Gnamptogenys mordax

Gnamptogenys mordax
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ectatomminae
Tribe:	Ectatommini
Genus:	Gnamptogenys
Species:	G. mordax
Binomial name
	Gnamptogenys mordax; (Smith, F., 1858) Specimen labels
Synonyms
	Ectatomma mordax purensis Forel, 1912; Ectatomma mordax sebastiani Borgmeier, 1937; Formica nodosa Latreille, 1802;

A common dweller of humid forests.

Identification

A member of the mordax subgroup (in the mordax species group). Size (HW 1.08-2.08; WL 1.66-2.92 mm) and sculpture patterns of this widespread and timid species is quite variable. Mandibles subtriangular; declivitous propodeal face transversely costulate; gastric tergum II can vary from smooth to longitudinally costulate or costulate-rugose. Body very dark, brown, almost black; legs dark brown. Smaller individuals can be confused with Gnamptogenys continua. (Lattke 1995)

Keys including this Species

Key to New World Gnamptogenys workers

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 18.883891° to -23.5333°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (type locality), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname.

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

Explore Overview of Gnamptogenys biology

Not much is known about the the biology of Gnamptogenys mordax. 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.

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Castes

Nomenclature

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

mordax. Ponera mordax Smith, F. 1858b: 98 (w.q.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro).
- Type-material: 3 syntype workers, 1 syntype queen.
- Type-locality: Brazil: Rio (= Rio de Janeiro), “57/63” (H. Clark).
- Type-depository: BMNH.
- Borgmeier, 1937b: 220 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1952a: 134 (l.).
- Combination in Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys): Emery, 1894c: 145;
- combination in Gnamptogenys: Mann, 1922: 3; Brown, 1958g: 228, 319; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
- Status as species: Mayr, 1863: 449; Mayr, 1886c: 358; Dalla Torre, 1893: 40; Emery, 1894c: 145; Forel, 1895b: 116, 140; Emery, 1896g: 49; Forel, 1899c: 9; Emery, 1906c: 113; Forel, 1908c: 340; Emery, 1911d: 45; Bruch, 1914: 213; Wheeler, W.M. 1916c: 2; Gallardo, 1918b: 43; Luederwaldt, 1918: 34; Mann, 1922: 3; Borgmeier, 1923: 60; Eidmann, 1936a: 33; Borgmeier, 1937b: 219; Brown, 1958g: 228, 319; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Kempf & Lenko, 1976: 51; Lattke, 1990b: 16; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176; Lattke, et al. 2004: 347; Lattke, et al. 2007: 260 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 94; Feitosa, 2015c: 98; Guénard & Economo, 2015: 226; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019: 672; Camacho, et al. 2020: 458 (in key); Marcineiro & Lattke, 2020: 4 (in key); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
- Synonym of nodosa (nomen oblitum): Brown, 1958g: 228, 320; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176.
- Senior synonym of purensis: Brown, 1958g: 228, 320; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176.
- Senior synonym of sebastiani: Brown, 1958g: 228, 320; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176.
- Distribution: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela.
purensis. Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) mordax var. purensis Forel, 1912c: 33 (w.) BRAZIL (Rio Grande do Sul).
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, upper Purus (Huber).
- Type-depositories: MHNG, NHMB.
- Subspecies of mordax: Borgmeier, 1923: 61.
- Junior synonym of mordax: Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 210; Lattke, 1995: 176.
sebastiani. Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) mordax subsp. sebastiani Borgmeier, 1937b: 220 (w.) BRAZIL (Goiás).
- Type-material: 9 syntype workers.
- Type-locality: Brazil: Goyaz (= Goiás), Campinas, 6.v.1933 (S. Schwarzmaier).
- Type-depository: IBVR (perhaps also in MZSP).
- Junior synonym of mordax: Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 210; Lattke, 1995: 176.

The following notes on F. Smith type specimens have been provided by Barry Bolton (details):

Ponera mordax

Three worker syntypes and one queen syntype in The Natural History Museum. Labelled “Rio,” and “57/63.” Acc. Reg.: “1857 no. 63 (June 22). Province of Rio. Presented by Rev. Hamlet Clark.”

Description

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).
Borgmeier, T. 1937b. Formigas novas ou pouco conhecidas da América do Sul e Central, principalmente do Brasil (Hym. Formicidae). Arch. Inst. Biol. Veg. (Rio J.) 3: 217-255 (page 220, male described)
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 228, Senior synonym of nodosa, purensis and sebastiani)
Camargo, K.S. de. 2011. Composicao e diversidade de "Poneromorfas" (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) em duas fitofisionomias de cerrado e padroes de distribuicao de "Poneromorfas", Pseudomyrmecinae e Cephalotini (Myrmicinae) para o Brasil. Thesis, Universidade de Brasilia.
Emery, C. 1894d. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. VI-XVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 26: 137-241 (page 145, Combination in Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys))
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).
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Lattke, J. E. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Gnamptogenys in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Hym. Res. 4: 137-193 (page 176, see also)
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.
Mann, W. M. 1922. Ants from Honduras and Guatemala. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 61: 1-54 (page 3, Combination in Gnamptogenys)
Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 98, worker, queen described)
Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1952a. The ant larvae of the subfamily Ponerinae - Part I. Am. Midl. Nat. 48: 111-144 (page 134, larva described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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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.
Bruch C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Revista del Museo de La Plata 19: 211-234.
Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
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Fernández F., and T. M. Arias-Penna. 2008. Las hormigas cazadoras en la región Neotropical. Pp. 3-39 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.
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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.
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INBio Collection (via Gbif)
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