Loboponera vigilans

Loboponera vigilans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Loboponera
Species:	L. vigilans
Binomial name
	Loboponera vigilans; Bolton & Brown, 2002 Specimen Label

Specimens have been collected from forest litter and downed wood.

Identification

Bolton & Brown (2002) - A member of the vigilans species group. Apart from having the largest eyes known in the genus, vigilans is quickly identified by its unique sculpture.

Keys including this Species

Key to Loboponera Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.417222222° to -2.422777778°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast (type locality).

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb


Paratype of Loboponera vigilans. Worker. Specimen code casent0102329. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.


Worker. Specimen code castype16756. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.


Worker. Specimen code casent0003107. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

vigilans. Loboponera vigilans Bolton & Brown, 2002: 7, fig. 7 (w.q.) IVORY COAST.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 6.3, HL 1.20, HW 1.15, CI 96, SL 1.10, SI 96, AL 2.10. Paratypes. TL 6.0–6.6, HL 1.16–1.23, HW 1.06–1.20, CI 91–98, SL 0.99–1.19, SI 95–103, AL 1.91–2.14 (10 measured). Maximum diameter of eye 0.15–0.20. Characters of vigilans group and the following. Maximum diameter of relatively large eye 0.19. First gastral sternite with a median longitudinal carina at least on the posterior half of the sclerite. First sternite at each side of the anteroventral median process forms a short projecting angle or low prominence. First gastral tergite in dorsal view with bluntly angular anterolateral corners; sides slightly constricted behind the corners. Propodeal declivity with a blunt tooth near base and another, smaller, tooth near apex; the basal teeth appear very broad and coarse in dorsal view. Petiole in dorsal view bluntly subtriangular, widest posteriorly. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with coarse broad foveolate punctures, separated by longitudinal costae or elevated narrow flat surfaces. The entirety, including bases of foveolae and surfaces that separate them, is completely covered with extremely fine dense microsculpture and is dull and opaque. This microsculpture also occurs on at least the upper half of the propodeal declivity and is present, though less intensely, on the scapes and legs.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Ivory Coast: Abidjan, Banco National Forest, 17.vi.1958, rain forest (E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech) (California Academy of Sciences).

Paratype workers. 4 workers with same data as holotype; 1 worker, Ivory Coast: Abidjan, Banco Nat. Pk, 14.iii.1977, dead wood sample (I. Löbl); 4 workers, Tai Forest, 17.x.1980 (V. Mahnert & J.-L. Perret); 1 worker, Agboville, Yapo Forest, nr Yapo-Gare, 21–22.iii.1977, forest litter (I. Löbl); 6 workers, Nigeria: Gambari, 16.vii.1969, rotten log (B. Bolton); 1 worker, nr Ibadan, IITA, 18.v.1981, secondary forest, no. 7 (A. Russell-Smith); 1 worker, Cameroun: Nkoemvon, 24.iv.1980 (D. Jackson) (CAS, Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Natural History Museum, South African Museum).

References

Bolton, B.; Brown, W. L., Jr.. 2002. Loboponera gen. n. and a review of the Afrotropical Plectroctena genus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Entomol. Ser. 71: 1-18. (page 7, fig. 7 worker, queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton B., and W. L. Brown Jr. 2002. Loboponera gen. n. and a review of the Afrotropical Plectroctena genus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the Natural History Museum. Entomology Series 71: 1-18.
Fisher B. L. 2004. Diversity patterns of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an elevational gradient on Monts Doudou in southwestern Gabon. Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 28: 269-286.
Fisher B. L. 2006. Boloponera vicans gen.n. and sp.n. and two new species of the Plectroctena genus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8: 111-118.
Yeo K., and A. Hormenyo. 2007. A Rapid Survey of Ants in Ajenjua Bepo and Mamang River Forest Reserves, Eastern Region of Ghana. Pp 27-29. In McCullough, J., P. Hoke, P. Naskrecki, and Y. Osei-Owusu (eds.). 2008. A Rapid Biological Assessment of the Ajenjua Bepo and Mamang River Forest Reserves, Ghana. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 50. Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.