Temnothorax torrei

This species was described from a single worker that was found in empty (terrestrial) shells and given to Aguayo. These ants are rarely collected as they typically are found in litter samples.

Identification
Aguayo (1931):"Temnothorax torrei is similar in size and coloration to Temnothorax flavidulus Wheeler and Mann from Haiti, but it is very easily separated by its sculpture, shape of petiolar node, shape of the head, position of eyes, etc."

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Cuba, Greater Antilles.

Habitat
In Florida, collected from hardwood hammock/tropical hammock and pine forest. In Puerto Rico workers were found in dry forest in leaf litter.

Abundance
Rarely collected.

Biology
Deyrup, Davis & Cover, 2000): This species occurs in Cuba, the Bahamas, and tropical Florida. It is a litter inhabiting ant that one would not expect to be an effective long distance disperser, but readily relocated in containers of soil. The first Florida report is recent (Deyrup et al. 1988), but it is a species that is unlikely to be found except by litter extraction.

Nomenclature

 *  torrei. Macromischa (Antillaemyrmex) torrei Aguayo, 1931: 178 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 520; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 272.

Worker
Length 2 mm.

Head longer than broad, rectangular, with evenly convex sides, straight posterior border and rounded occipital corners. Eyes convex, situated before the middle of the sides of the head. Clypeus convex, with rounded anterior border. Frontal carinae parallel. Frontal area indistinct. Mandibles with denticulate, concave apical border. Antennal scapes scarcely reaching the posterior corners of the head; funicular club large, 3-jointed, longer than the remaining funiculus; joint 2-7 broader than long.

Thorax short, as long as the head with mandibles, broader in front than behind, with regular slightly convex profile, without dorsal thoracic sutures. Epinotal spines about as long as the epinotal declivity, and longer than their distance at the base, directed backward and upward, and very slightly curved downward.

Peduncle short, with a small tooth on its anteroventral surface. Node longer than broad; its anterior declivity in profile slightly concave, its summit flattened, and its posterior declivity almost straight. Postpetiole large, twice as broad as long, almost as broad as the gaster, and three times as broad as the petiole behind, in profile convex above. Gaster small, about as long as the thorax.

Legs small, femora feebly incrassated.

Surface of body shining, head and thorax densely and finely punctate. Gaster smooth. Appendages very finely punctate and shining.

Pilosity scarce. Hairs white, short, erected and scattered on the body; minute on scapes and legs.

Color uniformly testaceous.

Queen
Queens have been collected in Florida but this caste has not been formally described.

Type Material
Remedios, Santa Clara Province, Cuba.

Etymology
Patronym. Named for the collector, Dr. Carlos de la Torre, who supplied the type worker.