Amoimyrmex bruchi

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Amoimyrmex bruchi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Amoimyrmex
Species: A. bruchi
Binomial name
Amoimyrmex bruchi
(Forel, 1912)

Amoimyrmex bruchi F10c.jpg

Amoimyrmex bruchi F10d.jpg

Always found in dry and open habitats and co‐occurring sympatrically, in part, with Amoimyrmex silvestrii. It can be assumed that the conditions for the occurrence of these two species are similar, spreading across Argentinian regions of the Chaco and Pampa (Kempf 1972; Brandão 1991)

Identification

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval (2020) - Workers of this species can be distinguished from its congeners by combination of the following features: body reddish‐brown, dark brown to almost black; pronotum with a pair of small median pronotal spines, best seen in frontal view; shiny integument covered by rough irregular striae and dense yellowish non‐decumbent setae, varying in length; posterior cephalic corner acute to rectangular; anterior portion of the first gastral tergite covered with long and dense irregular striae, discernible in medium magnification (~50×).

Amoimyrmex bruchi workers are smaller and slightly less shiny than those of its congeners and less variable in worker size. Workers may vary in the size and angular projections of the lateral pronotal and propodeal spines and the colouration of some specimens. Likewise, compared to the other Amoimyrmex species, the alates of Am. bruchi are rare and must be restricted to a specific period of the year. Always found in dry and open habitats and were similar in external appearances to one another and co‐occurring sympatrically, in part, with the Amoimyrmex silvestrii. It can be assumed that the conditions for the occurrence of these two species are similar, spreading across Argentinian regions of the Chaco and Pampa (Kempf 1972; Brandão 1991).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -31.632389° to -40.421°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality), Bolivia.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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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Habitat

Always found in dry and open habitats across Argentinian regions of the Chaco and Pampa (Kempf 1972; Brandão 1991)

Biology

Explore-icon.png 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.

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.

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.

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. ‎

Castes

Worker

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval 2020, Figure 10.
Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval 2020, Figure 11.

Queen

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval 2020, Figure 12.

Nomenclature

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

  • bruchi. Atta (Moellerius) silvestrii r. bruchi Forel, 1912e: 180 (w.) ARGENTINA (Buenos Aires).
    • Forel, 1913l: 236 (q.m.).
    • Combination in Acromyrmex (Moellerius): Forel, 1913l: 236.
    • combination in Amoimyrmex: Cristiano, Cardoso & Sandoval, 2020: 657.
    • Subspecies of silvestrii: Forel, 1913l: 236; Bruch, 1914: 217; Bruch, 1915: 529; Santschi, 1916b: 512; Santschi, 1916e: 389; Emery, 1924d: 351; Santschi, 1925a: 389 (in key); Kempf, 1972a: 16; Bolton, 1995b: 54.
    • Status as species: Gallardo, 1916d: 335; Bruch, 1917d: 431; Gallardo, 1919b: 245; Cristiano, Cardoso & Sandoval, 2020: 657.

Type Material

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval (2020) - Lectotype: we designate the following syntype (worker) as the lectotype ☿ (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) ‘A. (Moellerius) silvestri Em. R. Bruchi ☿ type For. Buenos Ayres (Bruch)/Coll. A. Forel/Typus/ANTWEB CASENT0909437’ [specimen examined]. Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval (2020) - Range (specimen used for redescription): TL 3.75–7.88 (6.48), HL 0.82–1.79 (1.48), HW 0.84–2.09 (1.62), ML 0.29–0.68 (0.60), SL 0.75–1.74 (1.43), EL 0.16– 0.32 (0.26), WL 1.16–2.59 (2.00), PL 0.24–0.57 (0.45), PW 0.22–0.60 (0.38), PPL 0.24–0.50 (0.38), PPW 0.40–0.93 (0.81), GL 0.92–1.82 (1.57), CI 102.22–130.23 (109.68), MI 29.03–46.67 (40.32), OI 14.29–20.00 (16.18), SI 81.54– 113.95 (96.77) [N = 97].

Head. In full‐face view, posterior cephalic margin medially emarginate. Posterior cephalic corner acute to rectangular, with a small spine directed upwards, rising on dorsum of head in lateral view and a small tubercle laterad. Integument covered by dense rough irregular striae and yellowish non‐decumbent setae, varying in length. Frontal carina, which may be confused with striae, extending to the vertex but not reaching the posterior cephalic corner. Mandible with 8–11 teeth, dorsally glossy, strongly striated and covered by light‐coloured hairs, with larger and thicker ones at the apical margin. Eye convex, 17–24 ommatidia across largest diameter. Frontal lobe partially covering antennal insertions, with a hook shape. Antennal scrobe absent. Antennal scape slightly surpassing posterior cephalic margin, less than 1/3 of its length (SI = 81.54– 113.95). Colour reddish‐brown, dark brown to almost black. Some specimens with darker vertex, occipital and frontal lobes and reddish‐brown mandibles, clypeus, antennae and gena. Mesosoma. Pronotum armed with two large lateral pronotal spines and a pair of small median pronotal spines, best seen in frontal view, but can be vestigial in larger workers. Mesonotum with two lateral mesonotal spines and two posterior mesonotalspines, with similarsize and approximately half of the size of the lateral pronotal spines. Propodeum bearing two very large sharp spines, almost double the length of the lateral pronotalspines. Integument covered by rough irregular striae and dense non‐decumbent pilosity, extending up the spines. Legs with conspicuous reticulation, in some cases with coxa and femur darker than the rest of the body. Metasoma. Petiolar node with four spine‐like projections directed upwards and backwards and two lateral longitudinal carinae. Postpetiolar node with two small teeth on the lateral margins, located in the medial portion, projecting to the sides and slightly backwards, best seen in dorsal view, and two lateral longitudinal carinae. Dorso‐posterior region of node with up to eight small tubercles. Postpetiole with eight small tuberculiform projections in the dorso‐posterior region of node. Integument of petiole and postpetiole covered by irregular striae and non‐decumbent pilosity. Gaster with smooth and shiny integument and dense yellowish non‐decumbentsetae of two sizes, with the longest ones twice the length of shorter ones. Anterior portion of first gastral tergite covered with long and dense irregular striae, discernible in medium magnification (~50×).

Queen

Cristiano, Cardoso and Sandoval (2020) - TL 9.85–10.69, HL 1.84–1.89, HW 2.19–2.23, ML 0.75–0.80, SL 1.54–1.64, EL 0.31–0.34, WL 2.75–3.05, PL 0.70–0.72, PW 0.67–0.68, PPL 0.75–0.77, PPW 1.01–1.12, GL 3.06–3.08, CI 117.99–119.02, MI 40.76– 42.33, OI 16.85–17.99, SI 83.69–86.77 [N = 4].

Head. In full‐face view, posterior cephalic margin medially emarginate but less accentuated than worker. Posterior cephalic corner angular, with a small spine directed upwards and a small tubercle laterad. Integument covered by rough irregular striae, denser than in worker. Frontal carina present (may be confused with striae), shorter than in worker. Eye larger and less convex than in worker. Number of ommatidia across largest eye diameter 20–26. Mandibles with apical tooth larger and more prominent than in worker. Mesosoma. Integument with well‐defined longitudinal and parallel striae and non‐decumbent pilosity. Scutellum strongly convex in lateral view, narrowing posteriorly with a trapezoidal outline in dorsal view, bearing two tuberculiform denticles in the posterior margin. Propodeum with a pair of protruding long spines, directed upwards. Metasoma. First gastral tergite with two yellowish spots located anterolaterally in dorsal view, contrasting with the black gaster. First gastral tergite with semicircular striae, mainly at the base, and with dense non‐decumbent setae.

Karyotype

  • 2n = 22, karyotype = 20M+2SM (Argentina) (Micolino et al., 2021).

References