Eciton vagans

Eciton vagans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Eciton
Species:	E. vagans
Binomial name
Eciton vagans (Olivier, 1792) Specimen labels
Subspecies
Eciton vagans allognathum Borgmeier, 1955 Eciton vagans angustatum Roger, 1863 Eciton vagans dispar Borgmeier, 1955 Eciton vagans dubitatum Emery, 1896 Eciton vagans fur Borgmeier, 1955 Eciton vagans mutatum Borgmeier, 1955
Synonyms
Eciton integrum Santschi, 1921 Eciton simillima Smith, F., 1855

Photo Gallery

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  Two Eciton vagans army ants impeaching an Odontomachus in Belize. Photo by Alex Wild.
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  Eciton vagans soldiers along a colony emigration column. La Selva, Costa Rica. Photo by Daniel Kronauer.
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  Dichthadiiform queen and worker of Eciton vagans. La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. Photo by Daniel Kronauer.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 25.68015° to -29.65°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana (type locality), Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.

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

Brown & Fenner (1998) report this species conducting raids on the nests of Poneracantha bispinosa at La Selva, Costa Rica.

O'Donnell et al. (2020) report this species foraging both day and night.

Association with Other Organisms

 Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

• This species is a host for the diapriid wasp Labidopria sp. (a parasite) (www.diapriid.org) (potential host).
• This species is a host for the phorid fly Apocephalus cultellatus (a parasite) (phorid.net) (attacked).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecitophora bruchi (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecitophora collegiana (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecitophora varians (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecitoptera concomitans (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecitoptera subciliata (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Ecituncula halterata (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).
• This species is a associate (details unknown) for the phorid fly Thalloptera schwarzmaieri (a associate (details unknown)) (Quevillon, 2018).

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0173509. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection.

Phylogeny

Relationships among species of Eciton based on Winston et al. (2016). The species Eciton jansoni, Eciton quadriglume, Eciton setigaster and Eciton uncinatum were not included in this study.

Eciton	Eciton dulcium Eciton vagans Eciton quadriglume Eciton rapax Eciton mexicanum Eciton lucanoides Eciton burchellii Eciton drepanophorum Eciton hamatum

Nomenclature

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

• vagans. Formica vagans Olivier, 1792: 501 (w.) FRENCH GUIANA.
  • Type-material: holotype(?) worker.
  • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
  • Type-locality: French Guiana: Cayenne (Tugni).
  • Type-depository: unknown (perhaps MNHN).
  • Smith, F. 1855c: 162 (s.); Wheeler, W.M. 1912e: 206 (m.); Menozzi, 1931d: 188 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1974c: 170 (l.).
  • Combination in Eciton: Smith, 1855c: 162;
  • combination in E. (Eciton): Emery, 1910b: 21.
  • Status as species: Latreille, 1802c: 243; Smith, F. 1855c: 162; Smith, F. 1858b: 151; Mayr, 1863: 409; Roger, 1863b: 36; Mayr, 1886b: 118 (in key); Emery, 1890a: 55; Emery, 1890b: 38; Dalla Torre, 1893: 6; Emery, 1894c: 178; Emery, 1894k: 45; Forel, 1895b: 121; Emery, 1896h: 625; Forel, 1899c: 24; Forel, 1899d: 273; Wheeler, W.M. 1907a: 271; Forel, 1908e: 64; Forel, 1909a: 246; Emery, 1910b: 21; Forel, 1912c: 42; Mann, 1916: 420; Luederwaldt, 1918: 37; Santschi, 1920d: 363; Borgmeier, 1923: 40; Santschi, 1923g: 1259; Menozzi, 1931d: 188; Borgmeier, 1934: 93; Eidmann, 1936a: 28; Borgmeier, 1939: 405; Borgmeier, 1948b: 459; Borgmeier, 1953: 13; Borgmeier, 1955: 229 (redescription); Kempf, 1961b: 486; Kempf, 1970b: 323; Kempf, 1972a: 103; Watkins, 1976: 9 (in key); Watkins, 1982: 209 (in key); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1984: 270; Bolton, 1995b: 186; Palacio, 1999: 151 (in key); Wild, 2007b: 25; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012: 254; Palacio, 2019: 601.
  • Senior synonym of integrum: Borgmeier, 1953: 13; Borgmeier, 1955: 229; Kempf, 1972a: 103; Bolton, 1995b: 186.
  • Senior synonym of simillima: Smith, F. 1858b: 151; Mayr, 1863: 409; Roger, 1863b: 36; Dalla Torre, 1893: 6; Forel, 1895b: 121; Forel, 1899c: 24; Emery, 1910b: 21; Borgmeier, 1923: 40; Borgmeier, 1953: 16; Borgmeier, 1955: 229; Kempf, 1972a: 103; Bolton, 1995b: 186.
  • Distribution: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Paraguay.
  • Current subspecies: nominal plus allognathum, angustatum, dispar, dubitatum, fur, mutatum.
• integrum. Eciton integrum Santschi, 1921g: 91 (m.) FRENCH GUIANA.
  • Type-material: holotype male.
  • Type-locality: French Guiana: Saint-Laurent du Maroni, v. (Le Moult).
  • Type-depository: NHMB.
  • Junior synonym of vagans: Borgmeier, 1953: 13; Borgmeier, 1955: 229; Kempf, 1972a: 103; Bolton, 1995b: 185.
• simillima. Eciton simillima Smith, F. 1855c: 164 (w.) BRAZIL (Pará).
  • Type-material: holotype(?) worker.
  • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
  • Type-locality: Brazil: Pará (H.W. Bates).
  • Type-depository: BMNH?
  • Junior synonym of vagans: Smith, F. 1858b: 151; Mayr, 1863: 409; Roger, 1863b: 36; Dalla Torre, 1893: 6; Forel, 1895b: 121; Forel, 1899c: 24; Emery, 1910b: 21; Borgmeier, 1923: 40; Borgmeier, 1953: 16; Borgmeier, 1955: 229; Kempf, 1972a: 103; Bolton, 1995b: 186.

References

• Alatorre-Bracamontes, C.E., Vásquez-Bolaños, M. 2010. Lista comentada de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del norte de México. Dugesiana 17(1): 9-36.
• 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).
• Borgmeier, T. 1953. Vorarbeiten zu einer Revision der neotropischen Wanderameisen. Stud. Entomol. 2: 1-51 (page 13, Senior synonym of integrum)
• Borgmeier, T. 1955. Die Wanderameisen der neotropischen Region. Stud. Entomol. 3: 1-720 (page 229, see also)
• Borowiec, M.L. 2019. Convergent evolution of the army ant syndrome and congruence in big-data phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 68, 642–656 (doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy088).
• Brown, B.V., Fenner, D.H. 1998. Parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) associated with army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ecitoninae, Dorylinae) and their conservation biology. Biotropica 30: 482-487.
• Brückner, A., Hoenle, P.O., von Beeren, C. 2018. Comparative chemical analysis of army ant mandibular gland volatiles (Formicidae: Dorylinae). PeerJ 6, e5319 (doi:10.7717/peerj.5319).
• Calazans, E.G., Costa, F.V.da, Cristiano, M.P., Cardoso, D.C. 2020. Daily dynamics of an ant community in a mountaintop ecosystem. Environmental Entomology 49, 383–390 (doi:10.1093/ee/nvaa011).
• Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
• 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).
• Funaro, C.F., Kronauer, D.J.C., Moreau, C.S., Goldman-Huertas, B., Pierce, N.E., Russell, J.A. 2011. Army Ants harbor a host-specific clade of Entomoplasmatales bacteria. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 77, 346–350 (doi:10.1128/aem.01896-10).
• Mendoza-Guido, B., Rodríguez-Hernández, N., Ivens, A.B.F., von Beeren, C., Murillo-Cruz, C., Zuniga-Chaves, I., Łukasik, P., Sanchez, E., Kronauer, D.J.C., Pinto-Tomás, A.A. 2023. Low diversity and host specificity in the gut microbiome community of Eciton army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae) in a Costa Rican rainforest. Myrmecological News 33: 19-34 (doi:10.25849/MYRMECOL.NEWS_033:019).
• Menozzi, C. 1931d. Qualche nuova formica di Costa Rica (Hym.). Stett. Entomol. Ztg. 92: 188-202 (page 188, queen described)
• Narváez-Vásquez, A., Gaviria, J., Vergara-Navarro, E.V., Rivera-Pedroza, L., Löhr, B. 2021. Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species diversity in secondary forest and three agricultural land uses of the Colombian Pacific Coast. Revista Chilena de Entomologia 47, 441–458 (doi:10.35249/rche.47.3.21.01).
• O'Donnell, S., Lattke, J., Powell, S., Kaspari, M. 2020. Diurnal and nocturnal foraging specialisation in Neotropical army ants. Ecological Entomology 46, 352–359 (doi:10.1111/een.12969).
• Olivier, A. G. 1792. Encyclopédie méthodique. Histoire naturelle. Insectes. Tome 6. (pt. 2). Paris: Panckoucke, pp. 369-704. (page 501, worker described)
• Parmentier, T. 2020. Guests of Social Insects. In: Encyclopedia of Social Insects (doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_164-1).
• Smith, F. 1855c. Descriptions of some species of Brazilian ants belonging to the genera Pseudomyrma, Eciton and Myrmica (with observations on their economy by Mr. H. W. Bates). Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (2) 3: 156-169 (page 162, Combination in Eciton)
• Smith, F. 1855c. Descriptions of some species of Brazilian ants belonging to the genera Pseudomyrma, Eciton and Myrmica (with observations on their economy by Mr. H. W. Bates). Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (2) 3: 156-169 (page 162, soldier described)
• Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 151, Senior synonym of simillima)
• Varela-Hernández, F., Medel-Zosayas, B., Martínez-Luque, E.O., Jones, R.W., De la Mora, A. 2020. Biodiversity in central Mexico: Assessment of ants in a convergent region. Southwestern Entomologist 454: 673-686.
• Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1974c. Ant larvae of the subfamily Dorylinae: second supplement (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 47: 166-172 (page 170, larva described)
• Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1984a. The larvae of the army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a revision. J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 57: 263-275 (page 270, see also)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1912f. The male of Eciton vagans Olivier. Psyche (Camb.) 19: 206-207 (page 206, male described)
• Winston, M.E., Kronauer, D.J.C. & Moreau, C.S. 2016. Early and dynamic colonization of Central America drives speciation in Neotropical army ants. Molecular Ecology (doi: 10.1111/mec.13846).

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.
• Borgmeier T. 1934. Contribuição para o conhecimento da fauna mirmecológica dos cafezais de Paramaribo, Guiana Holandesa (Hym. Formicidae). Archivos do Instituto de Biologia Vegetal (Rio de Janeiro) 1: 93-111.
• Borgmeier T. 1939. Nova contribuição para o conhecimento das formigas neotropicas (Hym. Formicidae). Revista de Entomologia (Rio de Janeiro) 10: 403-428.
• Borgmeier T. 1953. Vorarbeiten zu einer Revision der neotropischen Wanderameisen. Studia Entomologica 2: 1-51.
• Borgmeier T. 1955. Die Wanderameisen der neotropischen Region. Studia Entomologica 3: 1-720.
• Bouwma, A.M., K.J. Howard and R.L. Jeanne. 2007. Rates of Predation by Scouting-and-Recruiting Ants on the Brood of a Swarm-Founding Wasp in Costa Rica. Biotropica 39(6):719-724
• Branstetter M. G. and L. Sáenz. 2012. Las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Guatemala. Pp. 221-268 in: Cano E. B. and J. C. Schuster. (eds.) 2012. Biodiversidad de Guatemala. Volumen 2. Guatemala: Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, iv + 328 pp
• Bustos H., J. 1994. Contribucion al conocimiento de al fauna de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del occidente del Departamento de Narino (Colombia). Bol. Mus. Ent. Univ. Valle 2(1,2):19-30
• Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
• Emery C. 1890. Studii sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 22: 38-8
• Emery C. 1890. Voyage de M. E. Simon au Venezuela (Décembre 1887 - Avril 1888). Formicides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (6)10: 55-76.
• Emery C. 1894. Estudios sobre las hormigas de Costa Rica. Anales del Museo Nacional de Costa Rica 1888-1889: 45-64.
• Emery C. 1896. Formiche raccolte dal dott. E. Festa nei pressi del golfo di Darien. Bollettino dei Musei di Zoologia ed Anatomia Comparata della Reale Università di Torino 11(229): 1-4.
• Emery C. 1896. Formiciden, gesammelt in Paraguay von Dr. J. Bohls. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 9: 625-638.
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• INBio Collection (via Gbif)
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