Temnothorax porphyritis

Temnothorax porphyritis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Temnothorax
Species group:	sallei
Species:	T. porphyritis
Binomial name
Temnothorax porphyritis (Roger, 1863) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Macromischa jaumei Santschi, 1930 Macromischa porphyritis latispina Wheeler, W.M., 1931

Little is known about the biology of Temnothorax porphyritis.

Identification

Prebus (2017) - A member of the sallei clade.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 23.133° to 20.816667°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

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.

Nomenclature

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

• porphyritis. Macromischa porphyritis Roger, 1863a: 185 (w.) CUBA. Mann, 1929: 162 (q.). Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 480; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 272. Senior synonym of jaumei, latispina: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 480. See also: Mann, 1920: 413; Wheeler, W.M. 1931b: 17.
• jaumei. Macromischa (Macromischa) jaumei Santschi, 1930e: 78 (w.) CUBA. Subspecies of porphyritis: Wheeler, W.M. 1931b: 18. Junior synonym of porphyritis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 480.
• latispina. Macromischa porphyritis var. latispina Wheeler, W.M. 1931b: 18 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of porphyritis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 480.

Description

Worker

Wheeler (1931) - Length 4.5-5 mm.

Slender; head suboval, about! longer than broad, narrowed behind, with straight posterior border and rather indistinct posterior corners; cheeks rather straight, subparallel. Eyes moderately large and convex, at the middle of the sides. Mandibles narrow, 5-toothed, with rather straight external borders. Clypeus short, convex in the middle, its anterior border feebly sinuate in the middle. Frontal area triangular, distinct, but not deeply impressed. Antennae very slender; scapes reaching fully i their length beyond the occipital border; first funicular joint as long as the second and third together, the second distinctly longer than the third, joints 3-7 one and one-half times as long as broad; club rather indistinctly 3-jointed, shorter than the remainder of the funiculus. Thorax long, of uniform width, except for a pronounced lateral constriction between the pro- and mesonotum; dorsal outline in profile straight and horizontal; base of epinotum twice as long as the declivity, with which it forms a right angle; spines long and slender, nearly as long as the base of the epinotum, directed backward and somewhat upward, their bases rather stout, directed outward, backward and somewhat inward; their tips turned upward, so that each spine has a distinct sigmoidal flexure. Metasternal angles very short and blunt. Petiole very long and slender, the peduncle twice as long as the node, distinctly swollen at the spiracles, with a rudimentary anteroventral denticle and a ventral convexity near the middle; node in profile rather low and evenly rounded, longer than high, about twice as long as broad, constricted behind. Postpetiole campanulate, as broad as long, behind nearly twice as broad as the petiole. Gaster slender, its first segment decidedly longer than broad, the remaining segments forming a long, tapering point. Sting well developed. Legs long; femora only slightly incrassated.

Mandibles somewhat shining, coarsely striate-punctate; head and thorax opaque or somewhat lustrous, finely and densely punctate-rugulose, the rugules indistinctly longitudinal on the vertex, pronotum and pleurae, more distinct and transverse on the mesoepinotum. Petiole, postpetiole, gaster and legs rather shining, sparsely and finely punctate; femora sparsely tuberculate; scape opaque, finely punctatestriate.

Hairs white, pointed, abundant, moderately long and erect on the head, thorax and gaster, somewhat shorter and more oblique on the legs; numerous, conspicuous and curved on the scapes.

Mandibles, clypeus and cheeks anteriorly yellowish red; head and thorax deep, dull metallic purple, often with violaceous reflections; petiole, postpetiole and gaster black, with bluish reflections; legs and antennae more piceous or dark brown; terminal tarsal joints more reddish; sting golden yellow.

Type Material

Wheeler (1931) - Described from numerous specimens taken by Dr. P. J. Bermudez in the Sierra del Grillo, Havana Province, Cuba.

References

• Baroni Urbani, C. 1978b. Materiali per una revisione dei Leptothorax neotropicali appartenenti al sottogenere Macromischa Roger, n. comb. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 3: 395-618 (page 480, Combination in Leptothorax, and senior synonym of jaumei and latispina)
• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 272, Combination in Temnothorax)
• Mann, W. M. 1920b. Additions to the ant fauna of the West Indies and Central America. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 42: 403-439 (page 413, see also)
• Mann, W. M. 1929. Notes on Cuban ants of the genus Macromischa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 31: 161-166 (page 162, queen 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).
• Roger, J. 1863a. Die neu aufgeführten Gattungen und Arten meines Formiciden-Verzeichnisses nebst Ergänzung einiger früher gegebenen Beschreibungen. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7: 131-214 (page 185, worker described)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1931b. New and little-known ants of the genera Macromischa, Creosomyrmex and Antillaemyrmex. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 72: 1-34 (page 17, see also)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Alayo D. P. 1974. Introduccion al estudio de los Himenopteros de Cuba. Superfamilia Formicoidea. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Instituto de Zoologia. Serie Biologica no.53: 58 pp. La Habana.
• Baroni Urbani C. 1978. Materiali per una revisione dei Leptothorax neotropicali appartenenti al sottogenere Macromischa Roger, n. comb. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 3: 395-618.
• Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
• Emery C. 1896. Sur les fourmis du genre Macromischa Rog. (Hym.). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 1896: 102-103.
• Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
• Fontenla J. L. 2001. Claves para las especies cubanas del taxon Macromischa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptothorax). Cocuyo (Havana) 11: 15-17.
• 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. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
• Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
• Kusnezov N. 1963. Zoogeografia de las hormigas en sudamerica. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 19: 25-186
• Mann W. M. 1920. Additions to the ant fauna of the West Indies and Central America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 42: 403-439.
• Mann W. M. 1929. Notes on Cuban ants of the genus Macromischa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 31: 161-166.
• Santschi F. 1930. Quelques fourmis de Cuba et du Brésil. Bulletin. Société Entomologique d'Egypte. 14: 75-83.
• Wheeler W. M. 1905. The ants of the Bahamas, with a list of the known West Indian species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 21: 79-135.
• Wheeler W. M. 1913. The ants of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 54: 477-505.
• Wheeler W. M. 1931. New and little-known ants of the genera Macromischa, Creosomyrmex and Antillaemyrmex. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 72: 1-34.