Rossomyrmex minuchae

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Rossomyrmex minuchae
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Formicini
Genus: Rossomyrmex
Species: R. minuchae
Binomial name
Rossomyrmex minuchae
Tinaut, 1981

Rossomyrmex minuchae casent0102381 profile 1.jpg

Rossomyrmex minuchae casent0102381 dorsal 1.jpg

At a Glance • Dulotic  

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 37.246944° to 37.118611°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Iberian Peninsula, Spain (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

R. minuchae is an obligate slave-making ant that enslaves workers of Proformica longiseta (Ruano & Tinaut, 1999; D'Ettorre & Heinze, 2001; Errard et al., 2006; Ruano et al., 2013; de la Mora et al., 2021). Both species are endemic to the high mountains of southern Spain, but while P. longiseta is common, R. minuchae is rare and with limited distribution (Ruano & Tinaut, 1999).

Behavioural observations and limited nest excavations revealed that sexuals are not produced every year, the number of sexuals is low, and the sex ratio tends to be female biased (Ruano & Tinaut 2005). Queens typically exhibit two distinct activity periods. First, the mating period takes place in early afternoon: queens “call” near the natal nest, mate and then re-enter their nest. Second, the dispersal period takes place in late afternoon: the mated queens exit their nest and fly in search of a new, non-parasitized Proformica longiseta host nest.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • minuchae. Rossomyrmex minuchae Tinaut, 1981: 195, figs. 1-3 (w.q.) SPAIN. Tinaut, Ruano & Fernandez Escudero, 1995: 348 (m.).

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Errard C., F. Ruano, F. J. Richard, A. Lenoir, A. Tinaut, and A. Hefetz. 2006. Co-evolution-driven cuticular hydrocarbon variation between the slave-making ant Rossomyrmex minuchae and its host Proformica longiseta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Chemoecology 16: 235–240.
  • Ruano F., O. Sanllorente, A. Lenoir, and A. Tinaut. 2013. Rossomyrmex, the slave-maker ants from the arid steppe environments. Psyche Article ID 541804, 7 pages.
  • Sanllorente O., P. Lorite, F. Ruano, T. Palomeque, and A. Tinaut. 2017. Phylogenetic relationships between the slave-making ants Rossomyrmex and their Proformica hosts in relation to other genera of the ant tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Zool Syst Evol Res. 1–13.
  • Tinaut A. 2016. Ants of the Tejeda, Almijara and Alhama Mountains Natural Park (Andalusia, Spain) (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Boln. Asoc. esp. Ent., 40 (1-2): 125-159.