Holcoponera strigata

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Holcoponera strigata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ectatomminae
Tribe: Ectatommini
Genus: Holcoponera
Species: H. strigata
Binomial name
Holcoponera strigata
(Norton, 1868)

Gnamptogenys strigata P casent0281230.jpg

Gnamptogenys strigata D casent0281230.jpg

Specimen Label

Synonyms

A dweller of wet montane transandean forests, commonly taken in leaf litter samples.

Identification

A member of the strigata complex (in the strigata subgroup of the striatula species group). Roughly costate; anterior postpetiolar surface fairly flat and with 3-4 transverse costae; abundant long, subdecumbent and suberect hairs on body. Aside from aspects covered by Kempf & Brown (1968), other characters that vary are the size of the propodeal spiracle, costulation of the propodeal declivity and the shape of the node. (Lattke 1995)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 24.52827° to -4.1°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico (type locality), Panama, Suriname.

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.
pChart

Biology

Longino, Ants of Costa Rica - This is the most common Gnamptogenys species above 500m elevation in wet forest leaf litter. It occurs at lower elevations (e.g. La Selva) but is less common there. It is frequently encountered foraging on the ground at night, and is common in samples of sifted leaf litter (Winkler samples). It nests in and under dead wood on the ground, under stones, and in soil. It may be polygynous: I observed a nest in Monteverde with two dealate queens. Observations of prey items include lepidopteran larvae, isopods, diptera (adults and larvae), and beetle larvae.

Nest observation from Guanacaste Province, Cerro Cacao: I discovered a nest in the soil of a steep bank at the side of a trail. Many workers were out foraging, and several workers were observed dragging a dead Camponotus albicoxis to the nest. I excavated the nest; it extended no more than 10cm horizontally back into the bank. There were several irregular galleries and chambers. One major chamber contained the queen.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • strigata. Polyrhachis strigata Norton, 1868c: 4 (w.) MEXICO (no state data, probably Veracruz).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Mexico: (no further data) (Sumichrast).
    • Type-depository: unknown (perhaps USNM).
    • [Ponera strigata Norton, 1861a: 61. Nomen nudum.]
    • [Misspelled as strigosum by Emery, 1896g: 44.]
    • Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1964b: 450 (l.).
    • Combination in Ectatomma (Holcoponera): Emery, 1892b: 167;
    • combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229;
    • combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 26; Emery, 1896g: 44 (in key); Forel, 1899c: 7; Wheeler, W.M. 1908b: 159; Wheeler, W.M. 1909b: 228; Emery, 1911d: 41; Wheeler, W.M. 1911a: 21; Mann, 1922: 4; Santschi, 1929h: 458 (redescription); Brown, 1958g: 229, 329; Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Lattke, et al. 2004: 348; Lattke, et al. 2007: 259 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 98; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012: 255; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019: 672; Camacho, et al. 2020: 456 (in key); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Senior synonym of concentrica: Dalla Torre, 1893: 26; Emery, 1896g: 44 (in key); Forel, 1899c: 7; Emery, 1911d: 41; Santschi, 1929h: 458; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Senior synonym of foreli: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187.
    • Senior synonym of satzgeri: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Senior synonym of simplex: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Senior synonym of spurium: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
    • Distribution: Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname.
  • concentrica. Gnamptogenys concentrica Mayr, 1870b: 964 (w.) MEXICO (no state data).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Mexico: (no further data) (Bilimek).
    • Type-depository: NHMW.
    • [Misspelled as coucentricum by André, 1893b: 152.]
    • Combination in Ectatomma (Holcoponera): Mayr, 1887: 540.
    • Status as species: Mayr, 1884: 33; André, 1893b: 152; Wheeler, W.M. 1905b: 120.
    • Junior synonym of strigata: Dalla Torre, 1893: 26; Emery, 1896g: 44 (in key); Forel, 1899c: 7; Emery, 1911d: 41; Santschi, 1929h: 458; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 208; Lattke, 1995: 187.
  • foreli. Holcoponera simplex st. foreli Santschi, 1929h: 460, fig. 34 (w.m.) COSTA RICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype male.
    • Type-locality: Costa Rica: La Palma, 1600 m. (P. Biolley).
    • Type-depository: NHMB.
    • Junior synonym of simplex: Brown, 1956b: 490; Brown, 1958g: 300.
    • Junior synonym of strigata: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187.
  • satzgeri. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) satzgeri Forel, 1908b: 39 (w.q.) COSTA RICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype queen.
    • Type-locality: Costa Rica: La Palma (1600 m.) (P. Biolley).
    • Type-depositories: MHNG, NHMB.
    • Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 40.
    • Subspecies of simplex: Santschi, 1929h: 461 (redescription).
    • Junior synonym of simplex: Brown, 1956b: 490; Brown, 1958g: 300.
    • Junior synonym of strigata: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
  • simplex. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) simplex Emery, 1896g: 46, pl. 1, fig. 7 (w.q.) COSTA RICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated, “some”).
    • Type-locality: Costa Rica: Alajuela (A. Alfaro).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40;
    • combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229.
    • Status as species: Forel, 1899c: 7; Emery, 1911d: 40; Luederwaldt, 1918: 34; Borgmeier, 1923: 55; Santschi, 1929h: 459 (redescription); Menozzi, 1931b: 261; Brown, 1956b: 490; Brown, 1958g: 229.
    • Junior synonym of strigata: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 210; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
  • spurium. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) simplex subsp. spurium Forel, 1908b: 39 (w.) GUATEMALA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Guatemala: (no further data).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40.
    • Subspecies of simplex: Forel, 1909a: 242; Emery, 1911d: 40; Santschi, 1929h: 462 (redescription).
    • Junior synonym of simplex: Brown, 1956b: 490; Brown, 1958g: 300.
    • Junior synonym of strigata: Kempf & Brown, 1968: 90; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 211; Lattke, 1995: 187; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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