Hylomyrma reitteri

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Hylomyrma reitteri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Pogonomyrmecini
Genus: Hylomyrma
Species: H. reitteri
Binomial name
Hylomyrma reitteri
(Mayr, 1887)

Hylomyrma reitteri casent0173969 profile 1.jpg

Hylomyrma reitteri casent0173969 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

Hylomyrma reitteri inhabits mainly areas in the Atlantic forest, but there are also records in the “Cerrado” (Brazilian savanna) in Goiás, and in coffee plantations (Minas Gerais), both in Brazil. Specimens are frequently found in leaf-litter samples (Fig. 68), which suggests that nests are located in fallen logs, rotten wood, between leaves, or inside natural cavities of the superficial soil layers. Most of the intercastes are worker-like and just few have more queen-like traits, those may in the future be understood as ergatoids. One winged queen and one queen-like intercaste were collected together in two different winkler samples (winkler 49 from São Bonifácio, SC, and winkler 31 from Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil). (Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021)

Identification

The following from Ulyssea & Brandao (2021):

Regular and longitudinal striae on head dorsum diverge towards posterior margin; mesosoma with longitudinal, regular to irregular striae of uniform thickness slightly divergent, interspaces between striae smooth; lateral of pronotum and mesepisternum with longitudinal striae which in part continuing transversely on propodeum dorsum, and in part continuing on propodeal spine; ventral surface of node smooth; regular to irregular striae on node dorsum; subpostpetiolar process smooth; profemur mostly smooth; protibia extensor surface entirely striate, striae weakly marked; striation on tergum of first gastral segment restricted to base; branched setae of two types: 1) 2–3 thin, short and equal-sized branches diverging from the main axis; 2) thick setae flattened in its final half, with several branches.

Hylomyrma reitteri is similar to Hylomyrma balzani, Hylomyrma lopesi, Hylomyrma transversa, and Hylomyrma wachiperi. The first four species show broad distributions (Figs. 84, 85, 89), while H. wachiperi is known only in one locality in Peru (Fig. 86). Hylomyrma reitteri, H. transversa, and H. wachiperi are allopatric, but present the discontinuous dorsal margin of petiole, and a similar pattern of sculpturation on head. However, H. reitteri can be easily distinguished from H. transversa (characteristic in parentheses) in the reniform eye (vs. drop-shaped), the longitudinal striae on the mesonotal dorsum (vs. transverse striae), and the smooth ventral surface of petiole (vs. striate). Hylomyrma reitteri differs from H. wachiperi in the reniform eye (vs. oval), the smooth ventral surface of petiole (vs. striate), and the tergum of the first gastral segment with short striae (vs. long striae).

Hylomyrma balzani and H. reitteri occur in sympatry in Paraguay (Alto Paraná department) and in 19 localities at Brazil (Santa Teresa, ES; Lavras, and Viçosa, MG; Estrada Velha Guaricana, Irati, Laranjeiras, Morretes, Rondon, and Tuneiras do Oeste, PR; Rio de Janeiro, and Teresópolis, RJ; Frederico Westphalen, Nova Petrópolis, and 5km N of Progresso, RS; Chapecó, Nova Teutônia, and Seara, SC; Botucatu, and Jundiaí, SP). Hylomyrma reitteri can be distinguished from H. balzani by the regular to irregular striae on the mesosoma (vs. rugose striae), the irregular striae on the petiole (vs. rugose striae), and the smooth ventral surface of petiole (vs. striate surface). The winged queens of both species are very similar, differing only in the laterodorsal sculpture of the propodeum. In Hylomyrma balzani this region presents rugose striae, whereas H. reitteri has regular to irregular striae in this region.

Hylomyrma reitteri differs from H. lopesi in the smaller body size (vs. larger), the thick striae on the mesosomal dorsum (vs. thin striae), the transverse striae on the ventral surface of petiole (vs. smooth surface), the laterals of the mesosoma covered mainly with regular and thick striae that are directed to the propodeal spine (vs. irregular and thin striae directed to the propodeal dorsum), and the striate subpostpetiolar process (vs. smooth). Both species occur broadlly in Brazil, the distribution of H. reitteri is more restricted to eastern portions of Brazil from southern and southeast regions, whereas H. lopesi is distributed mainly in the center of Brazil from northern (state of Pará) to southern (state of São Paulo) regions. Hylomyrma reitteri and H. lopesi co-occur in Botucatu (SP), Niquelândia (GO), and São José de Buerarema (BA), Brazil.

The most striking intraspecific morphological variation found in H. reitteri concerns the pilosity and the sculpture of the petiolar dorsum. The striae on the petiolar dorsum, usually longitudinal, can be transverse (Brigadeiro, MG, and Teresópolis, RJ, Brazil) or can be in part longitudinal and in part transverse (Niquelândia, GO; Brigadeiro, MG; Santa Teresa, ES; and Morretes, PR, Brazil). Hylomyrma reitteri setae are mostly branched, with branches of unequal length. The exception to this setae pattern is observed in some specimens from Florianópolis, SC and Viçosa, MG, Brazil, which present mostly unbranched setae, and the few branched setae have branches of equal size (found in the propodeum, petiole, postpetiole and/or gaster).

It is impressive that out of the 1,037 H. reitteri female specimens analysed, 730 are intercastes. As in H. balzani and H. lopesi, H. reitteri presents considerable morphological variation among intercastes. We recognized eight morphotypes that essentially have larger body sizes, and mostly are worker-like, just two are queen-like (Fig. 2A).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12° to -30°.

   
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate
  • Source: Ulyssea & Brandao, 2021

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (type locality), Colombia.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Hylomyrma reitteri casent0178655 head 1.jpgHylomyrma reitteri casent0178655 profile 1.jpgHylomyrma reitteri casent0178655 dorsal 1.jpgHylomyrma reitteri casent0178655 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0178655. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MIZA, Maracay, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

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

  • reitteri. Tetramorium reitteri Mayr, 1887: 621 (w.) BRAZIL (São Paulo).
    • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 100), 1 paralectotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Brazil: São Paulo State (E. Reitter).
    • Type-depository: NHMW.
    • Kempf, 1960f: 433 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1977a: 581 (l.); Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 102 (m.).
    • Combination in Lundella: Emery, 1915i: 191;
    • combination in Hylomyrma: Kempf, 1960f: 430.
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 134; Forel, 1895b: 126; Luederwaldt, 1918: 45; Emery, 1924d: 292; Borgmeier, 1927c: 110; Kempf, 1960f: 430 (redescription); Kempf, 1964e: 55 (in key); Kempf, 1972a: 118; Kempf, 1973b: 247 (redescription); Kutter, 1977a: 88; Brandão, 1991: 347; Bolton, 1995b: 213; Wild, 2007b: 33; Pierce, M.P., Branstetter, et al. 2017: 137; Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 100 (redescription).
    • Senior synonym of goeldii: Kempf, 1960f: 430; Kempf, 1972a: 118; Kempf, 1973b: 247; Kutter, 1977a: 88; Bolton, 1995b: 213; Pierce, M.P., Branstetter, et al. 2017: 137; Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 100.
    • Distribution: Brazil, Paraguay.
  • goeldii. Pogonomyrmex (Hylomyrma) goeldii Forel, 1912g: 17 (q.) BRAZIL (Rio de Janeiro).
    • Type-material: holotype queen.
    • Type-locality: Brazil: Mt Corcovado, nr Rio de Janeiro, xii.1889 (Goeldi).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Combination in Hylomyrma: Borgmeier, 1927c: 77.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1921f: 49; Borgmeier, 1927c: 77.
    • Junior synonym of reitteri: Kempf, 1960f: 430; Kempf, 1972a: 118; Kempf, 1973b: 247; Kutter, 1977a: 88; Bolton, 1995b: 213; Pierce, M.P., Branstetter, et al. 2017: 137; Ulysséa & Brandão, 2021: 100.

Type Material

  • Tetramorium reitteri
    • Lectotype (designated by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)): BRAS[BRAZIL: São Paulo: E. Reitter leg., in Metopias aglenus (Pselaphinae) nest], Collect. G. Mayr (1W) (CASENT0919630) [NHMW] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].
    • Paralectotype: same data as lectotype (1W) [NHMW] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].
  • Pogonomyrmex (Hylomyrma) goeldii
    • Holotype: [BRAZIL]: Rio [de Janeiro: Corcovado], dec.89, Goeldi col., [Coll. Forel] (1Q) (CASENT0907677) [MHNG] [examined by Ulyssea & Brandao (2021)].

Ulyssea & Brandao (2021) - Kempf (1960) described the queen of H. reitteri and labelled it as a paratype. However, this queen is not part of the type specimens. The first queen description was made by Forel (1912) in the original description of Pogonomyrmex goeldi. Also, Kempf (1960) indicated that five H. reitteri syntypes from “an unknown locality in São Paulo State” were housed at Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Austria. While visiting this collection at the museum, we recognized two workers and one queen with the label data described by Mayr (1887), and later labelled as lectotypes (workers) and paratype (queen) by Kempf. At the same museum there is also one worker labelled “Brazil” and “lectotype”, and two workers from Santa Catarina, Brazil, labelled “paratypes” by Kempf. Nevertheless, as Mayr (1887) described only the worker, providing a range of body measures and stated that the type locality was São Paulo, Brazil, we understand that only the two workers with the label data similar to what was described by Mayr are part of this type series. Possibly the other three “syntype” workers seen by Kempf have been misplaced. Kempf did not publish the later type designations he had apparently intended, thus we are designating the lectotype and consequently the paralectotype. Therefore, any other specimen with a type label should not be considered as such.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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