Holcoponera striatula

A common widespread species that exhibits wide variation in some characters.

Identification
Lattke (2004) - This widespread, common, and fairly variable ant has been the object of a lengthy synonymic list. Most of the names were based upon differences in size, gauge of costulation, and the shape of the subpetiolar process and the mesopisternal lobe. These size differences are all normal for the species. One can recognize coarsely costulate and finely costulate specimens, as well as intermediate forms. The finely costulate ants can be found in several places: s. Brazil, Argentina, Guiana, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Hispaniola. Occasional series can be found that have transverse costulae on part or all of the propodeal declivity; this condition is not frequent on the finely costulate forms. Several series from Bolivia have a long anterior slope of the node, which approaches the condition in pleurodon. The use of the subpetiolar process in the separation of species is of limited value as a variation from subquadrate to anteriorly projecting lobe can be found in series from the same population or even nest. Brown (1957:489) already discussed the futility of using the mesepisternal lobe.

Distribution
This taxon was described from French Guiana. It is also found in Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina, Suriname, Paraguay, Guyana, Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.

Biology
Based on Lattke 1990: A generalist epigaeic forager of humid forests. A preference for nesting in decomposed wood but will also nest in other places such as under stones or debris. Mature nests contain from 150-200 workers.

A mite was found on the anterolateral petiolar side of one specimen from Beni, Bolivia. (Lattke 1995).

Nomenclature

 *  striatula. Gnamptogenys striatula Mayr, 1884: 32 (w.) FRENCH GUIANA. Mayr, 1887: 542 (q.m.); Gallardo, 1918b: 26 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1952a: 123 (l.). Combination in Ectatomma (Holcoponera): Mayr, 1887: 541; in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40; in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229. Senior synonym of obscurum: Santschi, 1929h: 442; of antillana: Brown, 1956b: 490; of angustiloba (and its junior synonym vollenweideri), angustipleura, brasiliensis, calcarata, paulina, pernambucana, and material of the unavailable name hybrida referred here: Brown, 1958g: 229; of arcuata, curtulum (and its junior synonym stolli), recta, rustica, simplicoides, wasmanni (and its junior synonym isthmica), wheeleri (and its junior synonym mayri): Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * curtulum. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) curtulum Emery, 1896g: 47, pl. 1, fig. 8 (w.) COSTA RICA. Forel, 1899c: 7 (q.). Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40; in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228. Senior synonym of stolli: Brown, 1958g: 228. Junior synonym of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * obscurum. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) obscurum Emery, 1896g: 48 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41. Subspecies of striatula: Forel, 1908c: 341. Junior synonym of striatula: Santschi, 1929h: 442.
 * stolli. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) curtulum var. stolli Forel, 1899c: 7 (w.m.) GUATEMALA. Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40. Subspecies of curtulum: Santschi, 1929h: 470. Junior synonym of curtulum: Brown, 1958g: 228.
 * brasiliensis. Holcoponera brasiliensis Emery, 1902a: 181 (w.q.m.) BRAZIL. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1952a: 124 (l.). Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * angustiloba. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) striatulum var. angustiloba Forel, 1908c: 341 (w.) BRAZIL. Forel, 1911e: 254 (q.); Gallardo, 1918b: 23 (m.). Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41. Subspecies of brasiliensis and senior synonym of vollenweideri: Santschi, 1929d: 275; Santschi, 1929h: 453. Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * angustipleura. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) striatulum var. angustipleura Forel, 1908c: 342 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41. Raised to species: Santschi, 1929h: 456. Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * paulina. Ectatomma (Holcomyrmex) curtula var. paulina Forel, 1908c: 342 (Holcomyrmex here is an error for Holcoponera) (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 40. Subspecies of brasiliensis: Santschi, 1929h: 456. Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * simplicoides. Ectatomma (Holcoponera) striatulum var. simplicoides Forel, 1908c: 341 (w.) BRAZIL. Santschi, 1929h: 455 (m.). Combination in Holcoponera: Emery, 1911d: 41; in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229. Subspecies of brasiliensis: Santschi, 1929h: 454. Raised to species: Brown, 1958g: 229. Junior synonym of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * vollenweideri. Holcoponera curtula var. vollenweideri Forel, 1912c: 33 (w.) ARGENTINA. Junior synonym of angustiloba: Santschi, 1929d: 275; Santschi, 1929h: 453.
 * antillana. Holcoponera striatula var. antillana Santschi, 1929h: 444, figs. 16, 21 (w.m.) MARTINIQUE I. Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1956b: 490.
 * arcuata. Holcoponera regularis var. arcuata Santschi, 1929h: 457 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 227. Junior synonym of, and hence first available replacement name for, Holcoponera regularis Santschi, 1929d: 275 [Junior secondary homonym of Gnamptogenys regularis Mayr, 1870b: 965.] and raised to species: Brown, 1958g: 227. Junior synonym of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * calcarata. Holcoponera brasiliensis var. calcarata Santschi, 1929h: 452, fig. 28 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * pernambucana. Holcoponera brasiliensis var. pernambucana Santschi, 1929h: 452, fig. 27 (w.) BRAZIL (attributed to Borgmeier). Junior synonym of striatula: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * recta. Holcoponera emeryi var. recta Santschi, 1929h: 465 (w.) BOLIVIA. Junior synonym of pleurodon: Brown, 1958g: 229; of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * regularis. Holcoponera regularis Santschi, 1929d: 275 (w.) BRAZIL. [Also described as new by Santschi, 1929h: 457.] [Junior secondary homonym of regularis Mayr, above.] Senior synonym of arcuata and hence the latter the first available replacement name for regularis Santschi: Brown, 1958g: 227.
 * rustica. Holcoponera rustica Santschi, 1929h: 446, figs. 11, 18 (w.) PARAGUAY. Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229. Junior synonym of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * wasmanni. Holcoponera wasmanni Santschi, 1929h: 466, fig. 42 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 230. Senior synonym of isthmica: Brown, 1958g: 230. Junior synonym of striatula: Lattke, 1995: 186.
 * isthmica. Holcoponera wasmanni var. isthmica Santschi, 1929h: 467 (w.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of wasmanni: Brown, 1958g: 230.

Lattke (1995): Diagnosis - Pronotal costulae semicircular; dorsoposterior mesosomal costulae longitudinal and slightly diverging caudad; mesometanotum sometimes with semiciruclar costulae; triangular metacoxal teeth; body dark brown.

Specimens determined as G. curtula by Brown for the 1958 revision are G. striatula, and so are several specimens determined as H. wasmanni var. isthmica. Specimens labelled as type series of H. emeryi recta were studied in the USNM and found to be conspecific with striatula and not with G. pleurodon. I was able to examine two G. striatula syntypes in the BMNH. Bill Brown generously shared the notes he took during his study of the following Santschi types in 1963: H. regularis, H. regularis v. arcuata, H. rustica, and H. wheeleri. He concluded that they are all the same species. He also wrote that these specimens plus additional types and specimens he studied (H. striatula v. antillana, v. angustipleura, H. wasmanni, H. wasmanni v. isthmica, H. brasiliensis v. calcarata, v. mayri, H. curtula v. paulina (det. Santschi)) perhaps could be separated into two species using the subpetiolar process. But as already has been mentioned, this process has proven to be an unreliable character for species determination in this group.

Additional References

 * E. Lommelen, C.A. Johnson, F.P. Drijfhout, J. Billen, B. Gobin. 2008. Egg marking in the facultatively queenless ant Gnamptogenys striatula: The source and mechanism. Journal of Insect Physiology 54, 727–736 (doi:10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.02.002)
 * E. Lommelen & C.A. Johnson & F.P. Drijfhout & J. Billen & T. Wenseleers & B. Gobin. 2006. Cuticular Hydrocarbons Provide Reliable Cues of Fertility in the Ant Gnamptogenys striatula. J Chem Ecol 32, 2023–2034 (DOI 10.1007/s10886-006-9126-8)