Adelomyrmex vaderi

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Adelomyrmex vaderi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Adelomyrmex
Species: A. vaderi
Binomial name
Adelomyrmex vaderi
Fernández, 2003

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Specimen Labels

This is a large species known from montane forest sites in the cordillera just east of Bogotá. The holotype came from a nest series that contained the only known Adelomyrmex males. (Longino 2012)

Identification

A distinctive feature of A. vaderi is that the postpetiole is long and narrow in dorsal view, longer than wide, and projecting posteriorly over the gaster. In this regard it is similar to Adelomyrmex silvestrii. In contrast to A. silvestrii, the postpetiole is tall, with the posterodorsal projection higher and not closely appressed to the gaster. (Longino 2012)

A. vaderi is one of the largest species in the genus. It can be separated from other species (especially from the closely-related Adelomyrmex myops) by body size, eye size, mesosomal sculpture and postpetiole shape, and from Adelomyrmex grandis by mesosomal profile, sculpture, and size. (Fernández, 2003)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (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

Nomenclature

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

  • vaderi. Adelomyrmex vaderi Fernández, 2003b: 33, figs. 41-44, 75 (w.q.m.) COLOMBIA.
    • Status as species: Longino, 2012: 33.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype (Paratypes, n=13). HL 0.97 (0.90–0.93) HW 0.89 (0.85–0.89) SL 0.61 (0.54–0.61) EL 0.09 (0.08–0.09) WL 0.96 (0.90–0.97) GL 1.13 (1.06–1.15) TL 3.99 (3.64–3.88) CI 90 (91–98) SI 69 (60–68).

Mandibles with 6 teeth decreasing in size from the apical teeth. Eyes with 22 to 30 facets. Hypostomal tooth broad, low, with rounded apex. Promesonotum convex, metanotal groove distinct. Propodeum sloping with two short spines directed upward, outward and backward. Petiole high, campaniform with anterior side sloping and posterior side more or less convex. Postpetiole high, campaniform, and with posterior face concave. Head and promesonotum coarsely reticulate-rugulose with longitudinal trend in head dorsum and central area of promesonotum dorsum. Propodeal dorsum irregularly rugulated. Space between propodeal spines with curved transverse rugulae. Hairs blackish to dark brown. Body black, sides of mesosoma and petiole dark brown. Gaster, legs and antennae light brown.

Queen

HL 0.98–0.99 HW 0.92–0.94 SL 0.56–0.59 EL 0.19–0.20 WL 1.11–1.13 GL 1.23–1.24 TL 4.24–4.26 CI 92–94 SI 60–64.

Differing from workers in the normal myrmicine queen traits. Three ocelli present, the anterior in fossae. Eyes with more than 120 facets. Wings large (front wing 3.85 mm long). Wings densely and finely hairy.

Male

HL 0.57 HW (including eyes) 0.65 SL 0.52 EL 0.25 WL 0.95 GL 1.1 TL 3.31 CI 114 SI 80.

With the general traits of myrmicine male. Head hemispheric with prominent and globose eyes. Mandibles simple, pointed. Palpal formula (in situ) 2,2. Clypeus medially protuberant, convex. Frontal carinae covering covering only partially antennal receptacles. Eyes with numerous facets (>30 in maximun diameter line). Three prominent spherical ocelli. Scape less curved than in workers, surpassing conspicuously vertexal border. Antennae 13-segmented, flagellomeres increasing in size from scape to apex, without evident club. Propodeal spiracle posterad and laterad. Propodeum without spines. Wings densely hairy, but less than in females. Petiole subcampaniform, with the node evenly meeting in a rounded summit, postpetiole dome-shaped, devoid of ventral transverse carinae. Promesonotum, major areas of sides of thorax and gaster smooth and shining, promesonotum with several punctures. Head, mesonotum, propodeum lateral and dorsal, petiole and postpetiole irregularly rugulated, in anterior head border with transverse trend, as well as propodeal, petiolar and postpetiolar dorsum. Body heavily hairy. Head, mesosomal dorsum, petiole, postpetiole and gaster with conspicuous suberect long hairs, those of petiole and postpetiole more dense and reclined. Antennae heavily covered with short decumbent hairs. In full face view, several long hairs produced outward and forward from clypeal area. Mandibles with long curved hairs produced outward and forward. Numerous short, erect hairs on eyes.

Type Material

Holotype worker: COLOMBIA, Cundinamarca, Medina, Gazaunta river, Cristalina creek, 1750m, 8.iii.1997, F. Escobar leg., deposited in Humboldt Institute. Paratypes: 9 workers, same data as Holotype, deposited in Insect Collection, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Instituto de Zoologia Agricola, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Philip S. Ward Collection, National Museum of Natural History and William and Emma Mackay Collection; 3 workers, COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca, Medina, Farallones de Medina, 1800m, 1.vi.96, G. Fagua leg., deposited in IAvH, ICN. 3 Paratype queens, same data as holotype worker. Deposited in IAVH and MZC. 2 paratype males, same data as Holotype, deposited in IAVH.

References

  • Fernández, F. 2003b. Revision of the myrmicine ants of the Adelomyrmex genus-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 361: 1-52 (page 33, figs. 41-44, 75 worker, queen, male described)
  • Longino, J.T. 2012. A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America. Zootaxa 3456, 1–35.