Mycetomoellerius haytianus

Mycetomoellerius haytianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mycetomoellerius
Species:	M. haytianus
Binomial name
Mycetomoellerius haytianus (Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914) Specimen Label

Mann (Wheeler and Mann 1914) stated "The nest entrance opened directly on the surface of the ground and was not surrounded by a crater." Longino also collected a number of stray workers in scrub and riparian forest in Jamaica. Nothing else is known regarding this species.

Identification

A member of the Jamaicensis species group. Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão (2007) - M. haytianus was originally proposed as a subspecies of Mycetomoellerius jamaicensis. The brief description of Wheeler & Mann (1914) contained only characters that distinguished it from the typical form, such as shorter spines and tubercles on the posterior corners of the head, well-developed median pronotal tooth, and black coloration.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Trachymyrmex jamaicensis species group workers

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 18.95° to 18.43333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Haiti (type locality), Jamaica.

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

Explore Fungus Growing  For additional details see Fungus growing ants. A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source. These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius). The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3. Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category): Nest Construction A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests. some Crematogaster some Lasius Lower Agriculture Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae. some Apterostigma Cyatta (1 species) some Cyphomyrmex Kalathomyrmex (1 species) Mycocepurus (6 species) Myrmicocrypta (31 species) Mycetarotes (4 species) Mycetosoritis (2 species) Mycetophylax (21 species) Paramycetophylax (1 species) Xerolitor (1 species) Coral Fungus Agriculture Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae. some Apterostigma Yeast Agriculture Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi. some Cyphomyrmex Generalized Higher Agriculture Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi. Mycetomoellerius (31 species) Paratrachymyrmex (9 species) Sericomyrmex (11 species) Trachymyrmex (9 species) Leaf-Cutter Agriculture A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus. Acromyrmex (56 species) Amoimyrmex (3 species) Atta (20 species) Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

Castes

Queens and males are unknown.

Nomenclature

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

• haytianus. Atta (Trachymyrmex) jamaicensis subsp. haytiana Wheeler, W.M. & Mann, 1914: 41, fig. 18 (w.) HAITI.
  • Combination in Trachymyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 253.
  • Combination in Mycetomoellerius: Solomon et al., 2019: 948.
  • Status as species: Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão, 2007: 6.

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

Description

Worker

Length: 3.5-4 mm.

Differing from the typical form in having the anterior spines or tubercles on the posterior corners of the head shorter, in having a well-developed, pointed median tubercle on the pronotum and in coloration, the body being entirely black, with the exception of the mandibles, funiculi, articulations of the legs and tarsi beyond the first joint, which are red.

Mayhe-Nunes and Brandao (2007) includes a more detailed description:

measurements (n = 3). TL 4.7 (4.5–4.9); DHL 1.28 (1.26–1.31); HW 1.28 (1.25–1.32); IFW 0.70 (0.69–0.71); ScL 1.08 (1.05–1.11); HWL 0.74 (0.68–0.78); MeL 1.82 (1.77–1.85); PL 0.34 (0.32–0.35); PPL 0.48 (0.45–0.51); GL 1.32 (1.25–1.37); HfL 1.84 (1.82–1.86).

Trachymyrmex haytianus worker. Mayhe-Nunes and Brandao 2007. Figs. 5-8

Uniformly dark ferruginous, with lighter tip of tarsi and funiculi. Integument opaque and finely granulose. Pilosity scarce; very short hook-like hairs confined to body projections, more abundant on antennal scapes and gaster tip.

Head, in full face view, as long as broad (DCI average 100; 99–101). Outer border of mandible feebly sinuous; masticatory margin bears two apical and seven equally smaller teeth. Clypeus median apron without projections. Frontal area shallowly impressed. Frontal lobes semicircular, moderately approximate (FLI average 54; 54–55), with faintly crenulate free border, lacking prominent denticles on the antero-lateral border. Frontal carina moderately diverging caudad, reaching the antennal scrobe posterior end in a small tooth at its posterior end at the vertexal margin; preocular carina posteriorly ending in the posterior margin of the head as one or two small teeth of almost the same size of frontal carinae projections. Occipital spines longer and stouter than carinae projections. Supraocular projections absent or vestigial. Inferior corner of occiput with a small ridge, in side view. Eye convex, surpassing the head lateral border, with 13 facets in a row across the greatest diameter. Antennal scape, when lodged in the scrobe, projecting beyond the tips of the preocular carinae projections by nearly one fourth of its length; gradually thickened towards apex, covered with small piligerous tubercles.

Mesosoma. Pronotal dorsum emarginated in front and on sides; antero-inferior corner with a strong and truncated tooth; inferior margin with small piligerous denticles; median pronotal tooth tip rather truncate, not projected above the tips of the stronger lateral pronotal spines, which point obliquely upwards, with the pronotum in frontal view. Anterior pair of mesonotal spines a little shorter than the lateral pronotal projections, directed upwards; the spine-like second and third pair gradually smaller and thinner. Anterior margin of katepisternum smooth, without a projecting tooth. Metanotal constriction shallowly impressed. Basal face of propodeum laterally marginated by a row of three denticles on each side; propodeal spines pointing obliquely and laterad, as long as the distance between their inner bases. Hind femora almost of the same length of mesosoma.

Waist and gaster. Dorsum of petiolar node with a pair of minute spines, the sides subparallel in dorsal view, the spiracles produced as small tubercular projections; sternum without sagital keel. Postpetiole trapezoidal in dorsal view, two times broader behind than in front, and shallowly impressed dorsally, with straight postero-dorsal border. Gaster, when seen from above, globose to suboval. Tergum I with convex lateral faces separated from the dorsal face by a longitudinal row of piligerous tubercles on each side; anterior two thirds of dorsum with three shallow longitudinal furrows separated by a pair of piligerous tubercles rows. Sternum I without an anterior sagital keel or prominent tubercles.

Type Material

Described from several workers taken from a single colony in a canyon near PetionviIle.

Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão (2007) - Lectotype worker: HAITI: Petionville, Mann leg. [no date] (“cotype” deposited in National Museum of Natural History, examined, here designated). Paralectotype workers: same data as lectotype (5 deposited in USNM, 2 deposited in Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, 1 deposited in Instituto de Biologia Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro). Wheeler & Mann (1914) say that this species was described from several workers collected from a single colony. Although we found only three individuals clearly labeled as “cotypes”, the other six workers bear identical locality labels, and so were considered as paralectotypes.

References

• Mayhé-Nunes, A.J., Brandão, C.R.F. 2007. Revisionary studies on the attine ant genus Trachymyrmex Forel. Part 3: The Jamaicensis group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa. 1444:1-21 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.1444.1.1).
• Solomon, S.E., Rabeling, C., Sosa-Calvo, J., Lopes, C.T., Rodrigues, A., Vasconcelos, H.L., Bacci Jr, M., Mueller, U.G., Schultz, T.R. 2019. The molecular phylogenetics of Trachymyrmex Forel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher-attine’ ant agriculture. Systematic Entomology 44: 939-956 (doi:10.1111/syen.12370).
• Wheeler, W. M.; Mann, W. M. 1914. The ants of Haiti. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 33: 1-61.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Lubertazzi D. 2019. The ants of Hispaniola. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 162(2): 59-210.
• Mayhe-Nunes A. J., and C. R. F. Brandao. 2007. Revisionary studies on the attine ant genus Trachymyrmex Forel. Part 3: The Jamaicensis group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 1444: 1-21.
• Perez-Gelabert D. E. 2008. Arthropods of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti): A checklist and bibliography. Zootaxa 1831:1-530.
• Wheeler W. M., and W. M. Mann. 1914. The ants of Haiti. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 33: 1-61.