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Rogeria cuneola
| Rogeria cuneola | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Rogeria |
| Species: | R. cuneola |
| Binomial name | |
| Rogeria cuneola Kugler, C., 1994
| |
These tiny ants are most often taken in berlesate of leaf litter and rotten wood. Some come from siftings under termite mounds and one was collected in a Cattelya orchid. Habitat of most specimens is rain forest or mesic forest, either primary or secondary growth, but one specimen was found in Yucatán thorn forest.
Identification
Kugler (1994) - curvipubens species group. Postpetiolar node weakly vaulted and with no posterior peduncle. Anterior edge of sternum strongly produced; posterior and ventral edges merge insensibly. Sting shaft and lancets strong, acute; sting shaft with dorsal flange; lancet with barbule. Sides of head and mesosoma with strong microareolate sculpture that obscures weak macrosculpture and makes intervals opaque. Dorsal face of propodeum without transverse rugulae.
See Rogeria micromma and Rogeria minima discussions for comparisons with other tiny Rogeria.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 20.4766° to -64.36°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico (type locality), Nicaragua.
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
Males and intercastes have been collected in Honduras but have not been described.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- cuneola. Rogeria cuneola Kugler, C. 1994: 68, figs. 77-78, 103 (w.q.) MEXICO.
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 2.0-2.1 (2.0), HL 0.50-0.54 (0.51), HW 0.43-0.46 (0.43), SL 0.32-0.35 (0.33), EL 0.05-0.06 (0.05) (6-7 facets), PW 0.31-0.33 (0.31), WL 0.51-0.56 (0.52), SpL 0.07-0.09 (0.08), PetL 0.20-0.22 (0.20), PpetL 0.10-0.12 (0.11)mm, CI O.84-0.87 (0.84), OI 0.10-0.13 (0.13), SI 0.73-0.78 (0.77), PSI 0.15-0.17, MHI 0.94-1.02 (1.02). N=7
Nontype Workers. TL 2.0-2.3, HL 0.50-055, HW 0.43-0.48, SL 0.31-0.36, EL 0.04-0.06 (5-10 facets), PW 0.30-0.37, WL 0.52-0.60, SpL 0.07-0.11), PetL 0.21-0.24, PpetL 0.11-0.13mm, CI 0.83-0.85, OI 0.10-0.13, SI 0.72-0.78, PSI 0.14-0.17, MHI 0.93-1.03. N=9
Like Rogeria curvipubens, but differing in the following ways in addition to diagnosis. Relative widths of nodes with slightly different ranges (PetW/PetL 0.56-0.70); PpetW/PpetL 1.38-1.52). Sting apparatus of specimens from Oaxaca (paratypes) and Vera Cruz, Mexico with strong, acute sting shaft and lancets as in inermis.
Posterior head with transversely arching rugose-areolate macrosculpture. Compared to curvipubens, rugae on mesosoma dorsum with more lateral spurs that may connect rugae and create areolae on anterior pronotum and on metanotum. Macrosculpture on mesosoma sides absent or weakly rugose-areolate. Dorsal face of propodeum lacks macrosculpture.
Head dorsum with 0-16 hairs suberect hairs; mesosoma dorsum with 1-8 pairs (usually 2-7). Erect hair on gaster T1 usually limited to posterior margin, but entirely absent from Jalisco specimen and entirely covering the tergum of the Yucatán specimen. The Yucatán specimen is also unique in having some stiff, spatulate hairs on head, mesosoma and gaster.
Queen
Paratype and Nontype. TL 2.3-2.5, EL 0.53-0.56, HW 0.45-0.50, SL 0.35-0.38, EL 0.10-0.11, PW 0.39-0.45, WL 0.65-0.72, SpL 0.11-0.14, PetL 0.22-0.25, PpetL 0.13-0.15mm, CI 0.85-0.89, SI 0.76-0.78, PSI 0.16-0.19. N=2
Queen as in Rogeria curvipubens, except for shape of postpetiole, sting, and sculpture as in workers of cuneola. Mandibles with 6 or 7 teeth. Sides of head and mesokatepisterna strongly microareolate and opaque. Paratype queen with erect-suberect hair over whole gaster T1.
Type Material
Holotype locality. MEXICO: Oaxaca State, 1 mi. E Reforma, 15-VIII-1973, litter, tropical evergreen forest (A. Newton) Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Paratype localities. MEXICO: 14 workers, holotype locality The Natural History Museum, Charles Kugler Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, MCZ, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, National Museum of Natural History; 1 worker, 1 queen, Oaxaca State, 1 mi. E Reforma, near Tuxtepec, 12-15-VIII-1973, litter forest floor (A. Newton) [3 stings, 1 worker coated for SEM] MCZ.
Etymology
The name cuneola (L., small wedge) refers to the shape of the postpetiolar sternum in lateral view.
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 68, figs. 77-78, 103 worker, queen described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- 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
- Fernandes I., and J. de Souza. 2018. Dataset of long-term monitoring of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the influence areas of a hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira River in the Amazon Basin. Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e24375.
- 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. T., and R. K. Colwell. 2011. Density compensation, species composition, and richness of ants on a neotropical elevational gradient. Ecosphere 2(3): 16pp.
- Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
- Reynoso-Campos J. J., J. A. Rodriguez-Garza, and M. Vasquez-Bolanos. 2015. Hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de la Isla Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico (pp. 27-39). En: Castaño Meneses G., M. Vásquez-Bolaños, J. L. Navarrete-Heredia, G. A. Quiroz-Rocha e I. Alcalá-Martínez (Coords.). Avances de Formicidae de México. UNAM, Universiad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco.