Talaridris

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A monotypic genus. Talaridris mandibularis is a small litter dwelling tropical rainforest ant that, like the similar Rhopalothrix, is not well collected. It has been found in litter and humus.

At a Glance • Monotypic  

Identification

Worker and female: Antennae with 7 segments total. Very similar to Rhopalothrix, but with somewhat different mandibles. These are elongate as in Rhopalothrix, but curve dorsad from the plane of the head, finally broadening into an obliquely oriented apical masticatory border with acute and rounded teeth. There are inconspicuous denticles arranged along the inner dorsal margins of the blades also. Of the apical series, the largest acute teeth, one at each end of the series, may correspond to the long, acute subapical and ventral apical teeth forming the "apical fork" of Rhopalothrix, in which case the intervening teeth would represent elaborations of the two intercalary teeth or denticles of Rhopalothrix. In fact, the distinction between these two genera is relatively trivial, and when more species of Rhopalothrix become known, it may well prove advantageous to merge Talaridris with it. (Brown and Kempf 1960)  

Distribution

Known from northern South America and Trinidad.

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

Afrotropical Region Australasian Region Indo-Australian Region Malagasy Region Nearctic Region Neotropical Region Oriental Region Palaearctic Region
Species 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Total Species 2840 1735 3042 932 835 4378 1740 2862

Biology

Life History Traits

  • Mean colony size: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Diet class: predator (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)

Castes

Males have yet to be collected.

Morphology

Worker Morphology

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

 • Eyes: 2-10 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: dentiform • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: absent

Phylogeny

Myrmicinae
Myrmicini
Pogonomyrmecini
Stenammini
Solenopsidini
Attini

Ochetomyrmex  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Tranopelta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Diaphoromyrma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lachnomyrmex  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Blepharidatta  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Allomerus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Wasmannia  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Pheidole  (1,294 species, 7 fossil species)

Cephalotes  (123 species, 16 fossil species)

Procryptocerus  (44 species, 0 fossil species)

Strumigenys  (879 species, 4 fossil species)

Phalacromyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Pilotrochus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Protalaridris  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Rhopalothrix  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Basiceros  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Octostruma  (35 species, 0 fossil species)

Eurhopalothrix  (55 species, 0 fossil species)

Talaridris  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthognathus  (7 species, 1 fossil species)

Daceton  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Lenomyrmex  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Microdaceton  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Orectognathus  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Colobostruma  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Epopostruma  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

Mesostruma  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Paleoattina

Apterostigma  (44 species, 2 fossil species)

Mycocepurus  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmicocrypta  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Neoattina

Cyatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Kalathomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetarotes  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetosoritis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex  (23 species, 2 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex

Paramycetophylax  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetophylax  (21 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetagroicus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetomoellerius  (31 species, 1 fossil species)

Sericomyrmex  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Xerolitor  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Paratrachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Trachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Amoimyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Atta  (20 species, 1 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex  (56 species, 0 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex

Pseudoatta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogastrini

Rostromyrmex  (1 species, 6 fossil species)

Cardiocondyla  (90 species, 0 fossil species)

Ocymyrmex  (34 species, 0 fossil species)

Nesomyrmex  (84 species, 2 fossil species)

Xenomyrmex  (5 species, 0 fossil species)

Terataner  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Atopomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Cataulacus  (65 species, 3 fossil species)

Carebara  (249 species, 9 fossil species)

Diplomorium  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Melissotarsus  (4 species, 1 fossil species)

Rhopalomastix  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Calyptomyrmex  (38 species, 0 fossil species)

Strongylognathus  (27 species, 0 fossil species), Tetramorium  (598 species, 2 fossil species)

Cyphoidris  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Dicroaspis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Aretidris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Vollenhovia  (83 species, 3 fossil species)

Dacetinops  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Indomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogaster  (782 species, 3 fossil species)

Meranoplus  (91 species, 0 fossil species)

Lophomyrmex  (13 species, 0 fossil species)

Adlerzia  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Recurvidris  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Stereomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Trichomyrmex  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Eutetramorium  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Royidris  (15 species, 0 fossil species)

Malagidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Vitsika  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Huberia  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Podomyrma  (62 species, 1 fossil species)

Liomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Metapone  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Kartidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Mayriella  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Tetheamyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Dacatria  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Proatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Dilobocondyla  (22 species, 0 fossil species)

Secostruma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthomyrmex  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmecina  (106 species, 0 fossil species)

Perissomyrmex  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Pristomyrmex  (61 species, 3 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma  (36 species, 0 fossil species)

Propodilobus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lasiomyrma  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Ancyridris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Paratopula  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Poecilomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Romblonella  (10 species, 0 fossil species)

Rotastruma  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Gauromyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Vombisidris  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Temnothorax  (504 species, 7 fossil species)

Harpagoxenus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Formicoxenus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Leptothorax  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

See Phylogeny of Myrmicinae for details.

Nomenclature

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

  • TALARIDRIS [Myrmicinae: Basicerotini]
    • Talaridris Weber, 1941a: 184. Type-species: Talaridris mandibularis, by original designation.
    • Talaridris junior synonym of Rhopalothrix: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 1994: 32.
    • Talaridris revived from synonymy: Bolton, 1994: 105.
    • Talaridris junior synonym of Basiceros: Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 88.

Taxonomic Notes

All taxa of genera Eurhopalothrix, Octostruma, Protalaridris, Rhopalothrix and Talaridris were combined in Basiceros, sensu Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 90-93. Synonymy of all basicerotine genera under Basiceros, by Baroni Urbani & De Andrade, 2007: 88, is incorrect procedure as Rhopalothrix has priority. Basicerotine genus-rank taxonomy documented in Bolton, 2003: 183-185, is retained.

Description

Worker

Size small. Head angular, broader than long, occipital margin concave, occipital corners angulate, sides in front of corners expanded as lobes, sides converging from thence to mandibles; anterior clypeal margin concave, frontal lobes small; antennal scrobes deep, complete and receiving distal part of scape and funiculus; eyes minute, situated on upper margin of middle antennal scrobes on posterior half of head; mandibles porrect, arcuate, narrow in front view but expanded apically so that the two mandibles meet to form a basket, expanded apical portion with a series of irregular teeth, denticles and lobes, basal portion of mandibles with a series of denticles medially; antennae 7-jointed, scapes broad, strongly elbowed and attached by a distinct pedicel, terminal funicular joint long and narrow, as long or longer than the preceding funicular joints taken together. Pro-mesonotum in profile not markedly impressed, meso-epinotal impression marked; thorax about two-thirds as broad through pronotum as its length to the epinotal spines; epinotum with distinct basal and declivous surfaces, spines large and triangular, continued downward as a lamella on either side. Petiole strongly pedunculate and with a distinct node, mid-ventrally with a small tooth near the epinotum and directed forwards, postpetiole from above transverse, anterior margin concave, posterior medial margin produced as two gibbosities. Gaster ovate, first gastric segment concave anteriorly and covering about three-fourths of the gaster; sting short, exserted. Legs moderately long and slender. Opaque, punctate. Pilosity of coarse squamate hairs on the antennal scapes and body; scale-like or clavate hairs on appendages more numerous. Ferruginous.

Queen

Similar to the worker. Size small but distinctly larger than the worker. Winged. Eyes and ocelli large and prominent, the eyes located before the distal end of the antennal scrobes and partially dividing them; mandibles as in worker; general configuration of head as in worker; epinotal spines and lamellae as in worker. Opaque, punctate, with squamate and clavate hairs as in worker. Ferruginous.

Etymology

From Talapos, a wicker-basket, sometimes a wicker-basket for fowls, and iopis, the "knowing or provident one," in allusion to the remarkable mandibles which come together at their apices in somewhat the form of a basket. According to Dr. W. M. Wheeler, Hesiod referred to the ant, probably specifically the harvesting ant (Messar), as the "knowing or provident one."

References