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Neoponera vejestoria
| †Neoponera vejestoria Temporal range: Burdigalian, Early Miocene Dominican amber, Dominican Republic | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponerinae |
| Tribe: | Ponerini |
| Genus: | Neoponera |
| Species: | †N. vejestoria |
| Binomial name | |
| †Neoponera vejestoria Fiorentino, Lattke, Troya, Sosiak, Dong & Barden, 2023 | |
Described from a worker preserved in Miocene-age Dominican amber from Hispaniola. Neoponera vejestoria is the first fossil species in the genus and also the first confidently assigned to the genus level in the Pachycondyla genus group from the Neotropics. While distinct from its congeners, N. vejestoria is very similar to extant species, suggesting morphological stability through deep time in this lineage. It is at least one-third larger than the largest extant predatory ant present on Hispaniola. A analysis of the morphospace of predatory ants on Hispaniola using two data sets, all extant and fossil predator ants on the island and a second including only ponerine ants reveals N. vejestoria is the largest predator ant on the island, extant or extinct. It is at least one-third larger than the largest extant predatory ant. The results of an analysis predicting nesting niche, foraging niche, and functional role of the N. vejestoria indicate this species was likely a ground-nesting, epigaeic generalist predator (in contrast to most species within the N. foetida species group, which are generally arboreal nesting predators). This evidence demonstrates the loss of a functional niche associated with body size, which is a trait long hypothesized to be related to extinction risk.
Photo Gallery
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Identification
Neoponera vejestoria shows the typical diagnostic characters present in the genus, including well-developed, convex eyes placed at about head mid-length; well developed aroliae; and slit-shaped propodeal spiracle (most species in the genus). Within Neoponera, this fossil mostly resembles species in the foetida and aenescens species groups. However, it is readily assignable to the foetida group (see more insights further below) since it shows (1) well-developed malar carinae, which are absent in the aenescens species group, and (2) eyes placed at about head mid-length, whereas in the aenescens group these are placed slightly anterad.
Neoponera vejestoria may only be confused with three extant species in the genus, Neoponera dismarginata, Neoponera carbonaria, and Neoponera ecu39704 (undescribed, see images of MEPNINV39794 on AntWeb.org). It can be separated from these taxa by the following: N. vejestoria shows evident striae on the body dorsum, particularly on the mesonotum and on abdominal segments III and IV (no striae on N. dismarginata, showing instead microfoveae; in N. carbonaria and N. ecu39794, the cuticle is almost devoid of sculpture dorsally, instead having few, usually feebly impressed striae on the meso- and metapleuron). Neoponera vejestoria shows blunt humeral carinae (well developed and sharp in N. dismarginata; blunt to absent in N. ecu39794, and N. carbonaria). Finally, N. vejestoria has well-developed, apparently sharp, posterolateral nodal carinae on the petiole (absent in N. dismarginata; sometimes present in N. carbonaria, though always blunt; and always present but blunt in N. ecu39794). Within the foetida group, N. vejestoria is the only taxon showing a bluish-greenish iridescent cuticle. Among extant Neoponera, this trait has only been seen in some species of the aenescens group, for example, in N. carbonaria.
Distribution
This taxon was described from Dominican amber, Dominican Republic (Burdigalian, Early Miocene).
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- †vejestoria. †Neoponera vejestoria Fiorentino, Lattke, Troya, Sosiak, Dong & Barden, 2023: 2, figs. 1-2 (w.) DOMINICAN AMBER (Dominican Republic, Miocene).
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
HW 2.39, Hl 2.54, EL 0.63, SL 2.87, OMD 0.50, ProW 1.5, WL 3.71, MsW 0.91, MsL 2.46, MfL 3.51, PW 1.08, PH 1.44, PL 0.9, AIIIL 1.41, AIIIW 1.94, AIVL 1.23, AIVW 1.77, TL 12.3; CI 95, OI 26, SI 119, MsI 37, LPI 66, DPI 120.
Head. Frontal view: subquadrate, slightly longer than broad (CI 95); postocular lateral margins feebly converging posterad; posterior head margin moderately concave; eye well-developed (OI 29), convex, breaking lateral head margin, located dorsolaterally near head mid-length (OMD 0.50). In frontal/lateral view: posterior head corner convex; well-developed malar carina present, almost reaching anterior eye margin; anterior mid-clypeal margin convex; mandible with 13–15 teeth on masticatory margin, basal margin edentate; frontal lobe apparently subtriangular, slightly convex anteriorly, feebly projecting over antennal insertions, so that bulbous neck is partially visible dorsally; antennal scape relatively long (SL 119), surpassing posterior head margin by approximately three apical widths.
Mesosoma. Lateral view: dorsal pronotal margin slightly convex, humeral carina present, blunt, not salient; promesonotal articulation present; mesonotum weakly convex; posterior margin sloping; notopropodeal suture present, grooved, though not deeply impressed; mesonotum broader than long (MsL = 37); dorsal propodeal margin slightly convex; propodeal declivity with concave transverse section; propodeal carina with blunt elevated lateral margin; metanotal spiracle covered by lobe, propodeal spiracle slit-shaped; metapleural gland opening with seemingly reduced posterior cuticular flap; probasisternum broad anteriorly and gradually narrowing posterad, grooved, with acute posterior process; mesosternal process present but reduced, apparently canine tooth-shaped: lobes are blunt distally as compared to those on metasternum; metasternal process present, fang-shaped, space between distally acute lobes greater than width of each lobe.
Legs. Fourth metatarsus about half as long as 5th; arolium well-developed, about 1/3 of claw length.
Petiole. Lateral view: node sessile, higher than broad (LPI 66), subtriangular and robust, broad at base and slightly tapering atop, with anterior margin relatively straight, feebly inclined posterad, and posterior margin convex, both meeting anteriorly to nodal vertical midline; posterolateral nodal face with evident convex carina; longitudinal carina on lateral face not apparent; subpetiolar process with blunt anterior cusp. Dorsal view: subtriangular, anterior margin subacute, posterior margin straight to slightly convex.
Gaster. Prora well-developed, tooth-shaped, with subacute tip directed anteroventrad; cinctus between segments AIII–AIV well-developed; stridulitrum on pretergite of AIV not apparent.
Sculpture, pilosity, and color. Whole-body iridescent and shiny, with green/blue metallic coloration (similar to Neoponera carbonaria); head with sparse erect hairs and somewhat dense short pubescence, antenna mostly devoid of pubescence, sparse erect setae present on scape and antennomeres; malar and genal regions punctate to rugulose, clypeus mostly punctate; mandibles finely punctate, covered by thick, long pilosity (mostly ventrally); dorsoposterior head surface with fine longitudinal striae; propleuron with abundant (> 10) erect hairs; mesonotum densely punctate, longitudinall striate, covered with sparse long, erect hairs (mostly dorsally); dorsal face of propodeum densely punctate, transversely striate, with sparse short erect setae and long erect setae laterally; declivity of propodeum transversely striate, with long erect setae on the lateral border. Legs with long erect and dense short appressed setae; arolium whitish; anterior face of the node with fine longitudinal striae, posterior face sparsely punctate, anterior and posterior margins with long erect setae; subpetiolar process distinctly rugulose and finely punctate; abdominal tergites III and IV longitudinally striate; gaster sparsely covered with long erect setae, lacking appressed pubescence; prora distinctly smooth and shiny; hypopygium and epipygium with long erect hairs; distinctly smooth and shiny, lacking short tooth-like setae.
Type Material
- Holotype. MNHNSD FOS 18.01 worker, deposited in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural “Prof. Eugenio de Jesús Marcano,” Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Figs. 1 and 2, Additional file 1: Figs. S1 and S3). Preserved within a 60 mm by 40 mm section of transparent, yellow amber with abundant bubbles. Syninclusions include a long-jawed spider (Tetragnathidae), a staphylinid beetle (Paederinae), and a fungus gnat (Mycetophilidae).
Type horizon
Early Miocene, Burdigalian (ca. 16 Ma; [11]); in amber from the Northern mines of the Santiago Providence, Dominican Republic.
Etymology
The name is derived from the Spanish vernacular word “vejestorio,” an informal way to refer to an old person or object. The specific epithet is a feminized, non-Latinized adjective placed in apposition, thus invariant.