Rogeria curvipubens

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Rogeria curvipubens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Rogeria
Species: R. curvipubens
Binomial name
Rogeria curvipubens
Emery, 1894

Rogeria curvipubens casent0173282 profile 1.jpg

Rogeria curvipubens casent0173282 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Rogeria curvipubens has been collected in by Berlese sampling in tropical rain forest, secondary growth forest, and dry tropical forest. Collection sites have all been below 500m elevation (Kugler 1994).

At a Glance • Limited invasive  

Identification

Kugler (1994) - curvipubens species group. Postpetiolar node strongly vaulted and with small posterior peduncle. Anterior edge of postpetiolar sternum not strongly produced; junction of posterior and ventral edges angular. Sting shaft and lancets weak, spatulate. Sides of head smooth and shiny . Promesonotum with vestigial microsculpture, making interrugal spaces nearly smooth and weakly to strongly shiny. Dorsal face of propodeum usually with 1-5 transverse rugulae. Also see the nomenclature section below.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Workers come from the Caribbean Islands and northern South America. However, if the two queens from Mexico and Guatemala are in fact curvipubens, the range of curvipubens broadly overlaps that of sister species Rogeria cuneola.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.4167° to -14.75°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Barbados, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Greater Antilles, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Mexico, Suriname, Venezuela.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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 have not been collected.

Queen

Rogeria curvipubens iccdrs0002607 head 1.jpgRogeria curvipubens iccdrs0002607 profile 1.jpgRogeria curvipubens iccdrs0002607 dorsal 1.jpgRogeria curvipubens iccdrs0002607 label 1.jpg
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Nomenclature

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

  • curvipubens. Rogeria curvipubens Emery, 1894c: 190 (w.q.) ANTILLES. See also: Kugler, C. 1994: 66.

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

Kugler (1994) - Rogeria alzatei and Rogeria leptonana are very similar to curvipubens and Rogeria cuneola and have been considered curvipubens in the past, but I believe they can be distinguished, usually by general habitus, but especially by more abundant erect pilosity than described in the curvipubens-group diagnosis. Moreover, side-by-side comparisons of sympatric specimens from the Villavicencio vicinity of Colombia and from Barro Colorado Island reveal more differences: the alzatei specimens have a truncate clypeal apron, narrower propodeal spines, and generally stronger sculpture. The leptonana specimens have an emarginate clypeal apron, lower mesosoma, and larger petiolar keel. The only question of identity arises on the north coast of Colombia, where a single specimen has wider propodeal spines and convex clypeus like curvipubens, which are common in the area, but has the abundant pilosity and stronger macrosculpture of alzatei. I call that specimen alzatei, since spine and clypeal shapes vary in that species.

Assigning stray queens has also been problematic. In two localities on the north coast of Colombia (Pueblito, Tayrona Park; Don Diego, Guajira) I collected three distinct kinds of queens. One set has a distinctly lower mesosoma (MHI 0.92-0.97) and larger petiolar keel than the other two and has abundant erect pilosity on scapes, whole head, mesosoma, waist, and gaster. These and other characters suggest those are leptonana queens. The other two kinds of queens have a more compact mesosoma (MHI 1 .05-1.22), but one set has no erect hair on scapes, head, waist, or first tergum of gaster, little or no erect hair on the mesosoma dorsum, more effaced sculpture with nearly smooth sides of head and transversely arching rugae on posterior head, and spatulate lancets, just like the curvipubens workers that are common in both areas. The third set of queens have distinct macrosculpture, distinctly areolate sides and posterior head, short erect hair on the whole head dorsum and more abundant erect/ suberect hair on mesosoma, waist and gaster and acute lancets. I have tentatively assigned them to innotabilis because of their evenly convex clypeus and posteroventral spine on the spiracular plate of the sting apparatus.

See also Rogeria micromma and Rogeria tribrocca.

Description

Worker

Kugler (1994) - TL 1.9-2.3, HL 0.48-0.58, HW 0.38-0.49, SL 0.32-0.39, EL 0.04-0.07 (4-11 facets), PW 0.28-0.38, WL 0.50-0.63, SpL 0.05-0.11, PetL 0.2.0-0.24, PpetL 0.10-0.13mm, CI 0.80-0.86, OI 0.10-0.15, SI 0.77-0.81, PSI 0.13-0.18, MHI 0.84-1.05. N=22

Kugler 1994 fig 71-78

Mandibles typically with 6 teeth, but occasionally with an additional denticle or tooth; basal tooth little if any larger than penultimate basal. Haitian specimens with 5 teeth. Anterior edge of clypeus evenly convex or with median concavity (Haiti). Body of clypeus, though not especially prominent, is generally the anteriormost point of the head in full dorsal view; little or no shelf-like apron. Posterior outline of head generally broadly convex, but sometimes with a weak median concavity. Nuchal groove weak. Eye small, elliptical. Pronotum weakly angular or rounded in front and on sides. Metanotal groove absent or suggested by a broad, very shallow impression. Anterior propodeum marked by transverse carinula that often does not interrupt mesosoma profile. Propodeal spines short, wide, with curved or straight edges; a bisecting line passes below the anteroventral corner of pronotum. Metapleural lobes low, subangular to rounded. Sting apparatus like that of inermis in most respects, but lancets and sting shaft are weak and the lancets are blunt and spatulate. Though twisted in all preparations, the sting shaft does seem to have a dorsoterminal flange.

Posterior head transversely arching rugose to rugose-areolate, intervals shiny. Most of head with vague microsculpture. Anterior edge of pronotal disc areolate to rugose-areolate; disc longitudinally rugose, sometimes effaced on meso- and metanota. Pronotal sides with one or more weak longitudinal rugae; meso- and metapleura confused rugose to rugose-areolate. Petiole and postpetiole microareolate and devoid of macrosculpture, except for small carinulae on petiolar peduncle of some specimens. Microsculpture weaker on apices of nodes, especially postpetiolar node, which is shiny and nearly smooth.

Head with 0-6 short suberect hairs; mesosoma dorsum with 2-7 pairs. Extent of erect pilosity on gaster T1 variable; usually covering whole surface, but may cover as little as the posterior third.

Color uniformly yellow, to golden or light brown body with lighter appendages, frontoclypeal region and ventral gaster.

Queen

Kugler (1994) - TL 2.3-2.6, HL 0.51-0.59, HW 0.44-0.51, SL 0.34-0.39, EL 0.09-0.12, PW 0.38-0.45, WL 0.63-0.71, SpL 0.11-0.14, PetL 0.22-0.27, PpetL 0.12-0.15mm, CI 0.83-0.90, SI 0.73-0.78, PSI 0.16-0.19, MHI 0.96-1. 17. N=6

Queens vary like workers in shapes of head, propodeal spines, petiole and postpetiole. Mandibles have 6 teeth in most; plus 2 denticles in the Guatemalan specimen. Parapsidal furrows weak or indistinguishable. Wing venation as in belti. Sting apparatus of a queen from the north coast of Colombia like that of workers from the region, including spatulate lancets. Sculpture, pilosity, and color also vary similarly. Sides of head may be partly rugose, but some portion smooth. Pro-, meso-, and metanota rugose. Meso- and metapleura longitudinally rugose dorsad; anterior half of mesokatepisterna very smooth and shiny. Microsculpture as in workers. Numbers of erect hairs on various parts range as in workers, except for one queen with 10 pairs on mesosoma dorsum.

Queens from Mexico and Guatemala are not associated with workers. Moreover, the Guatemalan specimen lacks a postpetiole and gaster. Both have the side of the head rather strongly rugose-areolate, but I am guessing that they are curvipubens, rather than cuneola on the basis of the strongly shiny mesokatepisterna and shape of the postpetiolar sternum of the Mexican specimen.

Type Material

Kugler (1994) - Worker and queen syntypes, U. S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: St. Thomas (Eggers) (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa) [Worker syntype examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Achury R., and A.V. Suarez. 2017. Richness and composition of ground-dwelling ants in tropical rainforest and surrounding landscapes in the Colombian Inter-Andean valley. Neotropical Entomology https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0565-4
  • Alayo D. P. 1974. Introduccion al estudio de los Himenopteros de Cuba. Superfamilia Formicoidea. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Instituto de Zoologia. Serie Biologica no.53: 58 pp. La Habana.
  • Alonso L. E., J. Persaud, and A. Williams. 2016. Biodiversity assessment survey of the south Rupununi Savannah, Guyana. BAT Survey Report No.1, 306 pages.
  • Boer P. 2019. Ants of Curacao, species list. Accessed on January 22 2019 at http://www.nlmieren.nl/websitepages/SPECIES%20LIST%20CURACAO.html
  • 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.
  • Emery C. 1894. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. VI-XVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 26: 137-241.
  • Fernández F., E. E. Palacio, W. P. Mackay, and E. S. MacKay. 1996. Introducción al estudio de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Colombia. Pp. 349-412 in: Andrade M. G., G. Amat García, and F. Fernández. (eds.) 1996. Insectos de Colombia. Estudios escogidos. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 541 pp
  • Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
  • Galkowski C. 2016. New data on the ants from the Guadeloupe (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Bull. Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 151, 44(1): 25-36.
  • Herrera H. W., and J. T. Longino. 2008. New records of introduced ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos Research 65: 16-19.
  • Kempf W. W. 1961. A survey of the ants of the soil fauna in Surinam (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 4: 481-524.
  • Kempf W. W. 1962. Miscellaneous studies on neotropical ants. II. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 5: 1-38.
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • 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.
  • Kusnezov N. 1953. La fauna mirmecológica de Bolivia. Folia Universitaria. Cochabamba 6: 211-229.
  • Lapolla J. S., and J. Sosa-Calvo. 2006. Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana. Zootaxa 1330: 59-68.
  • Lapolla, J. S., and B. L. Fisher. "Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana." Zootaxa 1330 (2006): 59-68.
  • Levings S. C. 1983. Seasonal, annual, and among-site variation in the ground ant community of a deciduous tropical forest: some causes of patchy species distributions. Ecological Monographs 53(4): 435-455.
  • Reyes J.L. 2005. Inventario de la coleccion de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del centro oriental de ecosistemas y biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba. Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 36: 279-283.
  • Reyes, J. L. "Inventario de la colección de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba." Boletín de la Sociedad Aragonesa 36 (2005): 279-283.
  • Santschi F. 1931. Fourmis de Cuba et de Panama. Revista de Entomologia (Rio de Janeiro). 1: 265-282.
  • Smith M. R. 1937. The ants of Puerto Rico. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 20: 819-875.
  • Vasconcelos, H.L., J.M.S. Vilhena, W.E. Magnusson and A.L.K.M. Albernaz. 2006. Long-term effects of forest fragmentation on Amazonian ant communities. Journal of Biogeography 33:1348-1356
  • Wheeler W. M. 1905. The ants of the Bahamas, with a list of the known West Indian species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21: 79-135.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1908. The ants of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24: 117-158.
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