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Temnothorax caryaluteus
| Temnothorax caryaluteus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Temnothorax |
| Species: | T. caryaluteus |
| Binomial name | |
| Temnothorax caryaluteus Prebus, Nguyen, Doering & Booher, 2024 | |
Temnothorax caryaluteus is a free-living (non-parasitic) species. All collections to date have been made from under bark or in dead branches and twigs on live trees in the genera Quercus and Carya. This nesting preference is only shared by one other species of Temnothorax in the eastern United States: Temnothorax schaumii. Notably Temnothorax curvispinosus, a close relative of T. caryaluteus, is only rarely found under bark on live trees or in galls, and Temnothorax ambiguus has never been recorded from arboreal microhabitats (Table 1).
This species has consistently been misidentified in museum collections as Temnothorax ambiguus, a common inhabitant of acorn shells and leaf litter. Unlike Temnothorax ambiguus, Temnothorax caryaluteus nests primarily in arboreal microhabitats, especially within dead branches on live Carya and Quercus trees.
Photo Gallery
Prebus et al. (2024), Fig. 4. Castes of Temnothorax caryaluteus a–c. Holotype ☿ (USNM, CASENT4011115). a. Full face view. b. Profile view. c. Dorsal view. d–f. Paratype ♀ (USNM, CASENT4011128). d. Full face view. e. Profile view. f. Dorsal view. g–i. Non-type ♂ (USNM, CASENT4012896). g. Full face view. h. Profile view. i. Dorsal view. Scale bars 0.2 mm.
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Identification
Among the species of the eastern United States, the worker of Temnothorax caryaluteus is distinguishable by the following combination of characters:
- antennae 11-segmented
- antennal scrobe absent
- mandible with five masticatory teeth
- antennal scape long: when fully retracted, failing to reach the posterior margin of the head by < 2 times the width of the antennal scape
- subpetiolar process absent or weakly developed
- propodeal spines shorter than, or as long as, the propodeal declivity in profile view, varying from as long as broad to twice as long as broad at the base
- dorsum of mesosoma sculptured
- workers > 3 mm in length
- head, mesosoma, and gaster integument light colored (often yellowish-orange), with the posterior half of the first gastral tergite infuscated
- propodeal spines closely approximated, their bases separated by roughly the length of the propodeal spine in dorsal view, their union forming a U-shape
- apex of petiolar node acute to narrowly rounded in profile view, about as half as wide as the petiole in dorsal view
- mesosoma slightly arched in profile view
Temnothorax caryaluteus will visit blacklights, but we have only a single date associated with an alate collection event: 10 Jun. 2018 in Madison Co., AL by Steven Wang. Like the worker, the gyne of T. caryaluteus may be confused with that of T. ambiguus or T. curvispinosus. In agreement with Wesson & Wesson (1940), we found significant differences in the distributions of Weber’s length (WL) pronotum width (PW) in gynes (Supp. file 3), but we hesitate to use these as diagnostic characters due to the presence of microgynes in T. curvispinosus in at least some parts of its range (Prebus pers. obs.). Temnothorax caryaluteus exhibits some integument color variation across its range. Most worker specimens that we have examined are predominantly orange-yellow, with the posterior margin of the first gastral tergite slightly infuscated, but one specimen from the vicinity of Athens, GA is predominantly medium brown (CASENT0750495).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Temnothorax caryaluteus is broadly distributed throughout the eastern United States, but apparently commonly misidentified as Temnothorax ambiguus, most likely due to the short propodeal spines. The geographic range of T. caryaluteus is contained completely within the range of Temnothorax curvispinosus, its closest relative (Prebus in prep.), but appears to be confined to slightly lower latitudes (see Fig. 5). We were unable to find a range overlap between T. caryaluteus and T. ambiguus, although they come into close contact in Virginia and West Virginia. It is likely that in this region their ranges are stratified by elevation, with T. ambiguus inhabiting mountain tops. All nest collections of T. caryaluteus have been taken from dead wood on live trees. The known host trees are Carya illinoiensis (Wangenh.) K.Koch and Quercus montana Willd., both of which are common and widespread hardwoods in the eastern United States. All collections have occurred below 500 m.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 39.2° to 34.0°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: Prebus et al., 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. |
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{{Estimated Abundance|count=1
Biology
Nesting Habits
| Temnothorax sp. | Acorns / hickory nuts | Sticks / dead roots in leaf litter | Rotten logs / dead standing trees | Hollow plant stems | Rock crevices | Formica nests | Nests of other Temnothorax spp. | Under rock / directly in soil | Galls | Under bark on live trees | Hollow twigs on live trees | Branches on live trees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temnothorax allardycei | – | x | – | x | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – |
| Temnothorax ambiguus | x | x | – | x | – | x | – | x | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax americanus | x | x | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax bradleyi | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – |
| Temnothorax caryaluteus | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | x | x |
| Temnothorax curvispinosus | x | x | x | x | – | – | – | x | x | x | – | – |
| Temnothorax duloticus | x | x | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax longispinosus | x | x | x | – | x | – | – | x | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax minutissimus | x | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax palustris | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax pergandei | x | x | x | x | x | – | – | x | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax pilagens | x | x | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax schaumii | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – | x | x | x | x |
| Temnothorax smithi | – | – | x | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – |
| Temnothorax texanus | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax torrei | – | x | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Temnothorax tuscaloosae | x | x | – | – | – | – | – | x | – | – | – | – |
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- caryaluteus. Temnothorax caryaluteus Prebus et at., 2024: 181, fig. 4 (w.q.m.) UNITED STATES (Kentucky).
Type Material
- Holotype: USA – Kentucky • ☿; Whitley County, Williamsburg; 36.739° N, 84.168° W ± minute; 320 m a.s.l.; 27 Jul. 2015; M. Deyrup#ANTC43885; in fallen branch of Carya illinoiensis; USNM, CASENT4011115.
- Paratypes: USA – Kentucky • 1 dealate ♀; same data as for holotype; USNM, CASENT4011128 • 3 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; USNM, CASENT4011123 to CASENT4011125 • 3 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; USNM, CASENT4011141 to CASENT4011143 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; ABS, CASENT0759059 to CASENT0759060 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; ASUHIC, CASENT4011121 to CASENT4011122 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; CASC, CASENT0759057 to CASENT0759058 • 6 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; MCZC, CASENT4011106 to CASENT4011111 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; MEM, CASENT0759052 to CASENT0759053 • 3 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; UGCA, CASENT4011112 to CASENT4011114 • 5 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; UGCA, CASENT4011116 to CASENT4011120 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; UTIC, CASENT0759054 to CASENT0759055 • 2 ☿☿; same data as for holotype; VMNH, CASENT4011104 to CASENT4011105.