Lenomyrmex foveolatus

Lenomyrmex foveolatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Lenomyrmex
Species:	L. foveolatus
Binomial name
	Lenomyrmex foveolatus; Fernández & Palacio, 1999

Previously only known from the type locality in western Colombia, Departamento del Valle, Darién, middle Río Calima basin. A recent record near Alto Tambo extends the species geographic range 400 km south of the type locality. General habitat data is the same as in the Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri account, except that the frog was collected in a banana plantation. (Rabeling et al. 2016)

Photo Gallery

Lenomyrmex foveolatus is one of the weirdest ants of the Canandé, Ecuador. Not much is known about its biology. Photo by Phil Hoenle.

Identification

Rabeling et al. (2016) - Specimens from the Colombian type series could not been examined, but based on the Fernández and Palacio's (1999) description, the worker specimens collected from Ecuador closely resemble the specimens from Colombia. The main differences between the specimens belonging to these two populations are: (i) the fovea on dorsum of head are scattered in the Colombian specimens and more densely clustered in the Ecuadorian individuals; (ii) the specimens from Ecuador have rounded propodeal lobes differing from the acute propodeal lobes observed in the type series from Colombia; (iii) in the specimens from Ecuador the metapleural gland bulla is striate, and striae seem absent from bulla of the Colombian specimens.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 3.95° to -1.683055556°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia (type locality), Ecuador.

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

foveolatus. Lenomyrmex foveolatus Fernández & Palacio, 1999: 13, fig. 8 (w.) COLOMBIA.
- Queen description: Rabeling et al., 2016: 87.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype (paratypes, n = 5). TL: 5.16 (4.89–5.16); HL: 0.98 (0.92–0.98); HW: 0.92 (0.88–0.92); ML: 0.44 (0.36–0.44); SL: 0.76 (0.68–0.76); WL: 1.42 (1.30–1.42); PL: 0.64 (0.56–0.64); PW: 0.28 (0.26–0.28); PPL: 0.36 (0.34– 0.36); PPW: 0.31 (0.27–0.31); GL: 1.32 (1.25–1.32); GW: 1.00 (0.96–1.00); CI: 0.94 (0.91–0.94); OI: 0.28 (0.25–0.28). Worker diagnosis. Similar to Lenomyrmex mandibularis with the following differences. Mandibles with 10–15 peg-like denticles. Eyes smaller in proportion to head with 7–9 ommatidia in maximum diameter. Posterolateral corners of propodeum angulate, without spines. Petiolar node inconspicuous, less defined than in Lenomyrmex mandibularis, with posterior face longer, less steep. Mesosoma, petiole and gaster mostly smooth, shining except for a few scattered punctures on pronotum, petiole and postpetiole. Head with scattered foveolae on dorsal surface, these becoming larger and more abundant ventrally. Surface of body without erect or suberect hairs, except for some on gastric apex. Darker than Lenomyrmex mandibularis, almost black, except for mandibles, antennae and dark brown legs

Rabeling et al. (2016) - HL: 0.81–0.90; HW: 0.73–0.83; ML: 0.42–0.47; SL: 0.61–0.73; EL: 0.17–0.20; WL: 1.06–1.42; PL: 0.65–0.73; PW: 0.21–0.23; PPL: 0.29–0.35; PPW: 0.25–0.28; GL: 0.98–1.34; TL: 4.31–5.19; CI: 90–94; MI: 51–57; OI: 0.25–0.28; SI 82–95 (n=7).

Queen

Rabeling et al. (2016) - HL: 0.91; HW: 0.83; ML: 0.49; SL: 0.75; EL: 0.23; WL: 1.47; PL: 0.78; PW: 0.25; PPL: 0.35; PPW: 0.29; GL: 1.41; TL: 5.40; CI: 91; MI: 55; OI: 0.29; SI 90 (n=1).

Dealate. As in the worker description (Fernández and Palacio 1999: 13–14) but mesosoma with caste-specific morphology related to wing-bearing and with the following differences: in full-face view, mid portion of anterior margin of clypeus weakly concave, forming a pair of lateral angles; compound eyes larger than in worker, with 12 ommatidia in maximum diameter; three small but conspicuous ocelli present. Dorsum of pronotum, mesoscutum, axillae, and scutellum lustrous and weakly coriaceous; dorsolateral portion of pronotum with small and sparse foveae; in dorsal view, posterior lateral portions of pronotum concave. In dorsal view, mesoscutum somewhat triangular anteriorly; parapsidal lines short, conspicuous; scuto-scutellar sulcus well-developed; posterior margin of scutellum subquadrate, lacking tubercles. Dorsum and declivity of propodeum lustrous; posterior margin of propodeum angulate, lacking tubercles or spines (as in worker). Mesopleuron clearly divided to anepisternum and katepisternum by oblique mesopleural sulcus. Pilosity of body consisting of small, simple, appressed hairs.

Type Material

Holotype worker. COLOMBIA, Valle, Darién, middle Rio Calima basin, Río Azul Camp, 550 m., 3°579N, 76°429W. 23- IV-1994, Rosa Aldana leg. Deposited in Colección de Insectos. Paratypes. Four workers from the same locality. Deposited in UDV, Humboldt Institute, Universidad Nacional de Colombia and Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Rabeling et al. (2016) - Gyne. ECUADOR: Esmeraldas; Reserve Otokiki-Alto Tambo; elevation 723 meters above sea level; GPS coordinates: 0.918533, -78.566800; 08.vii.2013; from the stomach content of a female specimen (frog voucher number: CJ1658, SVL = 36.7 mm) of the Little Devil frog, Oophaga sylvatica; leg. L. A. O'Connell, E. E. Tapia, L. A. Coloma; unique ant specimen identifier: USNMENT01127956; deposited in National Museum of Natural History.

Etymology

From the diminutive of the Latin fovea (pit), in reference to the foveolae that cover the head surface.

References

Fernández C., F.; Palacio G., E. E. 1999. Lenomyrmex, an enigmatic new ant genus from the Neotropical region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Syst. Entomol. 24: 7-16 (page 13, fig. 8 worker described)
Rabeling, C., Sosa-Calvo, J., O'Connell, L.A., Coloma, L.A. & Fernández, F. 2016. Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri: a new ant species discovered in the stomach of the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga sylvatica (Funkhouser). ZooKeys 618: 79–95 (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.618.9692).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Ramón G., A. Barragán, and D. A. Donoso. 2013. Can clay banks increase the local ant species richness of a montane forest? In press: Métodos en Ecología y Sistemática 8: 37 53.