Lenomyrmex colwelli

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Lenomyrmex colwelli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Lenomyrmex
Species: L. colwelli
Binomial name
Lenomyrmex colwelli
Longino, 2006

Lenomyrmex colwelli inb0003214454 profile 1.jpg

Lenomyrmex colwelli inb0003214454 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

This species is a montane endemic, known from one cloud forest site on the Barva Transect in Braulio Carrillo National Park. It is known only from the type specimens, which occurred in two miniWinkler samples (leaf litter sifted from a 1 m2 forest floor patch) from two of the Project ALAS Winkler transects and one Berlese sample of rotten wood. (Longino 2006)

Identification

Longino (2006) - This is the first report of this recently described genus in Costa Rica (Fernández and Palacio 1999, Fernández 2001). It is most similar to Lenomyrmex wardi, a species known from Ecuador. It differs in the much larger propodeal spines, the lack of a differentiated petiolar peduncle, and the smooth and polished postpetiolar dorsum.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 10.26928° to 10.26666667°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica (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.

  • colwelli. Lenomyrmex colwelli Longino, 2006b: 135, figs. 8-10 (w.) COSTA RICA.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype: ML 0.272, HL 0.740, HW 0.679, HC 0.601, SL 0.529, EL 0.199, MeL 1.050.

Mandible smooth and shining; eye with about 9 ommatidia across greatest diameter; face with dense foveate sculpture grading to reticulate rugose sculpture toward vertex; mesosoma covered with coarse, widely-separated rugae, shiny interspaces, rugae transverse on promesonotal dorsum and dorsal face of propodeum, curving to longitudinal on side of pronotum, mesopleuron, and side of propodeum, posterior face of propodeum with fine transverse rugulae; propodeal spines long, stout; inferior propodeal lobes broadly triangular; petiole gradually sloping to rounded posterior node, without differentiated peduncle; petiole with large, sharp anteroventral tooth; petiolar dorsum with faint longitudinal rugulae anteriorly, grading to smooth and shining posteriorly; dorsum of postpetiole and entire gaster smooth and shining, highly polished; scape with about 10 fine erect setae that are about half maximum width of scape; face, promesonotal dorsum, posterior petiolar dorsum, postpetiolar dorsum, and gastral dorsum with similar sparse, short, erect setae; scapes, face, and side of head with sparse, long, appressed pubescence; tibia with very sparse short appressed pubescence, a few erect setae at apex near basitarsus; surface of gaster with no pubescence; mandible and tip of funiculus yellow brown, scapes and legs including coxae light red brown, rest of body dark red brown.

Type Material

Holotype worker: Costa Rica: Heredia Prov., 16 km SSE La Virgen (10° 16' N, 84° 05' W), 1100 m elevation, 19. III.2001, leg. Project ALAS, specimen code INB0003211 842 (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad). Paratypes: 2 workers, same data as holotype, except 9.IV.2001, INB0003214454 (Museum of Comparative Zoology); and 20.II.2001, INB0003213510 (Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History).

Etymology

Named for Robert K. Colwell, eminent tropical biologist, fellow Director of the ALAS Project, and long-term colleague and friend.

References

  • Longino, J.T. 2006. New species and nomenclatural changes for the Costa Rican ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten. 8:131–143.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
  • Longino J. T., and R. K. Colwell. 2011. Density compensation, species composition, and richness of ants on a neotropical elevational gradient. Ecosphere 2(3): 16pp.