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Rogeria cornuta
| Rogeria cornuta | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Rogeria |
| Species: | R. cornuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Rogeria cornuta Kugler, C., 1994 | |
Not much is known about this species but based on collection records it appears to be relatively common in wet forests in Central America.
Identification
Kugler (1994) - creightoni species group. WL 0.93-1 .02mm. Eye relatively small. Nuchal groove makes strong notch in lateral view of head. Propodeal spines very long (EL/SpL < 0.50); not inclined dorsad; distal portions subparallel with midline. Propodeal spiracles prominent, less than 1/2 diameter from edge of infra dental lamella. Metapleural lobes prominent. Petiole with little or no keel. Sides and posterior head strongly areolate; mesosoma predominantly rugose. Erect hair on scapes. Gaster T1 lacks decumbent hair.
Some Rogeria creightoni, also from Belize, have the same habitus as cornuta, including long, horizontal propodeal spines, but these creightoni members are much smaller (WL 0.63-0.71mm) and have abundant decumbent pilosity on the gaster T1. Other creightoni from La Selva, Costa Rica are the same size as the Rogeria cornuta holotype, but have shorter propodeal spines, slightly smaller eyes, and abundant decumbent pilosity on the gaster T1.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Mexico to Costa Rica
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 18.75° to 9.4817844°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Belize (type locality), Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico.
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. |
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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
The following is modified from Kugler (1994): Little is known about these cryptic ants. Collection records typically range from sea level to 1000m, but five species extend higher and two (Rogeria unguispina and Rogeria merenbergiana) can be found at 2000m. Rogeria are generally collected in moist forests (primary or secondary forests, coffee or cacao plantations), but at higher elevations can be found in pastures (Rogeria leptonana, Rogeria merenbergiana). Several species (Rogeria creightoni, Rogeria cuneola, Rogeria foreli) have been found in moist and dry climates. Rogeria foreli is the most unusual, with some members dwelling at over 1800m in the temperate mountains of southern Arizona.
Most species have only been collected as strays or by Berlese or Winkler sampling, from leaf litter and rotten wood, but occasionally among epiphytes and moss (Rogeria belti, creightoni, Rogeria exsulans). Nests of several species (belti, Rogeria blanda, merenbergiana) have been found under the loose bark of rotten logs. Nests of blanda and Rogeria tonduzi have been taken from the trunks of cacao trees. A nest of Rogeria leptonana was found at 1750m under a rock in a pasture.
Nests are rarely found. Males are known for only four species (belti, blanda, leptonana and Rogeria stigmatica) and queens associated through nest series for only nine species.
Castes
Queens have been collected in Guatemala but remain undescribed; males have not been collected.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- cornuta. Rogeria cornuta Kugler, C. 1994: 65, fig. 45 (w.) BELIZE.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Holotype and Paratype. TL (3.5)-3.8, HL (0.80)-0.89, HW (0.73)-0.78, SL (0.55)-0.58, EL 0.10 (16-18 facets), PW (0.55)-0.60, WL (0.93)-1.02, SpL (0.25)-0.27, PetL (0.42)-0.45, PpetL (0.21)-0.24mm, CI 0.88-(0.92), OI 0.13-(0.14), SI 0.74-(0.75), PSI 0.26-(0.27), MHI (0.98)-1.02.
Mandible with 6 teeth; basal larger than penultimate basal. Clypeal apron medially emarginate; body of clypeus projecting slightly over apron. Posterior outline of head broadly and weakly concave. Sides of pronotum with anterior grooves for insertion of corners of head; shoulders from above angular. No meso- or metanotal
grooves. Paratype promesonotal dorsum less convex and more angular in front and back than shown for holotype. Propodeal directed caudad so that a bisecting line would extend just below shoulder; distal half of spines curve inward, almost paralleling the midline. Postpetiolar node somewhat flattened on top; subtrapezoidal in dorsal view. Postpetiolar node of paratype lower in front than behind. Postpetiolar sternum long, not projecting anteriorly.
Head macrosculpture coarse (especially behind), with sharp ridges and shiny interstices. Longitudinal rugae on front break up at midlength of head and give way to a transversely arching areolate-rugose pattern on the posterior head. Laterodorsa confused rugose-areolate. Mesosoma macrosculpture also coarse with smooth interstices, but ridges are rounded. Anterior face of pronotum transversely rugose-areolate, pronotal disc longitudinally rugose to vermiculate-rugose (holotype). Mesonotum vermiculate-rugose with some cross-ridges. Pronotal sides areolate-rugose (holotype) or broken and confused; rest of sides confusedly longitudinally rugose with few connecting ridges. Anterior edge of Propodeum marked by a sharp transverse ridge. Petiolar node weakly areolate on sides and posterior; smooth along anterior and dorsal midline. Postpetiolar node weakly areolate on sirles; smooth along midline.
Scapes, head dorsum and tibiae with short decumbent and long erect-suberect hair. Hair on mesosoma and waist ranges from decumbent to erect and varies in length, but not clearly segregated into two distinct types. Hair on gaster erect-suberect.
Color dark reddish-brown, with lighter frontal clypeal area and ends of gaster; legs and antennae yellowish-brown.
Type Material
Holotype locality. BELIZE (British Honduras): 2.5 mi. S Belmopan, 4-VIII-1972, S. and J. Peck, #242 Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo.
Paratype locality. 1 worker, MEXICO: Chiapas State, Ocosingo, 2-VI-1967, J. M. Campbell Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Etymology
The name cornuta means horned, referring to the long, horn-like propodeal spines.
References
- Kugler, C. 1994. A revision of the ant genus Rogeria with description of the sting apparatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Hym. Res. 3: 17-89 (page 65, fig. 45 worker described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Ahuatzin D. A., E. J. Corro, A. Aguirre Jaimes, J. E. Valenzuela Gonzalez, R. Machado Feitosa, M. Cezar Ribeiro, J. Carlos Lopez Acosta, R. Coates, W. Dattilo. 2019. Forest cover drives leaf litter ant diversity in primary rainforest remnants within human-modified tropical landscapes. Biodiversity and Conservation 28(5): 1091-1107.
- Castano-Meneses, G., M. Vasquez-Bolanos, J. L. Navarrete-Heredia, G. A. Quiroz-Rocha, and I. Alcala-Martinez. 2015. Avances de Formicidae de Mexico. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
- Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
- Kugler C. 1994. A revision of the ant genus Rogeria with description of the sting apparatus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 3: 17-89.
- 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. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
- Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133