Azteca jelskii

Azteca jelskii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Azteca
Species:	A. jelskii
Binomial name
	Azteca jelskii; Emery, 1893 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
	Azteca tonduzi columbica Forel, 1912;

Longino (2007) - The types of columbica were collected on a live tree that also contained a nest of Dolichoderus decollatus. A Manu collection by Doug Yu's was from a carton nest on Inga stipulacea. In Venezuela I collected a nest in a dead vine stem, and a polygynous nest with many dealate queens in a dead Cecropia branch.

Identification

Longino (2007) - Azteca jelskii is a South American version of Azteca tonduzi. The only difference is that the scape and tibiae of A. jelskii lack erect setae. The scape and tibiae of A. tonduzi have an inconspicuous but distinct series of short erect setae. There is variation in queen head size in South America. A queen from Venezuela is smaller than queens of A. tonduzi (HLA 1.01mm versus 1.10–1.16mm, respectively); two queens, one from Peru and one from Bolivia are similar in size to A. tonduzi queens (HLA 1.16–1.17mm).

Distribution

Northern South America to Peru, Bolivia.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.49333333° to -12°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana (type locality), Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

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.

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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Azteca biology

All known Azteca species are arboreal, nesting in living or dead wood, or external carton nests. Some species exhibit obligate associations with myrmecophytes, especially of the genus Cecropia (see Chapter 14 of The Ants). Feeding habits are generalized with foraging occurring both arboreally and on the ground.

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Castes

Nomenclature

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

jelskii. Azteca jelskii Emery, 1893b: 138, pl. 2, figs. 52, 53 (w.) FRENCH GUIANA.
- Type-material: 3 syntype workers.
- [Shattuck, 1994: 20, cites 2w syntypes MHNG.]
- Type-locality: French Guiana: Cayenne (K.R. Jelski) (sent by Mayr).
- Type-depositories: MHNG, MSNG (perhaps also NHMW).
- Status as species: Forel, 1912h: 51; Emery, 1913a: 33; Wheeler, W.M. 1916c: 12; Wheeler, W.M. 1922c: 15; Kempf, 1972a: 32; Shattuck, 1994: 20; Bolton, 1995b: 79; Longino, 2007: 60; Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 108; Guerrero, 2019: 706.
- Senior synonym of columbica: Longino, 2007: 60.
- Distribution: Bolivia, Colombia, French Guiana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela.
columbica. Azteca tonduzi var. columbica Forel, 1912h: 51 (w.) COLOMBIA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- [Note: Shattuck, 1994: 26, cites 26w syntypes MHNG.]
- Type-localities: Colombia: Rio Frio (A. Forel) (invalid restriction of type-locality by Kempf, 1972a: 35; no lectotype designated), Colombia: Ouriheka, nr Rio Frio (A. Forel).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Subspecies of tonduzi: Kempf, 1972a: 35; Shattuck, 1994: 26; Bolton, 1995b: 78.
- Junior synonym of jelskii: Longino, 2007: 60.

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

Description

Type Material

Longino (2007) - Syntype workers: French Guiana, Cayenne (Jelski) Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa (examined).

References

Dejean, A., Compin, A., Delabie, J.H.C., Azémar, F., Corbara, B., Leponce, M. 2019. Biotic and abiotic determinants of the formation of ant mosaics in primary Neotropical rainforests. Ecological Entomology 44, 560–570 (doi:10.1111/een.12735).
Emery, C. 1893l. Studio monografico sul genere Azteca Forel. Mem. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna (5)3:119-152 (page 138, pl. 2, figs. 52, 53 soldier, worker described)
Franco, W., Ladino, N., Delabie, J.H.C., Dejean, A., Orivel, J., Fichaux, M., Groc, S., Leponce, M., Feitosa, R.M. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674, 509–543 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.2).
Longino, J.T. 2007. A taxonomic review of the genus Azteca in Costa Rica and a global revision of the aurita group. Zootaxa. 1491:1-63.
Nagatani, V., Da Silva, N.S., Albuquerque, E.Z., Gaglioti, A.L., Morini, M.S.C. 2021. Natural history notes on worker size, colony size, and nest structure of Azteca muelleri Emery, 1893 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Cecropia glaziovii (Rosales: Urticaceae) from the Atlantic Forest. Entomological Communications 3, ec03017 (doi:10.37486/2675-1305.ec03017).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Dejean A., A. Compin, J. H. C. Delabie, F. Azemar, B. Corbara, and M. Leponce. 2019. Biotic and abiotic determinants of the formation of ant mosaics in primary Neotropical rainforests. Ecological Entomology https://doi-org.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/10.1111/een.12735
Emery C. 1893. Studio monografico sul genere Azteca Forel. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze dell'Istituto di Bologna (5)3: 119-152
Emery C. 1913. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50.
Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part V. 4me sous-famille Dolichoderinae Forel. Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 33-58.
Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
Longino J. T. 2007. A taxonomic review of the genus Azteca (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Costa Rica and a global revision of the aurita group. Zootaxa 1491: 1-63
Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.
Wheeler W. M. 1916. Ants collected in British Guiana by the expedition of the American Museum of Natural History during 1911. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 35: 1-14.
Wheeler W. M. 1922. The ants of Trinidad. American Museum Novitates 45: 1-16.