Trachymyrmex septentrionalis

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Trachymyrmex septentrionalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Trachymyrmex
Species: T. septentrionalis
Binomial name
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis
(McCook, 1881)

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0003337 profile 1.jpg

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0003337 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

In suitable habitats, typically semi-open vegetation types occurring on sandy soil, this ant can be locally abundant. In such areas, the conspicuous crescent-shaped soil mound found around their ground nest entrances occur in high densities.


Photo Gallery

  • Foraging worker. Photo by Chris Murrow.
  • A large nest of Trachymyrmex septentrionalis must be under this large pile of excavated material. Smaller pellets (about 1.7mm diameter) are excavated material in a pile about the size of my hand. Larger particles (3-4mm diameter) are bits of charcoal and gravel gathered by the ants and placed around the nest entrance. Shaw Nature Reserve, Missouri. Photo by James Trager.
  • A Trachymyrmex septentrionalis male ascends a leaf to embark on an afternoon mating flight in the Florida sand scrub. Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA. Photo by Alex Wild.

Identification

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis is disturbingly similar to the allopatric Trachymyrmex carinatus, but separable by the characters given in the key and by their non-overlapping distributions; carinatus occurs only in the desert southwest, septentrionalis occurs in Texas and the states north and east of there. Molecular evidence suggests the similarity is convergent. It is likely that collections identified in the literature as T. septentrionalis from Durango, Mexico may actually represent T. carinatus (Rojas-Fernandez 1994). Solely considering the publication date, Oecodoma virginiana Buckley (1867) would have seniority over McCook’s (1881) Atta septentrionalis. But since Buckley’s species description is insufficiently detailed to either recognize T. septentrionalis or distinguish between septentrionalis and its congeners, Wheeler (1902) proposed Oocodoma virginiana Buckley to be a junior synonym of Atta septentrionalis McCook. We agree with Wheeler and continue using the species name septentrionalis. Unfortunately, the locality of both types is unknown and we could not examine them. (Rabeling et al. 2007)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis has the most extensive distribution of all attine ants in the US. It has been collected from Texas to Florida and as far north as central Illinois, southern Ohio and Long Island, New York. (Rabeling et al. 2007)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 41.140652° to 16.863794°.

     
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

Habitat

Like most fungus-growing ants, the distribution of T. septentrionalis is locally patchy. In part, this may be a consequence of the distribution of suitable soils. In the northern part of its range, T. septentrionalis occurs exclusively on pure sand soils in open habitats and open woodlands of the Pine Barrens. In the southern US, T. septentrionalis is abundant in a wide variety of similar oak and pine dominated habitat types, all characterized by very sandy soils and light (if any) shade. It has also occasionally been found nesting in sandy clay soils in well-developed forests with considerable shade, particularly in the southern part of its range. (Rabeling et al. 2007)

Biology

Explore-icon.png Explore Fungus Growing 
For additional details see Fungus growing ants.

A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source.

These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius).


The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3.

Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category):

Nest Construction

A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests.

Lower Agriculture

Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae.

Coral Fungus Agriculture

Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae.

Yeast Agriculture

Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi.

Generalized Higher Agriculture

Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi.

Leaf-Cutter Agriculture

A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus.

Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

From Rabeling et al. (2007): During periods of high nest excavation activity in spring and fall, the crescent shaped mounds of T. septentrionalis are distinctive and conspicuous (Tschinkel & Bhatkar 1974). Older colonies may have several chambers, connected by one to few tunnels and inhabit a few hundred individuals (Weber 1972). As the northernmost distributed species of Trachymyrmex, colonies of T. septentrionalis hibernate during the winter and the fungus garden assumes a dormant condition. The length of hibernation varies considerably with respect to latitude. The northernmost populations in New York and New Jersey have short active periods from early May to September, whereas Florida populations remain active during the winter, as long as temperatures exceed 18oC (Weber 1972). The army ant Neivamyrmex nigrescens and the ectatommine ant Gnamptogenys hartmani are known to raid colonies of T. septentrionalis (Cole 1939).

This species is known to remove seeds (Atchison & Lucky, 2022).

Flight Period

X X X X
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Source: antkeeping.info.

Life History Traits

  • Queen number: monogynous (Frumhoff & Ward, 1992)

Castes

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Trachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102745 head 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102745 profile 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102745 profile 2.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102745 dorsal 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102745 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0102745. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA.
Trachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102746 head 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102746 profile 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102746 profile 2.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102746 dorsal 1.jpgTrachymyrmex septentrionalis casent0102746 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0102746. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • septentrionalis. Atta septentrionalis McCook, 1881a: 362 (w.) U.S.A. (New Jersey).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: New Jersey, Island Heights, N bank Tom’s River, ix.1880 (H.C. McCook or G.K. Morris).
    • Type-depository: no material known to exist.
    • Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 707 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. 1949: 673 (l.).
    • Combination in Atta (Trachymyrmex): Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 706; Forel, 1912e: 182;
    • combination in Cyphomyrmex (Trachymyrmex): Emery, 1924d: 345;
    • combination in Trachymyrmex: Gallardo, 1916b: 242; Creighton, 1950a: 321; Solomon, Rabeling, et al. 2019: 948.
    • Subspecies of Oecodoma tardigrada: Dalla Torre, 1893: 154.
    • Junior synonym of Oecodoma tardigrada Buckley: Forel, 1885a: 358; Mayr, 1886d: 442; Cresson, 1887: 259; Emery, 1895c: 329.
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 29; Wheeler, W.M. 1904e: 303; Wheeler, W.M. 1905f: 386; Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 706 (redescription); Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 568; Wheeler, W.M. 1911g: 245; Wheeler, W.M. 1913c: 115; Emery, 1924d: 345; Wheeler, W.M. 1932a: 12; Wesson, L.G. & Wesson, R.G. 1940: 99; Creighton, 1950a: 321; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 138; Weber, 1958b: 52; Carter, 1962a: 7 (in list); Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1411; Petralia & Vinson, 1980: 383; DuBois & LaBerge, 1988: 143; Deyrup, et al. 1989: 98; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Deyrup, 2003: 47; Coovert, 2005: 101; MacGown & Forster, 2005: 69; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17 (redescription); Deyrup, 2017: 155.
    • Senior synonym of obscurior: Weber, 1958b: 52; Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1411; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Coovert, 2005: 101; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
    • Senior synonym of seminole: Weber, 1958b: 52; Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
    • Senior synonym of vertebrata: Creighton, 1950a: 323; Weber, 1958b: 53; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 138; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
    • Synonym of virginiana (nomen oblitum): Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 29; Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 706; Emery, 1924d: 345; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1411; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17 (nomen oblitum).
    • Material of the unavailable name crystallina referred here by Weber, 1958b: 53; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
    • Material of the unavailable name irrorata referred here by Weber, 1958b: 53; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
    • Distribution: U.S.A.
  • obscurior. Atta (Trachymyrmex) septentrionalis var. obscurior Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 709 (w.q.) U.S.A. (Texas).
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Texas, Austin (W.M. Wheeler) (by restriction of Wheeler, W.M. 1911g: 246).
    • [Note: other original syntype localities: Texas, Montopolis, Milano (W.M. Wheeler), Texas, Denton (W.H. Long), Texas, Paris (A. Rucker, C.T. Brues), Florida, Miami (M. Treat, T. Pergande), Florida, Jacksonville (W.M. Wheeler).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Combination in Cyphomyrmex (Trachymyrmex): Emery, 1924d: 345;
    • combination in Trachymyrmex: Creighton, 1950a: 324.
    • Subspecies of septentrionalis: Wheeler, W.M. 1910g: 568; Wheeler, W.M. 1911g: 246 (redescription); Forel, 1912e: 182; Emery, 1924d: 346; Dennis, 1938: 292; Creighton, 1950a: 324; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 137.
    • Junior synonym of septentrionalis: Weber, 1958b: 52; Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1411; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Coovert, 2005: 101; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
  • seminole. Atta (Trachymyrmex) septentrionalis var. seminole Smith, M.R. 1930a: 4.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Florida, Miami (W.M. Wheeler).
    • Type-depositories: LACM, MCZC.
    • [First available use of Atta (Trachymyrmex) septentrionalis subsp. obscurior var. seminole Wheeler, W.M. 1911g: 247 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. (Florida); unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1924d: 346; Dennis, 1938: 292; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831.
    • Subspecies of septentrionalis: Creighton, 1950a: 324; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 138.
    • Junior synonym of septentrionalis: Weber, 1958b: 53; Smith, M.R. 1967: 363; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
  • vertebrata. Atta (Trachymyrmex) septentrionalis var. vertebrata Wheeler, W.M. 1911g: 246 (w.q.) U.S.A. (New Jersey).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated, “numerous”), 2 syntype queens.
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: New Jersey, Lakehurst (W.M. Wheeler).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1924d: 346.
    • Subspecies of septentrionalis: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831.
    • Junior synonym of septentrionalis: Creighton, 1950a: 323; Weber, 1958b: 53; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 138; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1412; Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.
  • virginiana. Oecodoma virginiana Buckley, 1867: 346 (w.) U.S.A. (Virginia).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Virginia, nr Aquia (S.B. Buckley).
    • Type-depository: no type-material known to exist.
    • Status as species: Cresson, 1887: 259; Dalla Torre, 1893: 154.
    • Junior synonym of septentrionalis: Wheeler, W.M. 1902f: 29; Wheeler, W.M. 1907c: 706; Emery, 1924d: 345; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 831; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1411; Bolton, 1995b: 421.
    • Nomen oblitum, synonym of septentrionalis: Rabeling, et al. 2007: 17.

Type Material

  • Syntype, worker(s), near Aquia, Virginia, United States; see Rabeling et al. 2007.
  • Syntype, worker(s), Island Heights, Pine Barrens, New Jersey, United States; see Rabeling et al. 2007.

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

Description

Worker

Diagnosis from Rabeling et al. (2007): HL 0.84–0.96, HW 0.88–1.0, CI 104–105, SL 0.84–0.96, SI 96, ML 1.12–1.32. A relatively small (HL 0.84–0.96, HW 0.88–1.0), conspicuously tuberculate species with normally proportioned legs and antennal scapes (SI 96). Head slightly broader than long (CI 104–105), sides subparallel behind the eyes, gradually tapering anteriorly between the eyes and the mandibular insertion. Posterior margin moderately concave. Preocular carinae long, traversing 2/3 to 3⁄4 of the distance between the eye and the frontal carina but not nearly touching the frontal carinae. In full-face view, frontal lobes rounded or subtriangular, usually somewhat asymmetric, with the anterior side longer than the posterior. Anterolateral promesonotal teeth well- developed, thin, sharply pointed in dorsal view, projecting somewhat upward as well as horizontally. Anterior median pronotal tubercles upright, toothlike in posterior view. Propodeal teeth usually longer than the distance separating their bases, often spinelike, pointed. Posterior margin of head, mesonotal dorsum, dorsal surfaces of petiole, postpetiole and gaster conspicuously tuberculate, tuberculi largest particularly on posterior corners of head and on the first gastric tergite. Color brownish yellow to medium reddish-brown.

Queen

Diagnosis from Rabeling et al. (2007): HL 1.05–1.2, HW 1.1–1.25, CI 104–107, SL 1.05–1.15, SI 96–100, ML 1.55–1.85. As in worker diagnosis, but with caste-specific morphology the mesosoma related to wing-bearing. Dorsolateral pronotal teeth variable in size, but sharply triangulate in dorsal view, often blunt in anterior view. Ventrolateral pronotal teeth variable, but generally lobelike. Mesoscutum coarsely, longitudinally rugulose, finely tuberculate, tuberculi with short, sharply recurved hairs. First gastric tergite with numerous small tubercles bearing short, recurved, decumbent, recurved setae.

Male

Diagnosis from Rabeling et al. (2007): HL 0.75, HW 0.8–0.9, CI 100–107, SL 0.9–1.1, SI 113–122, ML 1.5–1.85. In frontal view, posterior corners of the head angulate, angles formed by short, tuberculate ridges best seen in dorsal view; ocelli small and inconspicuous. Dorsoventral pronotal teeth, short, sharp, triangulate in dorsal view; ventrolateral teeth short, triangular or lobelike. Sculpture of mesoscutum coarse, irregular, rugulose, sometimes weakly longitudinal. Tuberculi generally absent (miniscule, if present) on first gastric tergite.

Karyotype

  • n = 10, 2n = 20, karyotype = 20M (Panama) (Murakami et al., 1998; Micolino et al., 2020).

Etymology

McCook (1881) described the worker of T. septentrionalis based on material collected from Island Heights in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The species name septentrionalis refers to the seven plowing oxen, the brightest stars of the Great Bear constellation, which dominate the skies of the northern hemisphere. Thus, septentrionalis loosely translates to “northern” in the context of North American fungus-growing ants. (Rabeling et al. 2007).

Worker Morphology

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
  • Caste: monomorphic

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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