Temnothorax imias

Temnothorax imias
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species group:	incertae sedis
Species:	T. imias
Binomial name
	Temnothorax imias; (Fontenla Rizo, 1998)

Known only from the type locality, the type material was collected from a very small nest under a stone. Imias is a locality with a very dry climate and xerophitic vegetation. (Fontenla Rizo 1998)

Photo Gallery

Duarte & Breto (2024), Figs 61–62. Temnothorax imias Fontenla (26.199). Holotype worker. 61) Lateral habitus. 62) Labels.

Identification

Fontenla Rizo (1998) - Terricolous species of cuban Temnothorax with small size, yellow color, longitudinal profile, propodeal spines short, femora swollen, no hairs on the dorsum of mesosoma and very broad and flattened postpetiole. This species shares the common traits already mentioned above with terricolous Antillean Temnothorax. Its affinities are not obvious, and the combination of traits like lacking hairs in the dorsum of mesosoma and a very broad and flattened postpetiole make this species very distinctive among the terricolous group.

Keys including this Species

Key to Temnothorax salvini clade workers

Distribution

Santiago de Cuba Province, Cuba.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Cuba (type locality), Greater Antilles.

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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

imias. Leptothorax imias Fontenla Rizo, 1998: 66, figs. 4, 5 (w.q.) CUBA. Combination in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271.

Type Material

Holotype; worker, collected by L. F. de Armas in August, 1975, Imias, Santiago de Cuba Province.
Paratypes: four workers, one female, same data as holotype. Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba

Duarte & Breto (2024) report the following material in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba:

Holotype 1 worker (26.199), Cuba, Santiago de Cuba, Imías, 1975-08, leg. L. F. de Armas. Original label data: Imias / Ote [handwritten] // Bajo Piedras / viii.75 / L. F. Armas [handwritten] // Holotypus [circle red label, handwritten] //, 26.199 [printed].
Paratypes 1♀ (26.201) and 4 workers (26.200, 26.198), same information of the holotype.

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

Description

Worker

(paratypes). SL: 0,53 (0,50-0.53); HW: 0.57 (0.55-0.57). HL: 0.66 (0.62-0.65); ML: 0.90 (0.85-0.90); PL: 0.42 (0.40-0.42); PPW: 0.18 (0.15-0.18); PPL: 0.27 (0.22-0.27); FL: 0.60 (0.55-0.60). Indices. SI: 80.3 (80.3-80.6); CI: 86.4 (86.4-88.7); PI: 46.7 (44.4-46.7); HI: 42.8 (37.5-42.8); PPI: 133.3 (133.3-136.3); FI: 66.7 (64.7-66.7).

Mandibles five toothed. Antennae with 12 segments; club conspicuous and three segmented; scapes slender, not surpassing cephalic length. Head and eyes proportionally big. Mesosoma robust with longitudinal profile. In dorsal view, pronotum with humeral angles rounded; mesosoma width decreasing from pronotum to propodeum. Promesotoraxical suture superficial. Propodeal spines short, about 17% of mesosoma length, straight and divergent at the tips. Petiolar peduncle short, node high, almost square in profile and rounded in dorsal view. Postpetiole very broad and flattened dorsoventrally. Gaster proportionally big, with a well developed sting. Femora swollen and short, posterior femora less than 70% of mesosoma length. Tegument shining; body punctuated throughout and very feeble striated. Gaster smooth. Pilosity extremely scarce, with only a few short and blunt white hairs restricted mostly to gaster and clypeus; dorsum of mesosoma with no hairs. Color yellow brown. Mandibles with dentarium border red.

Queen

Measurements. SI: 0.60; HW: 0.69; HL: 0.87; ML: 1.29; PL: 0.51; PH: 0.27; PPW: 0.57; PPL: 0.36; FL: 0.72. Indices. SI: 68.9; CI: 79.3; PI: 39.5; HI: 52.9; PPI: 52.6; FI: 55.8.

In comparison with workers, size much bigger, antennal club less conspicuous, eyes very large. Head with three ocelli, mesosoma very robust; petiolar node rounded and massive, postpetiole proportionally small. Tegument, pilosity and coloration like the workers.

Etymology

Named after the type locality.

References

Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 271, Combination in Temnothorax)
Duarte, S., Breto, D. 2024. Type catalogue of Hymenoptera (Insecta) housed in the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba. Zootaxa 5523(3), 301–336 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5523.3.1).
Fontenla Rizo, J. L. 1998b. New species of Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Cuba. Avicennia 8-9: 61-68. (page 66, fig. worker described)
Prebus, M.M. 2021. Taxonomic revision of the Temnothorax salvini clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key to the clades of New World Temnothorax. PeerJ 9, e11514 (doi:10.7717/peerj.11514).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1998. New species of Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Cuba. Avicennia 8-9: 61-68.
Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2002. Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa. Cocuyo 12: 10-13
Portuondo E. and J. L. Reyes. 2002. Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa. Cocuyo 12: 10-13.
Portuondo Ferrer, E. and J. Fernandez Triana. Biodiversidad del orden Hymenoptera en Los Macizos Montanosos de Cuba Oriental. Boletin S.E.A. 35:121-136.