Gnamptogenys ericae

Gnamptogenys ericae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae
Tribe:	Ectatommini
Genus:	Gnamptogenys
Species:	G. ericae
Binomial name
Gnamptogenys ericae (Forel, 1912) Specimen labels
Synonyms
Gnamptogenys sulcatum bufonum Weber, 1938

Can be found nesting in disturbed forests and coffee plantations as well as in undisturbed forests.

Identification

A member of the ericae complex (in the ericae subgroup of the sulcata species group). Mandibles subtriangular; posterior mesosomal dorsum and propodeum with longitudinal costulae, transverse sutures barely visible under certain angles of lighting; small metacoxal tooth. Body black; antennae, legs and mandibles brown to dark brown. Color in this species is relatively constant but occasional ferruginous, brown or mottled specimens will turn up. Size and shape of the petiolar node does not vary as much as in Gnamptogenys sulcata. Workers seem to always have longitudinal costulae on the propodeal declivity, though queens may have transverse costulae. (Lattke 1995)

Keys including this Species

• Key to New World Gnamptogenys workers

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 11.33333333° to -64.36°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (type locality), French Guiana, Guyana.

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 Overview of Gnamptogenys biology  Not much is known about the the biology of Gnamptogenys ericae. We can speculate that the biology of this species is similar to other species of the genus. Gnamptogenys are predatory ponerine ants that inhabit tropical and subtropical mesic forests. Nesting is typically at ground level in rotten wood or leaf litter. Some exceptions include species that are arboreal, a dry forest species and species that nests in sandy savannahs. Colony size tends to be, at most, in the hundreds. Queens are the reproductives in most species. Worker reproduction is known from a few species in Southeastern Asia. Generalist predation is the primary foraging/dietary strategy. Specialization on specific groups (millipedes, beetles, other ants) has developed in a few species. ‎

Nomenclature

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

• ericae. Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) tornatum var. ericae Forel, 1912c: 33 (w.) COLOMBIA.
  • Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
  • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
  • Type-locality: Colombia: Santa Marta (A. Forel).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
  • Junior synonym of tornata: Brown, 1958g: 229, 319; Kempf, 1968b: 378; Kempf, 1972a: 116; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
  • Status as species: Lattke, 1995: 166; Lattke, et al. 2004: 344; Lattke, et al. 2007: 262 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 87; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019: 671; Camacho, et al. 2020: 460 (in key); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
  • Senior synonym of bufonum: Lattke, 1995: 166.
  • Distribution: Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Venezuela.
• bufonum. Gnamptogenys sulcatum subsp. bufonum Weber, 1938a: 208 (w.) GUYANA.
  • Type-material: 3 syntype workers.
  • Type-locality: Guyana (“British Guiana”): Mazaruni River, Forest Settlement, 30.viii.1935, at 10 p.m., stomach of Bufo marinus (N.A. Weber).
  • Type-depository: MCZC (possibly also in AMNH).
  • Junior synonym of sulcata: Brown, 1958g: 229; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 208.
  • Junior synonym of ericae: Lattke, 1995: 166.

Determination Clarifications

Much confusion has accumulated regarding the identity of this species and the similar Gnamptogenys sulcata. Many previous references to sulcata are actually ericae, but the confusion makes it quite difficult to distinguish between each reference.

References

• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1958g. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362 (page 229, Combination in Gnamptogenys, and junior synonym of tornata)
• Forel, A. 1912d. Formicides néotropiques. Part I. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 56: 28-49 (page 33, worker described)
• 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).
• Lattke, J.E., Fernández, F. & Palacio, E.E. 2007. Identification of the species of Gnamptogenys Roger in the Americas (pp. 254-270). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. & Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 690 pp.
• Lattke, J. E. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Gnamptogenys in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Hym. Res. 4: 137-193. PDF (page 166, Revived from synonymy, raised to species, and senior synonym of bufonum)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Arias-Penna T. M. 2008. Subfamilia Ectatomminae. Pp. 53-107 in: Jiménez, E.; Fernández, F.; Arias, T.M.; Lozano-Zambrano, F. H. (eds.) 2008. Sistemática, biogeografía y conservación de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Bogotá: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, xiv + 609 pp.
• Fernandes I., and J. de Souza. 2018. Dataset of long-term monitoring of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the influence areas of a hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira River in the Amazon Basin. Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e24375.
• Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
• Lattke J. E. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Gnamptogenys in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 4: 137-193
• Lattke J. E., F. Fernández, E. E. Palacio. 2004. Una nueva especie de Gnamptogenys (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) y comentarios sobre las especies del género en Colombia y Ecuador. Iheringia. Série Zoologia 94: 341-349.
• Lattke J. E., F. Fernández, T. M. Arias-Penna, E. E. Palacio, W. Mackay, and E. MacKay. 2008. Género Gnamptogenys Roger. Pp. 66-100 in: Jiménez, E.; Fernández, F.; Arias, T.M.; Lozano-Zambrano, F. H. (eds.) 2008. Sistemática, biogeografía y conservación de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Bogotá: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, xiv + 609 pp.
• Lozano-Zambrano F. H., E. Jimenez, T. M. Arias-Penna, A. M. Arcila, J. Rodriguez, and D. P. Ramirez. 2008. Biogeografía de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Pp. 349-406. in: Jiménez, E.; Fernández, F.; Arias, T.M.; Lozano-Zambrano, F. H. (eds.) 2008. Sistemática, biogeografía y conservación de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Bogotá: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, xiv + 609 pp.
• Rodriguez E. R., and J. E. Lattke. 2012. Diversidad de hormigas en un gradiente altitudinal de la cordillera de la Costa, Venezuela. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.) 50: 295?304.
• Weber N. A. 1938. New ants from stomachs of Bufo marinus L. and Typhlops reticulatus (L). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 31: 207-210.
• Weber N. A. 1938. The food of the giant toad, Bufo marinus (L.), in Trinidad and British Guiana with special reference to the ants. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 31: 499-503.
• da Silva de Oliveira A. B., and F. A. Schmidt. 2019. Ant assemblages of Brazil nut trees Bertholletia excelsa in forest and pasture habitats in the Southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Biodiversity and Conservation 28(2): 329-344.