Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri

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Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Eurhopalothrix
Species: E. reichenspergeri
Binomial name
Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri
(Santschi, 1923)


Photo Gallery

  • Eurhopalothrix rechenspergeri lectotype worker (CASENT0912537). A, full-face view of head; B, profile view of body; C, dorsal view of body; D, specimen labels. Scale bars are 0.2 mm. Images A-C by Will Ericson and D by Alexandra Westrich, available at www.antweb.org. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 9)
  • Eurhopalothrix rechenspergeri worker. A, full-face view of head; B, profile view of body; C, dorsum of labrum, slide mounted; D, anterolateral and slightly dorsal view labrum in situ (right mandible removed, apical half of labrum is dorsally flexed); E, dorsal view of body; F, dorsal view of metasoma. Scale bars are 0.1 mm. White arrow head in B indicates diagonal carina on lower mesopleuron and in F, the posterior mediolateral tumulus of the postpetiole. Abbreviations: lbl, labral lobes; lbas, labral apical setae. Images A, B, E and F of specimen UFV-LABECOL-010765; image C of UFV-LABECOL-000721; and image D of UFV-LABECOL-008633. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 10)
  • Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri queen (UFV-LABECOL-010767). A, Full-face view; B, profile view of body; C, dorsal view of body; D, dorsal view of mesothorax. Abbreviations (according to Boudinot, 2015): pl, parapsidal line; tscl, transcutal line; sss, scutoscutellar suture. Scale bars are 0.1 mm. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 11)
  • Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri male (UFV-LABECOL-010764). A, profile view of body; B, dorsal view of the body; C, detail of mandibles in full-face view; D, mesothorax in dorsal view. Scale bars are 0.1 mm. Abbreviations (according to Boudinot, 2015): pl, parapsidal line; tscl, transcutal line; sss, scutoscutellar suture. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 12)
  • Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri male. A and B, fore- and hindwings, respectively (UFV-LABECOL-00724); C, mandible (left), labrum and maxilla (right); D, sternite IX; E, paramere and volsella; F, volsella dissected; G, penisvalve (ANTWEB1038181). Scale bars 0.2 mm in A and B, 0.1 mm in and E and 0.05 mm in C, D, F and G. Slide mounted images. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 13)
  • Comparison of full-face view of head (A and D), mesosoma profile (B and E) and propodeum, petiole and postpetiole (C and F) between males of Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri and Eurhopalothrix ufv-01. A–C, E. reichenspergeri (UFV-LABECOL-010764); D–F, Eurhopalothrix ufv-01 (ANTWEB1038061). Scale bars are 0.1 mm. Arrowheads indicate characters which differ between the species (see discussion under Eurhopalothrix ufv-01 comments). (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 15)

Identification

Worker

Chaul (2022) - Ventral row of 3 spiniform teeth ventrad the main row of triangular teeth; labrum apical portion dorsally flexed, labral lobes relatively long; dorsal mesosoma outline without level break between promesonotum and dorsum of propodeum; propodeal spines well developed; nine pairs of erect specialized setae on head, four on promesonotum and six on first gaster tergite; HW 0.78–0.88. Similar to Eurhopalothrix gravis and Eurhopalothrix xibalba.

Characters justifying the separation of E. gravis from E. reichenspergeri were provided above and are illustrated (Table 1, Figs. 1 and 2, E. xibalba also included for comparison). The lectotype of E. reichenspergeri (Fig. 9) from the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, is not in optimal preservation, but the diagnostic characters are evident and it could be matched satisfactorily with the workers from Minas Gerais.

An uncommon state for E. gravis was observed in one specimen (Fig. 1, D, red circle). It has an additional mesosomal standing seta that was considered an exception and not representing the common state for the species. The seta is too close to the posterolateral promesonotal seta; usually when Eurhopalothrix species have two pairs of setae on the posterior half of promesonotum (the corresponding mesonotal area), the anterior pair is located more anteriorly than what was observed in that specimen. The presence of this anomalous seta shows the importance of determining not only the number of pairs, but their exact position of origin on the sclerite surface.

Table 1 (Chaul, 2022). Morphological character comparison between E. gravis, E. reichenspergeri and E. xibalba.
Characters E. gravis E. reichenspergeri E. xibalba
Labral lobes Short Long Long
Head—inclination of posterolateral margin of vertex (Fig.1, A–C) Inclination different from xibalba and reichenspergeri Inclination similar to xibalba Inclination similar to reichenspergeri
Standing setae Thin Thick Thick
Number of setae on promesonotum 6 8 6
Number of setae on A4 8 12 10
Mesosoma dorsal profile With a slight break between promesonotum and propodeum Continuous between promesonotum and propodeum Similar to reichenspergeri
Propodeal lamella As long as its basal width Longer than its basal width Similar to gravis
Ground pilosity Densely distributed Sparsely distributed As dense as in gravis, but hairs are thicker
Punctation on pleura Shallow Deeper than in gravis Deeper than in both
Overall body size HW 0.83–0.94, HL 0.75–0.83 HW 0.78–0.88, HL 0.76–0.82 HW 0.57–0.66, HL 0.56–0.64
  • Comparison of head in full-face view (A–C) and dorsal view of the body (D–F) of workers of Eurhopalothrix species. A and D, E. gravis (CASENT0107554, images by April Nobile); B and E, E. reichenspergeri (B is UFV-LABECOL-000725 and E is UFV-LABECOL-010765); C and F, E. xibalba, (INB0003665110, images by Brendon Boudinot). Scale bars from A to C are 0.2 mm and from D to F 0.5 mm. Specimen in B has one missing seta (left side of face, in the middle row), a common condition found in most dry specimens. Posterior vertexal corners are indicated by white arrow heads and anterior vertexal corners by black ones (size of the margin between them and their angles varying). Specialized setae are circled in white, specimen in D has one additional unpaired setae, circled in red, not observed in any other specimen studied (see comments under E. reichenspergeri redescription). (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 1)
  • Mesosoma profile comparison of workers of Eurhopalothrix species. A, E. gravis (CASENT0107554, image by April Nobile); B, E. reichenspergeri (UFV-LABECOL-010765); C, E. xibalba (INB0003665110, image by Brendon Boudinot). Scale bars are 0.1 mm. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 2)
  • Presence (black arrowheads) and absence of large, spatulate setae on dorsum of body. A, E. spectabilis (UFVLABECOL-008985); B, Eurhopalothrix reichenspergeri (UFV-LABECOL-000725). (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 5)
  • Full-face view of heads of A, E. speciosa (CASENT0280767, image by Estella Ortega) and B, E. reichenspergeri (UFV-LABECOL-010765) comparing head setation and evincing the relative size of the compound eyes by comparing the eyes with expanded tips of the specialized setae. (Chaul, 2022, Fig. 7)

Male

Mandible with 3–4 teeth. Scape anterior margin convex. Compound eyes strongly bulging. Propodeal lamella thin and opaque, at most slightly lighter in coloration than mesosoma. Petiole node dorsal surface reticulate and not delimited by transverse carina posteriorly.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 17.2° to -23.251°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil (type locality).

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.

  • reichenspergeri. Rhopalothrix reichenspergeri Santschi, 1923g: 1263 (w.) BRAZIL.
    • Combination in Octostruma: Brown, 1949f: 92.
    • Junior synonym of gravis: Brown & Kempf, 1960: 211.
    • Status as species: Chaul, 2022: 10.

Type Material

  • Lectotype worker: Brazil, SC, Blumenau (Reichensperg) [NHMB, unique specimen identifier CASENT0912537].
  • Paralectotypes, 2 workers: same data as lectotype [NHMB].

Description

Karyotype

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  • n = 8, 2n = 16, karyotype = 6M + 10SM (Brazil) (Jacintho et al., 2023).

References

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