Azteca muelleri

Azteca muelleri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Azteca
Species:	A. muelleri
Binomial name
Azteca muelleri Emery, 1893 Specimen Labels
Subspecies
Azteca muelleri terminalis Mann, 1916
Synonyms
Azteca muelleri brunni Forel, 1909 Azteca muelleri janeirensis Forel, 1912 Azteca muelleri nigridens Forel, 1908 Azteca muelleri wacketi Emery, 1908 Azteca nigella Emery, 1893 Azteca ulei gibbifera Forel, 1908

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.79861111° to -26.918°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil (type locality), El Salvador, Peru.

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. ‎

Nomenclature

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

• muelleri. Azteca muelleri Emery, 1893b: 131, pl. 1, figs. 12-15 (w.q.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina, Rio de Janeiro).
  • Type-material: lectotype queen (by designation of Longino, 1991: 1591), 3 paralectotype workers, 3 paralectotype queens.
  • Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: Santa Catarina, Blumenau (F. Müller); paralectotypes with same data.
  • [Notes (i): other original syntype localities: Brazil: Santa Catarina (L. Hetschko), Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (E.A. Göldi) (invalid restriction of type-locality by Kempf, 1972a: 33; no lectotype designated).]
  • Type-depositories: MHNG (lectotype); MHNG, MSNG (paralectotypes).
  • [Azteca muelleri Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 164. Nomen nudum.]
  • Status as species: Forel, 1895b: 108; Forel, 1908c: 391; Emery, 1913a: 33; Stitz, 1913: 212; Mann, 1916: 470; Luederwaldt, 1918: 47; Borgmeier, 1923: 94; Eidmann, 1936b: 89; Borgmeier, 1937b: 251; Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 236; Kempf, 1972a: 33; Longino, 1991: 1591 (redescription); Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79; Bezděčková, et al. 2015: 108.
  • Senior synonym of brunni: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Senior synonym of gibbifera: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Senior synonym of janeirensis: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Senior synonym of nigella: Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 236; Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Senior synonym of nigridens: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Senior synonym of wacketi: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
  • Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Peru.
  • Current subspecies: nominal plus terminalis.
• brunni. Azteca muelleri var. brunni Forel, 1909a: 251 (w.) BRAZIL (Bahia).
  • Type-material: holotype worker.
  • Type-locality: Brazil: Bahia, “Salvador” (no collector’s name).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Subspecies of muelleri: Emery, 1913a: 33; Kempf, 1972a: 33.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 78.
• gibbifera. Azteca ulei var. gibbifera Forel, 1908c: 392 (w.) BRAZIL (São Paulo).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • [Note: Shattuck, 1994: 22, cites 4w syntypes MHNG.]
  • Type-locality: Brazil: São Paulo (H. von Ihering).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Subspecies of ulei: Emery, 1913a: 35; Luederwaldt, 1918: 47; Borgmeier, 1923: 97; Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 246; Kempf, 1972a: 35.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 78.
• janeirensis. Azteca muelleri var. janeirensis Forel, 1912h: 48 (w.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro), BOLIVIA.
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Longino, 1991: 1591); paralectotype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (E.A. Göldi); paralectotypes with same data.
  • [Notes (i): other original syntype localities: Brazil: Rio de Janeiro (A. Sampaio) (invalid restriction of type-locality by Kempf, 1972a: 33; no lectotype designated), Bolivia: (no further data).]
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Subspecies of muelleri: Borgmeier, 1923: 94; Kempf, 1972a: 33.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 23; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
• nigella. Azteca nigella Emery, 1893b: 132, pl. 1, figs. 23, 24 (w.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina).
  • Type-material: 2 syntype workers.
  • [Note: Longino, 1991: 1591, cites 1w syntype MSNG.]
  • Type-locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina (L. Hetschko) (sent by Mayr).
  • Type-depository: MSNG (perhaps also NHMW).
  • Status as species: Forel, 1895b: 108; Forel, 1899c: 110.
  • Subspecies of muelleri: Emery, 1913a: 34; Luederwaldt, 1918: 47; Borgmeier, 1923: 94; Kempf, 1972a: 33.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 236; Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
• nigridens. Azteca muelleri var. nigridens Forel, 1908c: 392 (w.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • [Note: Shattuck, 1994: 22, cites 3w syntypes MHNG.]
  • Type-locality: Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Colonia Alpina (E.A. Göldi).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Subspecies of muelleri: Emery, 1913a: 34; Borgmeier, 1923: 94; Kempf, 1972a: 33.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 79.
• wacketi. Azteca muelleri var. wacketi Emery, in Forel, 1908c: 391 (footnote) (w.m.) BRAZIL (São Paulo).
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Longino, 1991: 1591), 11 paralectotype workers, 3 paralectotype males.
  • Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: São Paulo (H. von Ihering); paralectotypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: MSNG.
  • Subspecies of muelleri: Emery, 1913a: 34; Luederwaldt, 1918: 47; Borgmeier, 1923: 94; Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 236; Kempf, 1972a: 33.
  • Junior synonym of muelleri: Longino, 1991: 1591; Shattuck, 1994: 22; Bolton, 1995b: 80.

References

• Albuquerque, E., Prado, L., Andrade-Silva, J., Siqueira, E., Sampaio, K., Alves, D., Brandão, C., Andrade, P., Feitosa, R., Koch, E., Delabie, J., Fernandes, I., Baccaro, F., Souza, J., Almeida, R., Silva, R. 2021. Ants of the State of Pará, Brazil: a historical and comprehensive dataset of a key biodiversity hotspot in the Amazon Basin. Zootaxa 5001, 1–83 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5001.1.1).
• Emery, C. 1893l. Studio monografico sul genere Azteca Forel. Mem. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna (5)3:119-152 (page 131, pl. 1, figs. 12-15 soldier, worker, queen described)
• Gomes, I.J.M.T., Solar, R., Blüthgen, N., Vasconcelos, H.L., Silva, L.E.B., Oliveira, K.N., Moreira, M.Z., Campos, R.I. 2021. Multiple effects of mutualistic ants improve the performance of a neotropical ant-plant: A long-term study with the Cecropia-Azteca system. Basic and Applied Ecology 57, 78–90 (doi:10.1016/j.baae.2021.09.004).
• Longino, J. T. 1991a. Taxonomy of the Cecropia-inhabiting Azteca ants. J. Nat. Hist. 2 25: 1571-1602 (page 1591, senior synonym of brunni, gibbifera, janeirensis, nigella, nigridens, and wacketi)
• 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).
• 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).
• Wheeler, W. M. 1942. Studies of Neotropical ant-plants and their ants. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 90: 1-262 (page 236, senior synonym of nigella)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Borgmeier T. 1923. Catalogo systematico e synonymico das formigas do Brasil. 1 parte. Subfam. Dorylinae, Cerapachyinae, Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae. Archivos do Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro) 24: 33-103.
• 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. 1908. Ameisen aus Sao Paulo (Brasilien), Paraguay etc. gesammelt von Prof. Herm. v. Ihering, Dr. Lutz, Dr. Fiebrig, etc. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 58: 340-418.
• Forel A. 1909. Ameisen aus Guatemala usw., Paraguay und Argentinien (Hym.). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1909: 239-269.
• Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part V. 4me sous-famille Dolichoderinae Forel. Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 33-58.
• Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Kusnezov N. 1953. La fauna mirmecológica de Bolivia. Folia Universitaria. Cochabamba 6: 211-229.
• Longino J. T. 1991. Taxonomy of the Cecropia-inhabiting Azteca ants. Journal of Natural History 25: 1571-1602
• Luederwaldt H. 1918. Notas myrmecologicas. Rev. Mus. Paul. 10: 29-64.
• Lutinski J. A., B. C. Lopes, and A. B. B.de Morais. 2013. Diversidade de formigas urbanas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de dez cidades do sul do Brasil. Biota Neotrop. 13(3): 332-342.
• Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.
• 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. 1942. Studies of Neotropical ant-plants and their ants. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 90: 1-262.