Atta texana

Atta texana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Atta
Species:	A. texana
Binomial name
Atta texana (Buckley, 1860) Specimen Label

Photo Gallery

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  A queen leafcutter ant searches for a nesting site after her first and only mating flight. McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Texas. Photo by Alex Wild.
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  A male Atta texana falls to the ground after a dawn mating flight. Austin, Texas, USA. Photo by Alex Wild.

Identification

Identification Keys including this Taxon

Key to US Atta species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 38.342773° to 18.03333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

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.

Biology

Association with Other Organisms

• This species is a host for the pteromalid wasp Spalangia attae (a parasite) (Universal Chalcidoidea Database) (associate).
• This species is a host for the milichiid fly Pholeomyia comans (a myrmecophile) (Moser & Neff, 1971; Muesebeck, 1980) (associated with or potential host).
• This species is a host for the milichiid fly Pholeomyia texensis (a myrmecophile) in Texas (Waller, 1980) (associated with or potential host).
• This species is a host for the diapriid wasp Coptera pholeomyiae (a parasite) (www.diapriid.org) (potential host).
• This species is a host for the fungus Aspergillus flavus (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission within nest).
• This species is a host for the fungus Beauveria bassiana (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission within nest).
• This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus wallerae (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
• This species is a host for the phorid fly Megaselia sp. (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).
• This species is a host for the phorid fly Myrmosicarius texanus (a parasitoid) (Quevillon, 2018) (encounter mode primary; direct transmission; transmission outside nest).

Waller and Moser (1990) - The springtail species Pseudosinella violenta (Folsom) (Lepidocyrtidae) is known from nests of this ant.

Flight Period

			X	X	X
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

• Check details at Worldwide Ant Nuptial Flights Data, AntNupTracker and AntKeeping.

Life History Traits

• Mean colony size: 10,000,000 (Moser & Blum, 1963; Riley et al., 1974; Beckers et al., 1989)
• Foraging behaviour: mass recruiter (Moser & Blum, 1963; Riley et al., 1974; Beckers et al., 1989)

Castes

• The following images are provided by AntWeb
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  Head view

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  Side view

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  Top view

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  Specimen labels

Nomenclature

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

• texana. Myrmica (Atta) texana Buckley, 1860a: 233 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. (Texas).
  • Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1974d: 79 (l.).
  • Combination in Oecodoma: Mayr, 1863: 438;
  • combination in Atta: Roger, 1863b: 35;
  • combination in Atta (Archeatta): Gonçalves, 1942: 343.
  • Junior synonym of fervens: Mayr, 1865: 81; Forel, 1885a: 362; Mayr, 1886d: 442; Cresson, 1887: 259; Dalla Torre, 1893: 152, Forel, 1899c: 33; Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 29.
  • Subspecies of insularis: Emery, 1913b: 259; Emery, 1924d: 354.
  • Subspecies of fervens: Borgmeier, 1939: 423 (in list).
  • Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 35; Mayr, 1863: 438; Buckley, 1867: 347; Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 700 (redescription); Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 568; Gonçalves, 1942: 343; Creighton, 1950a: 329; Borgmeier, 1950d: 261; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 832; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 138; Borgmeier, 1959b: 356 (redescription); Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R., 1979: 1413; Petralia & Vinson, 1980: 386; Cherrett & Cherrett, 1989: 54; Bolton, 1995b: 77.

References

• Adams, R.M.M., Wells, R.L., Yanoviak, S.P., Frost, C.J., Fox, E.G.P. 2020. Interspecific Eavesdropping on Ant Chemical Communication. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8. (doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.00024).
• Aguilar-Méndez, M.J., Rosas-Mejía, M., Vásquez-Bolaños, M., González-Hernández, G.A., Janda, M. 2021. New distributional records for ants and the evaluation of ant species richness and endemism patterns in Mexico. Biodiversity Data Journal 9, e60630 (doi:10.3897/bdj.9.e60630).
• Alatorre-Bracamontes, C.E., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2010. Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17(1): 9-36.
• Barrera, C.A., Sosa-Calvo, J., Schultz, T.R., Rabeling, C., Bacci, M., Jr 2021. Phylogenomic reconstruction reveals new insights into the evolution and biogeography of Atta leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 47: 13-35 (doi:10.1111/syen.12513).
• Beckers R., Goss, S., Deneubourg, J.L., Pasteels, J.M. 1989. Colony size, communication and ant foraging Strategy. Psyche 96: 239-256 (doi:10.1155/1989/94279).
• Billen, J., Khalife, A., Ito, F., Anh, N.D., Esteves, F.A. 2021. The basitarsal sulcus gland, a novel exocrine structure in ants. Arthropod Structure, Development 61, 101041 (doi:10.1016/j.asd.2021.101041).
• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 77, catalogue)
• Borgmeier, T. 1939. Nova contribuiça~o para o conhecimento das formigas neotropicas (Hym. Formicidae). Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 10: 403-428 (page 423, Subspecies of fervens)
• Borgmeier, T. 1959b. Revision der Gattung Atta Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. (n.s.) 2: 321-390 (page 356, see also)
• Buckley, S. B. 1860a. The cutting ant of Texas. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 12: 233-236 (page 233, worker, queen, male described)
• Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
• Caraballo-Rodríguez, A.M., Puckett, S.P., Kyle, K.E., Petras, D., da Silva, R., Nothias, L.-F., Ernst, M., van der Hooft, J.J.J., Tripathi, A., Wang, M., Balunas, M.J., Klassen, J.L., Dorrestein, P.C. 2021. Chemical gradients of plant substrates in an Atta texana fungus garden. mSystems 6: 00601-21 (doi:10.1128/msystems.00601-21).
• Carroll, T.M. 2011. The ants of Indiana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). M.S. thesis, Purdue University.
• Dahan, R.A., Grove, N.K., Bollazzi, M., Gerstner, B.P., Rabeling, C. 2021. Decoupled evolution of mating biology and social structure in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 76, 7 (doi:10.1007/s00265-021-03113-1).
• de Bekker, C., Will, I., Das, B., Adams, R.M.M. 2018. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and their parasites: effects of parasitic manipulations and host responses on ant behavioral ecology. Myrmecological News 28: 1-24 (doi:10.25849/myrmecol.news_028:001).
• Emery, C. 1913b. Über die Abstammung der europäischen arbeiterinnenlosen Ameise Anergates. Biol. Centralbl. 33: 258-260 (page 259, Subspecies of insularis)
• Emery, C. 1922c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174B: 95-206 (page 354, Subspecies of insularis)
• Forel, A. 1885a [1884]. Études myrmécologiques en 1884 avec une description des organes sensoriels des antennes. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 20: 316-380 (page 362, Junior synonym of fervens)
• Gonçalves, C. R. 1942. Contribuiça~o para o conhecimento do gênero Atta Fabr., das formigas saúvas. Bol. Soc. Bras. Agron. 5: 333-358 (page 335, Revived status as species)
• Gonçalves, C. R. 1942. Contribuiça~o para o conhecimento do gênero Atta Fabr., das formigas saúvas. Bol. Soc. Bras. Agron. 5: 333-358 (page 343, Combination in Atta (Archeatta))
• Hill, J.G. 2015. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Big Thicket Region of Texas. Midsouth Entomologist 8: 24-34.
• Lau, M.K., Ellison, A.M., Nguyen, A., Penick, C., DeMarco, B., Gotelli, N.J., Sanders, N.J., Dunn, R.R., Helms Cahan, S. 2019. Draft Aphaenogaster genomes expand our view of ant genome size variation across climate gradients. PeerJ 7, e6447 (doi:10.7717/PEERJ.6447).
• Moser, J. C. 2006. Complete excavation and mapping of a Texas leafcutting ant nest. Ann. Entomol. Soc. America 99(5): 891–897.
• Moser, J.C., Neff, S.E. 1971. Pholeomyia comans (Diptera: Milichiidae) an associate of Atta texana: larval anatomy and notes on biology. Journal of Applied Entomology 69: 343-348
• Moura, M.N., Cardoso, D.C., Cristiano, M.P. 2020. The tight genome size of ants: diversity and evolution under ancestral state reconstruction and base composition. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlaa135 (doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa135).
• Mueller, U.G., Ishak, H.D., Bruschi, S.M., Smith, C.C., Herman, J.J., Solomon, S.E., Mikheyev, A.S., Rabeling, C., Scott, J.J., Cooper, M., Rodrigues, A., Ortiz, A., Brandão, C.R.F., Lattke, J.E., Pagnocca, F.C., Rehner, S.A., Schultz, T.R., Vasconcelos, H.L., Adams, R.M.M., Bollazzi, M., Clark, R.M., Himler, A.G., LaPolla, J.S., Leal, I.R., Johnson, R.A., Roces, F., Sosa-Calvo, J., Wirth, R., Bacci, M. 2017. Biogeography of mutualistic fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants. Molecular Ecology 26, 6921–6937 (doi:10.1111/mec.14431).
• Muesebeck, C. F. W. 1980. The Nearctic parasitic wasps of the genera Psilus Panzer and Coptera Say (Hymenoptera, Proctotrupoidea, Diapriidae). United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin:1-71.
• Park, J., Park, J. 2021. Complete mitochondrial genome of the jet ant Lasius spathepus Wheeler, W.M., 1910 (Formicidae; Hymenoptera). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 6, 505–507 (doi:10.1080/23802359.2021.1872435).
• Park, J., Xi, H., Park, J. 2021. Complete mitochondrial genome of the acrobat ant Crematogaster teranishii Santschi, 1930 (Formicidae; Hymenoptera). Mitochondrial DNA Part B 6, 593–595 (doi:10.1080/23802359.2021.1875922).
• Petralia, R. S.; Vinson, S. B. 1980 [1979]. Comparative anatomy of the ventral region of ant larvae, and its relation to feeding behavior. Psyche (Camb.) 86: 375-394 (page 386, see also)
• Ramalho, M.de O., Martins, C., Morini, M.S.C., Bueno, O.C. 2020. What can the bacterial community of Atta sexdens (Linnaeus, 1758) tell us about the habitats in which this ant species evolves? Insects 11, 332. (doi:10.3390/INSECTS11060332).
• Ramalho, M.O., Duplais, C., Orivel, J., Dejean, A., Gibson, J.C., Suarez, A.V., Moreau, C.S. 2020. Development but not diet alters microbial communities in the Neotropical arboreal trap jaw ant Daceton armigerum: an exploratory study. Scientific Reports 10, 7350 (doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64393-7).
• Roger, J. 1863b. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(B Beilage: 1-65 (page 35, Combination in Atta)
• Ruano, F., Tinaut, A., Soler, J.J. 2000. High surface temperatures select for individual foraging in ants. Behavioral Ecology 11, 396-404.
• Sales, T.A., Toledo, A.M.O., Lopes, J.F.S. 2020. The best of heavy queens: influence of post-flight weight on queens’ survival and productivity in Acromyrmex subterraneus (Forel, 1893) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Insectes Sociaux (doi:10.1007/S00040-020-00772-7).
• Schowalter, T.D., Ring, D.R. 2017. Biology and management of the Texas leafcutting ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Integrated Pest Management 8(1): 16; 1–8 (DOI 10.1093/jipm/pmx013).
• Smith, D. R. 1979. Superfamily Formicoidea. Pp. 1323-1467 in: Krombein, K. V., Hurd, P. D., Smith, D. R., Burks, B. D. (eds.) Catalog of Hymenoptera in America north of Mexico. Volume 2. Apocrita (Aculeata). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Pr (page 1413, see also)
• Varela-Hernández, F., Medel-Zosayas, B., Martínez-Luque, E.O., Jones, R.W., De la Mora, A. 2020. Biodiversity in central Mexico: Assessment of ants in a convergent region. Southwestern Entomologist 454: 673-686.
• Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1974d. Ant larvae of the myrmicine tribe Attini: second supplement (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 76: 76-81 (page 79, larva described)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1907d. The fungus-growing ants of North America. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 23: 669-807 (page 700, Revived from synonymy)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Cokendolpher J.C., Reddell J.R., Taylor S.J, Krejca J.K., Suarez A.V. and Pekins C.E. 2009. Further ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from caves of Texas [Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicdae) adicionales de cuevas de Texas]. Texas Memorial Museum Speleological Monographs, 7. Studies on the cave and endogean fauna of North America, V. Pp. 151-168
• Dash S. T. and L. M. Hooper-Bui. 2008. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Louisiana. Conservation Biology and Biodiversity. 101: 1056-1066
• Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
• Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
• Garcia-Martinez M. A., V. Vanoye-Eligio, O. R. Leyva-Ovalle, P. Zetina-Cordoba, M. J. Aguilar-Mendez, and M. Rosas-Mejia. 2019. Diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a sub-montane and sub-tropical cityscape of Northeastern Mexico. Sociobiology 66(3): 440-447.
• LeBrun E. G., R. M. Plowes, and L. E. Gilbert. 2015. Imported fire ants near the edge of their range: disturbance and moisture determine prevalence and impact of an invasive social insect. Journal of Animal Ecology,81: 884–895.
• Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
• MacKay W. P., and S. B. Vinson. 1988. Rediscovery of the ant Gnamptogenys hartmani (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in eastern Texas. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 91: 127.
• McDonald D. L., D. R. Hoffpauir, and J. L. Cook. 2016. Survey yields seven new Texas county records and documents further spread of Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Southwestern Entomologist, 41(4): 913-920.
• Moody J. V., and O. F. Francke. 1982. The Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Western Texas Part 1: Subfamily Myrmicinae. Graduate Studies Texas Tech University 27: 80 pp.
• Morrison, L.W. 2002. Long-Term Impacts of an Arthropod-Community Invasion by the Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta. Ecology 83(8):2337-2345
• O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
• Pescador A. 1980. Las hormigas arrieras. Naturaleza 11: 278-290.
• Reddell J. R., and J. C. Cokendolpher. 2001. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from caves of Belize, Mexico, and California and Texas (U.S.A.) Texas. Texas Memorial Museum Speleological Monographs 5: 129-154.
• Rico-Gray,V., J.G. Garcia-Franco, M. Palacios-Rios, C. Diaz-Castelazo, V. Parra-Tabla and J.A. Navarro. 1998. Geographical and Seasonal Variation in the Richness of Ant-Plant Interactions in Mexico. Biotropica 30(2):190-200.
• Rios-Casanova, L., A. Valiente-Banuet, and V. Rico-Gray. (2004). Las hormigas del Valle de Tehuacan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): una comparacion con otras zonas aridas de Mexico. Acta Zoologica Mexicana 20: 37-54.
• Seal, J.N. and W.R. Tschinkel. 2007. Co-evolution and the superorganism: switching cultivars does not alter the performance of fungus-gardening ant colonies. Functional Ecology 21(5): 988-997
• Smith M. R. 1936. A list of the ants of Texas. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 44: 155-170.
• Smith M. R. 1963. Notes on the leaf-cutting ants, Atta spp., of the United States and Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 65: 299-302.
• Solomon S. E., C. Rabeling, J. Sosa-Calvo, C. Lopes, A. Rodrigues, H. L. Vasconcelos, M. Bacci, U. G. Mueller, and T. R. Schultz. 2019. The molecular phylogenetics of Trachymyrmex Forel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher-attine’ ant agriculture. Systematic Entomology 44: 939–956.
• Vasquez-Bolanos M. 2011. Checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mexico. Dugesiana 18(1): 95-133.
• Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
• Watkins J. F., II 1969. A new species of Neivamyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Louisiana. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 41: 528-531.
• Wheeler W. M. 1907. The fungus-growing ants of North America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 23: 669-807.
• Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.