Brachymyrmex pictus

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Brachymyrmex pictus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Myrmelachistini
Genus: Brachymyrmex
Species: B. pictus
Binomial name
Brachymyrmex pictus
Mayr, 1887

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Specimen Labels

Synonyms

The colony of B. heeri var. basalis reported by Wheeler (1921) and Wheeler (1942) was small but nevertheless contained brood. It was found in hollow petioles of a small Tachigalia paniculata tree on the Puruni trail at Kartabi, Guyana. Several colonies of B. pictus subsp. balboae were found to be nesting in hollow twigs of Tripalis americana at Balboa, Panama (Wheeler 1942). No biological information exists on typical B. pictus, but it seems this species is arboreal.

Identification

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - The unique feature for B. pictus is a conspicuous color difference between the head and thorax, which are yellow and the gaster, which is black, or yellow with (a) black spot(s).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 18.067° to -25.11944444°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil (type locality), Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana (type locality), Jamaica, Panama (type locality), Peru, Venezuela.

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

Nomenclature

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

  • pictus. Brachymyrmex pictus Mayr, 1887: 522 (w.q.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina).
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 174; Forel, 1895b: 107; Mann, 1916: 473; Santschi, 1923b: 662; Emery, 1925b: 43; Borgmeier, 1927c: 142; Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 253; Kempf, 1972a 41; Bolton, 1995b: 82; Fernández & Ortiz-Sepúlveda, 2019: 729; Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 525 (redescription).
    • Senior synonym of balboae: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 525.
    • Senior synonym of basalis: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 525.
  • balboae. Brachymyrmex pictus subsp. balboae Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 253 (w.q.m.) PANAMA.
    • Subspecies of pictus: Kempf, 1972a: 41; Bolton, 1995b: 81.
    • Junior synonym of pictus: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 525.
  • basalis. Brachymyrmex heeri var. basalis Wheeler, W.M. 1921f: 166 (w.) GUYANA.
    • Subspecies of heeri: Santschi, 1923b: 666; Emery, 1925b: 42; Wheeler, W.M. 1942: 253; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 81.
    • Junior synonym of pictus: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 525.

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) - (n = 1) HL1 0.43; HL2 n.a.; HL3 0.08; HW 0.38; SL 0.38; EL 0.11; WL 0.44; PnL n.a.; PnW n.a.; ML 0.09; MW 0.18; Indices CI 89.58; SI1 100.00; SI2 n.a.; OI1 26.83; OI2 28.57.

Head. Slightly longer than wide in full face view; posterior cephalic margin flat. Dorsum of the head has sparse appressed hairs. 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 surpass the posterior cephalic margin by a length that is smaller than the maximal diameter of the eye; they have appressed hairs. Three ocelli present. Eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline and have 7–10 omatidia along their maximal diameter.

Mesosoma. Typically with two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum. The mesonotum is not inflated and does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. The mesometanotal suture is directly visible; however, there is no marked constriction between the mesonotum and metanotum, and as a result the metanotal groove is absent. Metathoracic spiracles widely separated in dorsolateral position, not protruding, and touching the propodeal suture. Dorsum of the propodeum flat and shorter than the propodeal slope. Propodeal spiracles circular, situated slightly ventral to the posterior propodeal margin, and slightly posterior of the middle of the propodeal slope. Legs with appressed and scattered hairs. Petiole short and inclined forward.

Gaster. With scattered pubescence and several scattered long erect hairs.

Color and sculpture. Body smooth and shiny. The head and thorax are yellowish, whereas the gaster is either totally black or yellowish with one or more black spots.

Type Material

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype worker (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna: ANTWEB CASENT0915735) and para lectotype worker (NHMW; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: USNMENT00758144; here designated): three workers [examined]. BRAZIL: Santa Catharina.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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  • Basset Y., L. Cizek, P. Cuenoud, R. K. Didham, F. Guilhaumon, O. Missa, V. Novotny, F. Odegaards, T. Roslin, J. Schmidl et al. 2012. Arthropod diversity in a tropical forest. Science 338(6113): 1481-1484.
  • Calle Z., N. Henao-Gallego, C. Giraldo, and I. Armbrecht. 2013. A Comparison of Vegetation and Ground-dwelling Ants in Abandoned and Restored Gullies and Landslide Surfaces in the Western Colombian Andes. Restoration Ecology 21(6): 729-736.
  • Fernández F., and E. E. Palacio. 1995. Hormigas de Colombia IV: nuevos registros de géneros y especies. Caldasia 17: 587-596.
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
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  • 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).
  • Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
  • Macedo-Reis L. E., A. C. Leite, T. J. Guerra, R. Antoniazzi, and F. Neves. Suspended leaf litter in an understorey treelet as habitat extension for ground-dwelling ants in the Atlantic Forest, south-eastern Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467419000154
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  • Mentone T.O., M. S. C. Morini, L. Souza, and S. M. P. Braga. 2009. Hymenoptera communities in an agroecosyste using direct seedling in Southeastern Brazil. Sociobiology 53(2B): 473-486.
  • Munhae C. B., Z. A. F. N. Bueno, M. S. C. Morini, and R. R. Silva. 2009. Composition of the Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Public Squares in Southern Brazil. Sociobiology 53(2B): 455-472.
  • Oliveira Mentone T. de, E. A. Diniz, C. de Bortoli Munhae, O. Correa Bueno and M. S. de Castro Morini. 2012. Composition of ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at litter in areas of semi-deciduous forest and Eucalyptus spp., in Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotrop 11(2): 237-246.
  • 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
  • Pacheco, R., R.R. Silva, M.S. de C. Morini, C.R.F. Brandao. 2009. A Comparison of the Leaf-Litter Ant Fauna in a Secondary Atlantic Forest with an Adjacent Pine Plantation in Southeastern Brazil. Neotropical Entomology 38(1):055-065
  • 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.
  • Santschi F. 1923. Revue des fourmis du genre Brachymyrmex Mayr. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires 31: 650-678.
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  • Wheeler W. M. 1942. Studies of Neotropical ant-plants and their ants. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 90: 1-262.
  • de Souza D. R., S. G. dos Santos, C. de B. Munhae, and M. S. de C. Morini. 2012. Diversity of Epigeal Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Urban Areas of Alto Tietê. Sociobiology 59(3): 703-117.