Cyphomyrmex vorticis

Cyphomyrmex vorticis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Cyphomyrmex
Species:	C. vorticis
Binomial name
Cyphomyrmex vorticis Weber, 1940 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of this species.

Identification

Kempf (1966) - The closest ally of vorticis is Cyphomyrmex salvini, differing the former from the latter in the following features: Body hairs simple, never scale-like; frontal lobes strikingly different in shape, broadly rounded cephalad, the curvature gradually decreasing caudad; the sigmoidal frontal carinae always fade out before reaching the spine-like occipital lobe; basal face of epinotum strongly and sharply carinate in its entire length; posterior mesonotal tubercles low, not tooth-like nor conical; petiole not noticeably constricted at each side just in front of postpetiolar insertion.

Distribution

Known from Bolivia and Brazil (and possible from Costa Rica, as stated in the nomenclature section below).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 7.441° to -21.16666667°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Bolivia (type locality), Brazil, Ecuador, 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

Expand Explore Fungus Growing  For additional details see Fungus growing ants. A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source. These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius). The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3. Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category): Nest Construction A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests. some Crematogaster some Lasius Lower Agriculture Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae. some Apterostigma Cyatta (1 species) some Cyphomyrmex Kalathomyrmex (1 species) Mycocepurus (6 species) Myrmicocrypta (31 species) Mycetarotes (4 species) Mycetosoritis (2 species) Mycetophylax (21 species) Paramycetophylax (1 species) Xerolitor (1 species) Coral Fungus Agriculture Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae. some Apterostigma Yeast Agriculture Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi. some Cyphomyrmex Generalized Higher Agriculture Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi. Mycetomoellerius (33 species) Paratrachymyrmex (9 species) Sericomyrmex (11 species) Trachymyrmex (9 species) Leaf-Cutter Agriculture A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus. Acromyrmex (51 species) Amoimyrmex (3 species) Atta (20 species) Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

Castes

Queens and males are undescribed but a collection of both castes may be in the USNM (see the nomenclature section below).

Nomenclature

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

• vorticis. Cyphomyrmex vorticis Weber, 1940a: 410 (diagnosis in key) (w.) BOLIVIA.
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Kempf, 1966: 188).
  • [Note: originally described from an unstated number of syntype workers.]
  • Type-locality: lectotype Bolivia: Santa Helena, viii.1921 (W.M. Mann).
  • Type-depository: MCZC (lectotype).
  • [Note: Snelling, R.R. & Longino, 1992: 493, cite other original syntypes LACM; probably also present USNM.]
  • Status as species: Kempf, 1966: 188 (redescription); Kempf, 1972a: 94; Brandão, 1991: 339; Snelling, R.R. & Longino, 1992: 493; Bolton, 1995b: 168; Fernández & Serna, 2019: 850.
  • Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica.

Snelling and Longino (1992) stated the following:

Kempf (1966) reported this species only from Bolivia (Santa Helena, the type locality) and Brazil. We have seen a series of 9 workers, 2 females, and 1 male from Zent, costa rica, collected in March, 1924 by W. M. Mann (USNM). The workers agree well with Kempfs redescription, and with cotypes in the LACM, in all particulars except the pilosity. The appressed pilosity of the head and body is fine and hair-like in the cotypes and is very inconspicuous. The Zent specimens differ in having more conspicuous, though no more abundant, pilosity because the individual hairs are broad and scale-like.

Whether or not these represent a variant of C. vorticis, or an undescribed species, is uncertain. More material of both forms, as well as samples from intervening localities, must be available before the status of the Costa Rican specimens is clear. For the present they are tentatively assigned to C. vorticis.

Description

Worker

Kempf (1966) - (lectotype). - Total length 3.8 mm; head length 0.88 mm; head width 0.85 mm; thorax length 1.28 mm; hind femur length 1.28 mm. Medium brown; dorsum of head, scapes, tibiae and gaster darker with ferruginous hues. Integument opaque; densely and minutely punctate-granulate.

Head (fig 1). Mandibles finely reticulate-rugulose, somewhat shining; chewing border with a broader diastema between 2nd and 3rd basal tooth. Clypeus with flattened anterior apron, the border of which is gently convex and notched in the middle; on each side it bears a prominent tooth. Frontal lobes very broadly expanded, the anterior curvature stronger than the posterior one; upper surface with a depressed circular area above the antennal socket. Frontal carinae sigmoidal, not quite reaching occipital corner, their border somewhat elevated at place of greatest constriction. Front with a feeble tumulus at frontal area, followed by a transverse shallow depression. Carinae of vertex semicircular, having as center a prominent tubercle; from there they diverge both cephalad and caudad. Occipital corners strongly dentate, tooth curving slightly upward and outward. Occiput oblique, not perpendicular. Preocular carina curving mesad above eyes. Postocular carina beginning below eye and extending backwards to the prominent supraocular tooth. Eyes with about 11-12 facets across greatest diameter. Inferior border of cheeks strongly and irregularly crested. Scapes gradually incrassate toward apex, surpassing the occipital corner by more than their maximum width. All funicular segments longer than broad, segment I as long as II and III combined.

Thorax (fig 15). Pronotum with small median, stronger lateral teeth; the latter connected with the feebly marked humeral angle by a blunt carina; antero-inferior tooth rectangular. Mesonotum with strong paired conical anterior teeth, followed by another pair of low elongate and blunt tubercles. Mesoepinotal constriction deep. Basal face of epinotum flanked by sharply carinate ridges in its entire length; space between ridges shallowly excavate. Declivous face laterally immarginate. Lateral blunt and oblique welt well developed, bearing the spiracle. Hind femora angular beneath in front of basal third, then gradually tapering toward apex; the postero-ventral border very slightly carinate.

Petiole and postpetiole (fig 15, 34). Petiolar node strikingly transverse without ridges or prominent postero-dorsal laminule. Postpetiole even broader, with a pair of low diverging tubercles near entire posterior border, separated by a shallow median depression. Gaster anteriorly sharply marginate; tergum I without an antero-median impression and a distinct lateral margination.

Pilosity inconspicuous, minute and appressed, not scale-like; more visible on appendages and sharp ridges of body where they become decumbent.

• 

  Kempf (1964) Figs. 14-26

• 

  Kempf (1964) Figs. 27-50

Type Material

Kempf (1966) - Workers taken by W. M. Mann at Santa Helena, Bolivia, in August 1921. A single specimen (lectotype NAW) seen.

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).
• Kempf, W. W. 1966 [1965]. A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part II: Group of rimosus (Spinola) (Hym., Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 8: 161-200 (page 167, see also)
• Snelling, R. R. and J. T. Longino. 1992. Revisionary notes on the fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex, rimosus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini). Pages 479-494, English summary p. 653, Spanish summary p. 662-663 in D. Quintero and A. Aiello, editors. Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica: selected studies. Oxford University Press, Oxford. xxii + 692 p.
• Weber, N. A. 1940b. The biology of the fungus-growing ants. Part VI. Key to Cyphomyrmex, new Attini and a new guest ant. Rev. Entomol. (Rio J.) 11: 406-427 (page 410, (diagnosis in key) worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
• Dias N. S., R. Zanetti, M. S. Santos, J. Louzada, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2008. Interaction between forest fragments and adjacent coffee and pasture agroecosystems: responses of the ant communities (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 98(1): 136-142.
• Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
• Fleck M. D., E. Bisognin Cantarelli, and F. Granzotto. 2015. Register of new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul state. Ciencia Florestal, Santa Maria 25(2): 491-499.
• Kempf W. W. 1966. A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part II: Group of rimosus (Spinola) (Hym., Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 8: 161-200.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Mertl A. L., J. F. A. Traniello, K. Ryder Wilkie, and R. Constantino. 2012. Associations of two ecologically significant social insect taxa in the litter of an amazonian rainforest: is there a relationship between ant and termite species richness? Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/312054
• Palacio G., E.E. and F. Fernandez. 1995. Hormigas de Colombia V: Neuvos registros. Tacaya 4:6-7
• Santos M. S., J. N. C. Louzada, N. Dias, R. Zanetti, J. H. C. Delabie, and I. C. Nascimento. 2006. Litter ants richness (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in remnants of a semi-deciduous forest in the Atlantic rain forest, Alto do Rio Grande region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 96(1): 95-101.
• Snelling R. R., and J. T. Longino. 1992. Revisionary notes on the fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex, rimosus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini). Pp. 479-494 in: Quintero, D.; Aiello, A. (eds.) 1992. Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica: selected studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, xxii + 692 pp.
• Valdes-Rodriguez S., P. Chacon de Ulloa, and I. Armbrecht. 2014. Soil ant species in Gorgona Island, Colombian Pacific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (1): 265-276.