Brachymyrmex flavidulus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Brachymyrmex flavidulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Myrmelachistini
Genus: Brachymyrmex
Species: B. flavidulus
Binomial name
Brachymyrmex flavidulus
(Roger, 1863)

Brachymyrmex flavidulus focol2900 p 1 high.jpg

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Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Brachymyrmex flavidulus and there are only a small number of specimens of this species.

Identification

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Brachymyrmex flavidulus resembles Brachymyrmex fiebrigi, Brachymyrmex giardi, and Brachymyrmex depilis in that they all have short scapes that approximately reach the posterior margin of the head or surpass it by less than one maximal diameter of the eye, their gaster bears dense pubescence, their eyes are located on the cephalic midline, and their bodies are yellowish. Brachymyrmex flavidulus differs from B. depilis and B. giardi by its mesonotum that does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view, and from B. fiebrigi by the absence of erect hairs on the pronotum and mesonotum.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 23.133° to 10.29564°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (type locality), Greater Antilles, Jamaica.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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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Biology

Castes

Brachymyrmex flavidulus focol2910 h 1 high.jpgBrachymyrmex flavidulus focol2910 l 1 high.jpg
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Nomenclature

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

  • flavidulus. Plagiolepis flavidula Roger, 1863a: 162 (w.) CUBA.
    • Combination in Brachymyrmex: Smith, M.R. 1955b: 99.
    • Synonym of Plagiolepis alluaudi Emery: Stärcke, 1926: 118 (error).
    • Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 11; Mayr, 1863: 442; André, 1882b: 208 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 172; Saunders, E. 1896: 26; Wheeler, W.M. 1905b: 132; Wheeler, W.M. 1913b: 499; Emery, 1925b: 22; Smith, M.R. 1955b: 99; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82; Fernández & Ortiz-Sepúlveda, 2019: 728; Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 498 (redescription).

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

Description

Worker

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Head. Slightly longer than wide in full face view; posterior cephalic margin slightly convex. Clypeus with a rounded anterior margin and five long, erect hairs of which a single, usually conspicuous hair is near the anterior margin, two hairs are in mediolateral position, and two more near the toruli; other hairs on the clypeus are markedly shorter and appressed or decumbent. Toruli surpassing the posterior clypeal margin in oblique anterodorsal view. The scapes are short and barely reach the posterior margin of the head. Ocelli apparently absent. Eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline and have 7–9 ommatidia along their maximal diameter.

Mesosoma. Without erect hairs. The mesonotum does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. Metanotal groove absent. Metathoracic spiracles dorsolateral in position, not protruding, and touching the propodeal suture. Dorsum of the propodeum shorter than posterior slope. Propodeal spiracles circular, positioned on the posterior propodeal margin, slightly posterior of the middle of the propodeal slope. Legs with appressed hairs. Petiole short and inclined forward.

Gaster. With dense pubescence.

Color and sculpture. Body usually smooth, shiny, and yellowish.

Type Material

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype worker (Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität: 19185: GBIF-D/FoCol2900; GBIF-D/ FoCol2910; here designated): one worker [examined]. CUBA.

The type series consist of a single individual of which the mesosoma and gaster are mounted on a pin, and the head is prepared on a microscope slide. This preservation hampers us to document the arrangement of hairs on scapes, head, and clypeus as well as the number of ommatidia in the maximal diameter of the eye.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
  • Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
  • Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Ortiz-Sepuvelda C. M., B. Van Bocxlaer, A. D. Meneses, and F. Fernandez. 2019. Molecular and morphological recognition of species boundaries in the neglected ant genus Brachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): toward a taxonomic revision. Organisms Diversity & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-019-00406-2
  • Wheeler W. M. 1905. The ants of the Bahamas, with a list of the known West Indian species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21: 79-135.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1913. The ants of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 54: 477-505.