Atta cephalotes

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Atta cephalotes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Atta
Species: A. cephalotes
Binomial name
Atta cephalotes
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Atta cephalotes casent0173617 profile 1.jpg

Atta cephalotes casent0173617 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Subspecies
Synonyms

Wells et al. (2017) - Forms large colonies with millions of workers and nests that can cover more than 100 square meters (Weber 1982, Meyer et al. 2011). In secondary forests and at forest edges, they can reach very high densities and are often the dominant herbivore in the ecosystem (Farji-Brener and Illes 2000). While they are also present in primary forests, their colonies are most common in secondary or disturbed forests (Farji-Brener 2001). The large nests of Atta cephalotes have a strong effect on the leaf-litter arthropod community, adding to spatial heterogeneity within neotropical habitats.

Photo Gallery

  • Atta cephalotes major and minor workers. Photo by Piotr Naskrecki.
  • A busy trail of Atta cephalotes leafcutter ants at La Selva, Costa Rica. Photo by Alex Wild.
  • While large workers of Atta cephalotes carry leaf fragments, smaller workers ride along as guards. La Selva, Costa Rica. Photo by Alex Wild.

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 21.2166667° to -64.23°.

     
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Lesser Antilles, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname (type locality), Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

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.
pChart

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. ‎

This ant is one of the most well studied tropical ant species.

Foraging

Bustamante and Amarillo-Suarez (2019) examined how temperature influenced foraging behavior. Nests and nest fragments were brought into the laboratory from field colonies located in forest and pasture sites (Cauca River Valley, Columbia). They found a significant difference in the number foragers at leaves placed in temperature-controlled foraging arenas across a range of temperatures. There were an increasing number of foragers from 15-35C, then a sharp and dramatic drop off at 40 and 45 C. There was no difference in the responses of foragers by habitat, i.e., the pasture and forest colonies.

Reproduction

Dijkstra and Boomsma (2006) investigated the viability of worker produced eggs in Atta cephalotes, Atta sexdens and Atta colombica. Most Atta workers have rudimentary, non-functional ovaries in a queenright colony but a few, typically tending the queen, can produce trophic eggs (Dijkstra et al., 2005). These eggs are feed to the queen. It was not known if any worker eggs can produce males. No Atta cephalotes eggs developed into males. They found Atta workers are not completely infertile, as a few males were found in other species' colonies, but worker fertility is very low. They hypothesize that worker reproduction in orphaned Atta field colonies is almost never successful because the last workers die before their sons can be raised to adulthood, but the importance of worker-laid trophic eggs for queen feeding has precluded the evolutionary loss of worker ovaries.

Interactions with other organisms

Many organisms use chemicals to deter enemies. Some spiders can modify the composition of their silk to deter predators from climbing onto their webs. The Malaysian golden orb-weaver Nephila antipodiana (Walckenaer) produces silk containing an alkaloid (2-pyrrolidinone) that functions as a defense against ant invasion. Ants avoid silk containing this chemical. In the present study, we test the generality of ants' silk avoidance behavior in the field. We introduced three ant species to the orb webs of Nephila clavipes (Linnaeus) in the tropical rainforest of La Selva, Costa Rica. We found that predatory army ants (Eciton burchellii) as well as non-predatory leaf-cutting ants (Atta cephalotes and Acromyrmex octospinosus (as A. volcanus)) avoided adult N. clavipes silk, suggesting that an additional species within genus Nephila may possess ant-deterring silk. Our field assay also suggests that silk avoidance behavior is found in multiple ant species.

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

Diptera

  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus asymmetricus (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus ritualis (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus spinosus (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
  • This species is a host for the milichiid fly Milichiella argenteocincta (a myrmecophile) in Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominica, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Alabama, Florida (Brake, 2009; Milichiidae online).
  • This species is a host for the milichiid fly Pholeomyia comans (a myrmecophile) (Moser & Neff, 1971; Milichiidae online).
  • This species is a host for the milichiid fly Pholeomyia texensis (a myrmecophile) in Texas (Waller, 1980;

Milichiidae online).

  • This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Synclinusa spp. (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Synclinusa spp. (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Allochaeta wallerae (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus attophilus (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus sp. (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Eibesfeldtphora attae (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Eibesfeldtphora pala (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Eibesfeldtphora prolixa (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Neodohrniphora curvinervis (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Neodohrniphora sp. 1 (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the phorid fly Neodohrniphora sp. 2 (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).

Fungi

  • This species is a host for the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis (a pathogen) in Asia, North and South America (Shrestha et al., 2017).

Nematodes

  • This species is a host for the nematode Panagrolaimus sp. (a parasite) (Quevillon, 2018) (multiple encounter modes; indirect transmission; transmission outside nest).
  • This species is a host for the nematode Pristonchus sp. (a parasite) (Quevillon, 2018) (multiple encounter modes; indirect transmission; transmission outside nest).

Genetics

Atta cephalotes has had its entire genome sequenced.

Palomeque et al. (2015) found class II mariner elements, a form of transposable elements, in the genome of this ant.

Life History Traits

  • Mean colony size: 500,000 (Jaffe & Howse, 1979; Beckers et al., 1989)
  • Foraging behaviour: mass recruiter (Jaffe & Howse, 1979; Beckers et al., 1989)

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Atta cephalotes casent0173618 head 1.jpgAtta cephalotes casent0173618 profile 1.jpgAtta cephalotes casent0173618 dorsal 1.jpgAtta cephalotes casent0173618 label 1.jpg
Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0173618. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Phylogeny

Atta

Atta mexicana

Atta insularis

Atta texana

Atta cephalotes

Atta colombica

Atta robusta

Atta sexdens

Atta saltensis

Atta vollenweideri

Atta bisphaerica

Atta goiana

Atta laevigata

Atta capiguara

Atta opaciceps

Based on Barrera, C.A. et al., 2021. Note that only selected species are included.

Nomenclature

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

  • cephalotes. Formica cephalotes Linnaeus, 1758: 581 (w.) “South America”.
    • Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
    • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
    • Type-locality: South America: (“Habitat in America meridionali.”) (no further data).
    • [Notes (i): Borgmeier, 1939: 422, cites Suriname: (no further data) (Rolander) as type-locality; (ii) later Borgmeier, 1959b: 339, expands this to Suriname: Paramaribo.]
    • Type-depository: ZMLS.
    • Olivier, 1792: 500 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. 1949: 677 (l.).
    • Combination in Myrmica: Latreille, 1804 179;
    • combination in Oecodoma: Latreille, 1818b: 224; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176; Smith, F. 1858b: 180;
    • combination in Atta: Fabricius, 1804: 421; Latreille, 1809: 129; Leach, 1815: 147; Roger, 1863b: 35.
    • Status as species: Linnaeus, 1767: 964; De Geer, 1773: 604; Fabricius, 1775: 395; Fabricius, 1782: 493; Retzius, 1783: 76; Fabricius, 1787: 310; Gmelin, 1790: 2802; Christ, 1791: 516; Olivier, 1792: 499; Fabricius, 1793: 362; Latreille, 1802c: 222; Fabricius, 1804: 421; Gravenhorst, 1807: 287; Jurine, 1807: 274 (in text); Latreille, 1809: 129; Leach, 1815: 147; Lamarck, 1817: 97; Latreille, 1818b: 224; Lund, 1831a: 118; Pohl & Kollar, 1832: 14; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176 (redescription); Guérin-Méneville, 1844a: 422; Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Roger, 1863b: 35; Mayr, 1863: 437; Mayr, 1865: 81 (redescription); Mayr, 1884: 37; Emery, 1892b: 162; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Emery, 1894k: 57; Forel, 1895b: 138; Forel, 1899c: 32; Forel, 1905b: 157; Wheeler, W.M. 1905b: 130; Wheeler, W.M. 1907a: 274; Forel, 1908b: 40; Forel, 1909a: 249; Forel, 1912e: 179; Emery, 1913b: 259; Mann, 1916: 453; Wheeler, W.M. 1916c: 11; Wheeler, W.M. 1916d: 326; Crawley, 1916b: 372; Forel, 1921b: 134; Mann, 1922: 51; Wheeler, W.M. 1922c: 14; Wheeler, W.M. 1923a: 4; Emery, 1924d: 353; Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 36; Borgmeier, 1927c: 136; Santschi, 1929f: 92 (in key); Borgmeier, 1934: 108; Menozzi, 1935b: 197; Weber, 1938b: 205; Santschi, 1939f: 166; Borgmeier, 1939: 422 (in list); Weber, 1941b: 127; Gonçalves, 1942: 344; Weber, 1945: 72; Weber, 1946b: 156; Gonçalves, 1947a: 185; Borgmeier, 1950d: 254; Weber, 1958a: 9; Borgmeier, 1959b: 339 (redescription); Kempf, 1961b: 520; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Cherrett & Cherrett, 1989: 52; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012: 257; Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 115; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99 (redescription); Fernández & Serna, 2019: 841.
    • Senior synonym of fervens: Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of grossa: Latreille, 1802c: 224; Fabricius, 1804: 421; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176; Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of integrior: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of isthmicola: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of migratoria: De Geer, 1773: 604; Retzius, 1783: 76; Fabricius, 1793: 362; Fabricius, 1804: 421; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176; Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of oaxaquensis: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of opaca: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of polita: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Senior synonym of visitatrix: Emery, 1892b: 162; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 75; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
    • Distribution: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela.
    • Current subspecies: nominal plus lutea.
  • fervens. Formica fervens Drury, 1782: 58, pl. 42, fig. 3 (q.) NICARAGUA/HONDURAS.
    • [Note: Drury, 1782: 58, does not give the name of the species at the description, but it is entered in his index as, “pl. xlii, fig. 3. Fervens. Class Hym. Genus. Form.”]
    • Type-material: holotype queen.
    • Type-locality: Nicaragua/Honduras: “Mosquito Shore, bottom of the Bay of Mexico” (no collector’s name).
    • Type-depository: unknown .
    • [Note: according to Horn & Kahle, 1935: 62, Drury’s collection was auctioned in London, in 1805, by J.C. Stevens; parts of the collection are in BMNH.]
    • Combination in Atta: Say, 1836: 290.
    • Status as species: Say, 1836: 290; Roger, 1863b: 35; Mayr, 1865: 81; Forel, 1885a: 362; Mayr, 1886d: 442; Cresson, 1887: 259; Emery, 1895c: 324; Forel, 1899c: 33; Forel, 1901c: 124; Crawley, 1916b: 377; Borgmeier, 1939: 427.
    • [Note: Roger, 1863b: 35, Mayr, 1865: 81, Forel, 1885a: 362; Mayr, 1886d: 442, Cresson, 1887: 259, Dalla Torre, 1893: 152, Emery, 1895c: 329, Forel, 1899c: 33, Forel, 1901c: 124, Forel, 1907e: 2, Crawley, 1916b: 377, and Borgmeier, 1939: 427, all record Atta fervens Say. This is correctly fervens Drury, 1782, sensu Say, 1836.]
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 76; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • grossa. Formica grossa Fabricius, 1787: 309 (q.) FRENCH GUIANA.
    • Type-material: holotype queen.
    • Type-locality: French Guiana: “Habitat Cajennae Dom. v. Rohr.”) (no further data).
    • Type-depository: ZMUK.
    • Combination in Atta: Roger, 1863b: 35.
    • Status as species: Gmelin, 1790: 2801; Olivier, 1792: 497; Fabricius, 1793: 359.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Latreille, 1802c: 224; Fabricius, 1804: 421; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176; Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 76; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • integrior. Atta cephalotes var. integrior Forel, 1904c: 31 (w.) BRAZIL (Pará).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Brazil: Pará (E.A. Göldi).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1913b: 259.
    • Subspecies of cephalotes: Emery, 1924d: 353; Borgmeier, 1927c: 136; Santschi, 1929f: 92 (in key); Borgmeier, 1939: 422 (in list); Gonçalves, 1942: 346; Borgmeier, 1950d: 258.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 76; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • isthmicola. Atta cephalotes subsp. isthmicola Weber, 1941b: 127 (w.q.) PANAMA (Barro Colorado).
    • Type-material: holotype queen, paratype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: holotype Panama: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado I., just off Snyder-Molino trail, No. 1 post, 12.vi.1938, no. 753 (N.A. Weber); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Subspecies of cephalotes: Gonçalves, 1942: 345; Borgmeier, 1950d: 243; Weber, 1958a: 9.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 76; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • migratoria. Formica migratoria De Geer, 1773: 604, pl. 31, figs. 11-13 (w.) SURINAME.
    • Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
    • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
    • Type-locality: Suriname: (no further data) (Rolander).
    • Type-depository: MNHN.
    • [Note: according to Horn & Kahle, 1935: 52, De Geer’s material is in NHRS.]
    • [Misspelled as migrator by Dalla Torre, 1893: 151, Forel, 1899c: 32.]
    • Combination in Atta: Roger, 1863b: 35.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: De Geer, 1773: 604; Retzius, 1783: 76; Fabricius, 1793: 362; Fabricius, 1804: 421; Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau, 1835: 176; Smith, F. 1858b: 180; Mayr, 1863: 437; Roger, 1863b: 35; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • oaxaquensis. Atta (Atta) cephalotes subsp. oaxaquensis Gonçalves, 1942: 344 (w.) MEXICO (Veracruz, Oaxaca).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-localities: holotype Mexico: Veracruz, Córdoba, 18.xii.1925 (A. Dampf); paratypes: workers with same data, 1 worker Mexico: Oaxaca, Tuxtepli, 13.viii.1929 (A. Dampf).
    • Type-depositories: DSVB (holotype); DSVB, FRRJ (paratypes).
    • Subspecies of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1950d: 243.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • opaca. Atta cephalotes var. opaca Forel, 1904c: 31 (w.) COLOMBIA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Colombia: San Antonio (A. Forel).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1913b: 259.
    • Subspecies of cephalotes: Forel, 1911e: 257; Forel, 1914e: 10; Emery, 1924d: 353; Santschi, 1929f: 92 (in key); Weber, 1938b: 205; Wheeler, W.M. 1938: 252; Borgmeier, 1939: 422 (in list); Gonçalves, 1942: 345; Borgmeier, 1950d: 258; Weber, 1958a: 10.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • polita. Atta cephalotes subsp. polita Emery, 1905c: 54 (w.) BOLIVIA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Bolivia: Mapiri (no collector’s name) (from Staudinger & Bang-Haas).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Subspecies of cephalotes: Forel, 1911e: 257; Forel, 1912e: 179; Emery, 1913b: 259; Emery, 1924d: 353; Gonçalves, 1942: 345; Weber, 1958a: 11.
    • Status as species: Weber, 1938b: 205; Borgmeier, 1939: 423 (in list).
    • Subspecies of vollenweideri: Borgmeier, 1950d: 243.
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Borgmeier, 1959b: 340; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 77; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.
  • visitatrix. Formica visitatrix Christ, 1791: 517 (w.) SURINAME.
    • Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
    • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
    • Type-locality: Suriname: (no further data).
    • Type-depository: unknown .
    • [Note: Christ, J.L. is not mentioned in Horn & Kahle, 1935, 1937.]
    • Junior synonym of cephalotes: Emery, 1892b: 162; Dalla Torre, 1893: 151; Forel, 1899c: 32; Emery, 1924d: 353; Kempf, 1972a: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 77; Fernández, et al. 2015: 99.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Aldana delq Torre R. C., and P. Chacon de Ulloa. 1999. Megadiversidad de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la cuenca media del rio Calima. Revista Colombiana de Entomologia 25(1-2): 37-47.
  • Alvarez, G., I. Armbrecht, E. Jimenez, H. Armbrecht and P. Ulloa-Chacon. 2001. Ant-plant association in two Tococa species from a primary rain forest of Colombia Choco (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Sociobiology 38(3B):585-602
  • Armbrecht I., E. Jimenez, G. Alvarez, P. Ulloa-Chacon, and H. Armbrecht. 2001. An ant mosaic in the Colombian rain forest of Choco (Hymenoptera: formicidae0. Sociobiology 37(3B): 491-509.
  • Ascuntar-Osnas, I. Armbrecht, and A. M. Torres. 2018. Remocion de semillas por hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) en un gradiente borde- Interior de un bosque seco. Boletin del Museo Entomologia de la Universidad del Valle 18(1): 1-11.
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