Temnothorax bicolor

Temnothorax bicolor
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species group:	sallei
Species:	T. bicolor
Binomial name
Temnothorax bicolor (Mackay, W.P., 2000) Type Specimen Label

Only a single worker of this species has been collected. It was captured at a bait trap placed on the ground.

Identification

Prebus 2017 - A member of the sallei clade.

Mackay (2000) - This is a bicolored species (dark brown head and gaster, reddish brown mesosoma) with a 12-segmented antenna. The dorsum of the head is smooth and shining, the mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole are heavily sculptured. The medial clypeal carina is poorly developed, as are the lateral carinae. The surface of the clypeus is weakly convex. The propodeal spines are long and well developed. The petiole is broadly rounded.

The long, well-developed propodeal spines of this species will separate it from most similar species. It could be most likely to confuse this species with Temnothorax stollii, from which it can be separated by the presence of the semicircular striae posterior to the insertion of the antenna.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Temnothorax andersoni species group workers
• Key to the New World Temnothorax

Distribution

MEXICO, Chiapas.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Mexico (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.

Habitat

The type worker was collected in a pine forest mixed with hardwoods that had been recently burned. Some litter was present and the soils were a pale red clay.

Abundance

Only known from a single collection.

Nomenclature

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

• bicolor. Leptothorax (Myrafant) bicolor Mackay, W.P., 2000: 320, figs. 23, 25, 90, 91 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.

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

Description

Worker

Mandibles with 5 teeth; anterior border of clypeus nearly straight, clypeus with poorly defmed medial carina and 4 lateral carinae on each side; vertex straight; mesosoma with none of the sutures breaking the sculpture; propodeal spines small (0.06mm in length), but well developed; petiole with well developed, blunt subpetiolar tooth, anterior petiolar face concave, posterior face convex, petiolar node blunt and rounded in profile.

Erect, blunt hairs scattered on most surfaces, up to 0.05mm in length, legs and scapes with finer hairs, which are nearly decumbent.

Dorsum of head and gaster smooth and polished, mesosoma, petiole and postpetiole mostly punctured and rough, poorly defmed rugae on sides of mesosoma.

Head and gaster very dark brown, mesosoma reddish brown.

Measurements: HL 0.66, HW 0.56, SL 0.52. EL 0.18, WL 0.77, PW 0.19, PL 0.25, PPW 0.28, PPL 0.20. Indices: CI 85, S1 79, PI 76, PPI 140.

Queen

No known Queens for this species.

Male

No known Males for this species.

Type Material

MEXICO. Chiapas: 20 KE San Cristobal de las Casas (3 miles NW Highway 190 on Highway 199). l-vi-1988. 2400 meters. W. Mackay # 10700. Holotype worker Museum of Comparative Zoology

Etymology

Descriptive. "Based on the color of the worker."

References

• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
• MacKay, W. P. 2000. A review of the New World ants of the subgenus Myrafant, (genus Leptothorax) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 36: 265-444 (page 320, figs. 23, 25, 90, 91 worker described)
• Prebus, M. 2017. Insights into the evolution, biogeography and natural history of the acorn ants, genus Temnothorax Mayr (hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bmc Evolutionary Biology. 17:250. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-1095-8 (The doi link to the publication's journal webpage provides access to the 24 files that accompany this article).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Fernandes, P.R. XXXX. Los hormigas del suelo en Mexico: Diversidad, distribucion e importancia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
• Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133