beitrag zu den wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen der Forschungsreise H. Eidmann nach Spanisch-Guinea 1939 bis 1940. Zoologischer Anzeiger 140: 164-182.
  • Santschi F. 1914. Formicides de l'Afrique occidentale et australe du voyage de Mr. le Professeur F. Silvestri. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 8: 309-385.
  • Stitz H. 1910. Westafrikanische Ameisen. I. Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum in Berlin 5: 125-151.
  • Stitz H. 1916. Formiciden. Ergebnisse der Zweiten Deutschen Zentral-Afrika Expedition 1: 369-405.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 39-269.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004