Pseudomyrmex vinneni

Pseudomyrmex vinneni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus:	Pseudomyrmex
Species:	P. vinneni
Binomial name
Pseudomyrmex vinneni (Forel, 1906) Specimen Labels

Nests in Tachigali plants.

Identification

Ward (1999) - P. vinneni can be recognized by its small size (worker HW 0.81–1.03, queen HW 0.96–1.06), elongate eyes (worker REL 0.63–0.68, queen REL 0.60–0.63), and rounded (subtriangular to subglobose) petiolar profile. In addition, in the worker caste, the quadrate head, broad profemur, rounded juncture of the basal and declivitous faces of the propodeum (in lateral view), and scarcity of standing pilosity are characteristic. Pseudomyrmex sericeus has more closely contiguous frontal carinae, a propodeum whose short dorsal face meets the longer declivitous face at an obtuse angle, and a petiole which is subtriangular in lateral profile.

Distribution

Known from Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -0.975° to -0.975°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality), Colombia, Peru, Venezuela.

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

Most of the individuals I have examined were extracted from herbarium specimens of Tachigali by Woody Benson. Specific plant records include Tachigali cavipes (Spruce ex Bentham) Macbride, T. paniculata, T. myrmecophila, T. physophora (Huber) Zarucchi & Herendeen, T. schultesiana Dwyer, T. venusta Dwyer and T. odoratissima (Spruce ex Bentham) Zarucchi & Herendeen. (Ward 1999)

Nomenclature

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

• vinneni. Pseudomyrma sericea var. vinneni Forel, 1906d: 230 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Pseudomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 223. Raised to species: Ward, 1999b: 526.

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

Description

Worker

Ward (1999) - Measurements (n=13). HL 0.90–1.17, HW 0.81–1.03, MFC 0.024–0.039, LHT 0.59–0.77, CI 0.87–0.91, REL 0.63–0.68, REL2 0.71–0.75, FCI 0.03–0.04, FI 0.46–0.51, PLI 1.02–1.17, PWI 0.80–0.92.

A member of the sericeus group. Palp formula: 6,4. Frontal carinae moderately well separated; head longer than broad but not strongly so (see CI values), somewhat quadrate, with almost straight sides, and flat to slightly concave posterior margin; eyes elongate. Profemur broad; legs relatively short (LHT/HL 0.63–0.67). Dorsal face of propodeum subequal in length to declivitous face, and rounding gradually into it. Petiole short, high, subtriangular or subglobose in profile, with a single convex anterodorsal face, which rounds gently into the steep posterior face. Anteroventral process varying from slightly to moderately well developed, usually lobe-like and without a posteroventral tooth or angle. Standing pilosity sparse; stout, paired setae on pronotum (1 pair), petiole (1 pair) and postpetiole (1 pair), absent from mesonotum and propodeum, and sometimes small and inconspicuous on the petiole and postpetiole. Dark brown to brownish black, with appendages, frontoclypeal complex and (in some workers) promesonotum a lighter medium-brown to orange-brown.

Type Material

Ward (1999) - Syntype workers, [Barcelos], Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil (Ducke) (American Museum of Natural History, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [Examined].

References

• Forel, A. 1906d. Fourmis néotropiques nouvelles ou peu connues. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 50: 225-249 (page 230, worker described)
• Franco, W., Ladino, N., Delabie, J.H.C., Dejean, A., Orivel, J., Fichaux, M., Groc, S., Leponce, M., Feitosa, R.M. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674, 509–543 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.2).
• Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 223, Combination in Pseudomyrmex)
• Ward, P. S. 1999b. Systematics, biogeography and host plant associations of the Pseudomyrmex viduus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Triplaris- and Tachigali-inhabiting ants. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 126: 451-540 (page 526, Raised to species)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Bezdeckova K., P. Bedecka, and I. Machar. 2015. A checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Zootaxa 4020 (1): 101–133.
• Forel A. 1913. Fourmis d'Argentine, du Brésil, du Guatémala & de Cuba reçues de M. M. Bruch, Prof. v. Ihering, Mlle Baez, M. Peper et M. Rovereto. Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles. 49: 203-250.
• Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).