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Tapinoma pulchellum
| Tapinoma pulchellum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Tapinoma |
| Species: | T. pulchellum |
| Binomial name | |
| Tapinoma pulchellum Cover & Rabeling, 2024 | |
Tapinoma pulchellum is a workerless inquiline that is only found within nests of its host, Tapinoma sessile. It is known from only two specimens: a dealate female and a damaged male, which both exhibit typical characters of the morphological inquiline syndrome (Fig. 3, Table 2). Both specimens were recovered from adjacent pitfall traps at the type locality in Eno River State Park in North Carolina. Accordingly, T. pulchellum has not been observed in mixed colonies with its host. However, T. sessile is the only Tapinoma species at the type locality, so T. sessile is almost certainly the host of T. pulchellum. Visits to the type locality in 2011 and 2012 failed to turn up additional specimens of T. pulchellum but allowed observations of the putative host at that site. The field contained a dense population of Tapinoma sessile, and nests were located at the base of grass clumps or in the dense grassy thatch that covered the ground under the living vegetation. The T. sessile population was unusual. Colonies were large, with more than 4,000–5,000 ants, and uniformly monogynous. Both workers and queens were larger than the average size for T. sessile. Sexuals were not present, indicating that the mating flights had taken place already in early July.
| At a Glance | • Workerless Inquiline • Brachypterous Male |
Photo Gallery
Cover & Rabeling (2024), Figure 3. Morphological comparison of the Tapinoma pulchellum holotype queen A, C, E and a paratype male B, D, F in lateral A, B dorsal C, D and full-face E, F view. The type series was collected in two adjacent pitfall traps at Eno River State Park in North Carolina. Scale bars 0.5 mm (A, C–E); 0.25 mm (B, F).
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Identification
Tapinoma pulchellum is closely similar to Tapinoma incognitum, from which it can be readily distinguished by the palp formula of both queens and males, the edentate mandibles, the flat anterior clypeal border, the petiole shape, and the unique propodeal profile. This striking similarity makes it highly probable that T. pulchellum is a workerless inquiline, similar in its life-history to T. incognitum.
An apparently workerless, inquiline social parasite of Tapinoma sessile exhibiting morphological traits of the inquiline syndrome. Queens and males are tiny, much smaller than the host workers, and are very similar to each other in size and habitus (Fig. 3, Table 2). Females are apparently alate, but males are brachypterous. Both sexes have a reduced (5,4) palp formula and twelve antennal segments. Females have a flat anterior clypeal border, edentate mandibles, and a petiole with a small, dorsally rounded node in side view. Females most similar to but are readily distinguished from T. incognitum by differing palp count, edentate mandibles, anterior clypeal border, petiole shape, and propodeal profile (subangulate with short dorsal face and long, weakly concave posterior face versus rounded convexity in T. incognitum).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 36.0° to 36.0°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Cover & Rabeling, 2024
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
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
| Trait | Host | Social parasites | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapinoma sessile | Tapinoma shattucki | Tapinoma inflatiscapus | Tapinoma incognitum | Tapinoma pulchellum | |
| Worker caste absent | – | + | + | + | ? (+) |
| Multiple egg laying host queens present (host polygyny) | + | ? (–) | – | + | ? |
| Multiple egg laying parasite queens present in host colony (parasite polygyny) | n/a | + | ? | + | ? |
| Parasite queen coexists with host queen (host queen tolerance) | n/a | ? (–) | – | + | ? (+) |
| Adelphogamy (inside nest mating) | – | ? (–) | ? | + | ? |
| Gynaecomorphism (gyne-like male morphology) | – | – | – | + | + |
| Fragmented populations, limited geographic distribution | – (North America) |
+ (2 localities in MA) |
+ (UT, CO) |
+ (type locality, UT) |
+ (type locality, NC) |
| Reduced body size | – | + (size of host worker) |
+ (size of host worker) |
+ (smaller than host worker) |
+ (smaller than host worker) |
| Exoskeleton becomes thinner and less pigmented | – | + | + | + | + |
| Number of antennal segments reduced in females | – (♀: 12) |
– (♀: 12) |
– (♀: 12) |
– (♀: 12) |
– (♀: 12) |
| Number of antennal segments reduced in males | – (♂: 13) |
– (♂: 13) |
– (♂: 13) |
+ (♂: 12) |
+ (♂: 12) |
| Number of maxillary and labial pals (palp formula) reduced in females | – (♀: 6,4) |
+ (♀: 5,4) |
+ (♀: 5,4) |
+ (♀: 4,3) |
+ (♀: 5,4) |
| Number of maxillary and labial pals (palp formula) reduced in males | – (♂: 6,4) |
+ (♂: 5,4) |
– (♂: 6,4) |
+ (♂: 5,3) |
+ (♂: 5,4) |
| Reduced mandibular dentition | – 14 teeth |
– (10–11 denticles) |
– (11 denticles) |
+ (2–4 denticles, plus apical tooth) |
+ (only apical tooth) |
| Reduced wings in females | – (♀ capable of flying) |
– (♀ capable of flying) |
– (♀ capable of flying) |
+ (♀: wings deciduous) |
– (♀: winged) |
| Reduced wings in males | – (♂ capable of flying) |
– (♂ capable of flying) |
– (♂ capable of flying) |
+ (♂: brachypterous) |
+ (♂: brachypterous) |
| Petiole thickened | – | – | – | + | + |
Cited Sources
- Cover, S.P., Rabeling, C. 2024. Four new inquiline social parasite species in the dolichoderine ant genus Tapinoma (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 1202, 111–134 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1202.120478).
- Kutter, H. 1968. Die sozialparasitischen Ameisen der Schweiz. Neujahrsblatt der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich 171: 1–62.
- Prebus, M., Georgiev, B.B., van de Kamp, T., Hamann, E., Baker, I., Rabeling, C. 2023. The rediscovery of the putative ant social parasite Manica parasitica syn. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) reveals an unexpected endoparasite syndrome. Biology Letters, 19, 20230399 (doi:10.1098/rsbl.2023.0399).
- Rabeling, C., Messer, S., Lacau, S., do Nascimento, I.C., Bacci, M., Delabie, J.H.C. 2019. Acromyrmex fowleri: a new inquiline social parasite species of leaf‑cutting ants from South America, with a discussion of social parasite biogeography in the Neotropical region. Insectes Sociaux 66: 435–451 (doi:10.1007/s00040-019-00705-z).
- Wilson, E.O. 1971. The insect societies. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. 548 pp.
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- pulchellum. Tapinoma pulchellum Cover & Rabeling, 2024: 123, fig. 3 (dq.m.) U.S.A. (North Carolina).
Type Material
Type locality. U.S.A., North Carolina, Orange County, Eno River State Park, 8 miles northwest of downtown Durham; open field adjacent to the Eno Trace trailhead. GPS: 36.073°N, 79.008°W; elevation 460’ (140 m). Large, maintained open field surrounded by mature secondary oak-hickory forest. The field was dominated by scattered Juniperus virginiana to 30’ tall plus a few young Pinus virginiana. Dense, grassy-herbaceous vegetation plus young Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) up to 8’ tall. Sandy clay soil. The holotype queen was found in pitfall sample 13F 4,2. The paratype male was found in pitfall sample 13F 5,1. There is also a worker of the potential host from pitfall sample 13F 5,3. Collected by Amy Arnett in June 1997.
Type material. Holotype queen (MCZENT 00806459). Paratype male (MCZENT 00806460; same collecting locality as holotype). Holotype and paratype deposited in the MCZC.