Rogeria innotabilis

Rogeria innotabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Rogeria
Species:	R. innotabilis
Binomial name
Rogeria innotabilis Kugler, C., 1994 Specimen labels

Workers come from moist forest litter at 1000-1200m elevation. Collection sites for queens range from 10-1200m.

Identification

Kugler (1994) - creightoni species group. WL 0.66-0.73mm. Mandibles triangular to slightly sub triangular. Palpal formula 2,2. Clypeal apron convex or slightly flattened medially. Eye small, elliptical. Nuchal groove clearly visible in lateral view, but not notching ventral outline of head. Mesosoma with nearly flat dorsal profile; a strong carina marks anterior edge of propodeum; MHI 0.90-1.00. Propodeal spines straight, wide. Petiolar keel moderate to large. Postpetiole subrectangular in dorsal view; sternum weakly to strongly prominent. Spiracular plate of sting apparatus with long spine on posteroventral corner. Sides of head areolate-rugose; mesosoma predominantly rugose; microareolate sculpture distinct on mesosoma sides. No erect hair on scapes or extensor surfaces of tibiae.

For comparison with related species, see Rogeria creightoni, Rogeria leptonana, and Rogeria alzatei and specifically for queens creightoni and Rogeria curvipubens.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Rogeria Species
• Key to Rogeria of Guyana

Distribution

If the queens truly belong to innotabilis, this species ranges from Chiapas to northern Colombia (Kugler 1994). Workers have also been collected from Guyana and Suriname.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 19.31777° to -2.633333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico (type locality), Nicaragua, Suriname.

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

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 been collected but have not been described.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0603513. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by JTLC.

Male

Images from AntWeb

Male (alate). Specimen code casent0603514. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by JTLC.

Nomenclature

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

• innotabilis. Rogeria innotabilis Kugler, C. 1994: 51, figs. 55-57, 97-98 (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 2.4-2.7 (2.7), HL 0.60-0.65 (0.65), HW 0.50-0.57 (0.54), SL 0.40-0.45 (0.43), EL 0.06-0.08 (0.08) (7-13 facets), PW 0.37-0.41 (0.41), WL 0.66-0.73 (0.72), SpL 0.10-0.15 (0.13), PetL 0.26-0.30 (0.29), PpetL 0.14-0.16 (0.16)mm, CI 0.83-0.87 (0.84), OI 0.1 1-0.15 (0.15), SI 0.76-0.80 (0.78), PSI 0.15-0.20 (0.18), MHI 0.90-1.00 (0.98) N=10

Kugler 1994 fig 55-62

Mandible with 5-7 teeth. If 5 or 6 teeth, it may have 1-3 denticles among proximal teeth. If 7 teeth, 4 proximals small. Basal tooth equal to or larger than penultimate tooth. Body of clypeus not projecting to anterior edge of apron. Eye small, elliptical. Posterior outline of head strongly to weakly convex. Metanotal groove absent or weak. Propodeal spines wide, straight; a bisecting line passes through or below anteroventral corner of pronotum. Petiolar keel weak or absent. Petiolar node evenly rounded from front to back, or apex somewhat flattened. Postpetiolar node highest in posterior half; node in dorsal view much as in Fig. 53. Sting apparatus like that of inermis, except for spiracular plate shape.

Head macrosculpture areolate on laterodorsa; areolate to transversely arching rugose-areolate on posterior head. Areolae on posterior head are larger and ridges sharper than elsewhere on head. Head d orsum slightly dulled by vestigial microsculpture; intervals smooth and shiny on sides and back. Anterior pronotal disc with 1-2 transverse rugae; rest of promesonotal dorsum longitudinally rugose with lateral spurs to rugose-areolate. Lateral pronotum areolate; meso- and meta pleura mixed rugose and rugoseareolate. Anterior edge of propodeum marked by weak to strong transverse carina; dorsal face crossed by one or more transverse, sometimes branching, rugulae. Dorsum with vestigial microsculpture, but ventral sides quite distinctly microareolate. Macrosculpture on sides and back of petiolar node very weakly areolate; microsculpture vague and effaced. Postpetiolar node shiny, almost completely smooth.

Color golden brown with yellowish appendages to brown with slightly lighter frontoclypeal area, mandibles, mesosoma sides, gaster, and legs.

Queen

Possible Queens. TL 2.6-2.9, HL 0.59-0.61, HW 0.52-0.54, SL 0.40-0.41, EL 0.11-0.13, PW 0.44-0.50, WL 0.72-0.83, SpL 0.13-0.14, PetL 0.28-0.31, PpetL 0.14-0.17mm, CI 0.88-0.89, 01 0.21-0.24, SI 0.75-0.77, PSI 0.16-19, MHI 1.15-1.22. N=3

Collected outside known range of innotabilis workers, but have innotabilis traits: shapes of clypeus, nuchal groove, and postpetiole, and lack of erect/suberect hair on scapes and tibiae.

Differing from the worker by normal caste differences and the following. Parapsidal furrows indistinguishable from furrows in sculpture. Pronotum with 2-3 transverse rugae mesad, becoming longitudinally rugose to rugose-areolate on mesosoma sides; anterior katepisternum smooth. Mesonotum longitudinally rugose. Venation nearly identical to that of Rogeria belti.

Etymology

The name innotabilis (L., not remarkable) reflects my inability to identify any one salient feature on which to base the name for this species.

Type Material

Holotype locality. MEXICO: Chiapas State, 12 mi. NW Ocozocoautla, 3200 ft., 4-5-IX-1973, forest leaf litter (A. Newton) Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Paratype Localities. MEXICO: 7 workers, holotype locality [mouthparts, sting, 1 coated for SEM] The Natural History Museum, MCZ, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo; 10 workers, Chiapas, 6-XII-1951, #51 11574 (Cary) [2 mouthparts, stings] National Museum of Natural History. NICARAGUA: 2 workers, Km 139 near Matagalpa, Hotel Selva Negra, ca. 1200m, 18-VI-1978, forest leaf litter (C. Kugler & J. Hahn) [mouthparts, sting] Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, MCZ.

References

• Franco, W., Ladino, N., Delabie, J.H.C., Dejean, A., Orivel, J., Fichaux, M., Groc, S., Leponce, M., Feitosa, R.M. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674, 509–543 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4674.5.2).
• 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 51, figs. 55-57, 97-98 worker, queen described)
• LaPolla, J. S. and J. Sosa-Calvo. 2006. Review of the ant genus Rogeria (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Guyana. Zootaxa. 1330:59-68.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
• Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
• 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
• Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lapolla, J.S., T. Suman, J. Soso-Calvo and T.R. Schultz. 2006. Leaf litter ant diversity in Guyana. Biodiversity and Conservation 16:491–510
• 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.
• Smith M. A., W. Hallwachs, D. H. Janzen. 2014. Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient. Ecography 37(8): 720-731.
• Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133