Holcoponera moelleri

Epigaeic forager of mostly lowland forested areas.

Identification
A member of the striatula subgroup (in the striatula species group). Slightly roughened costulae; pronotum with concentric costulae; posterodorsal mesosomal face with longitudinal costulae; subpetiolar process subquadrate, sometimes anteriorly projecting into a lobe. (Lattke 1995)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela.

Biology
DaRocha et al. (2015) studied the diversity of ants found in bromeliads of a single large tree of Erythrina, a common cocoa shade tree, at an agricultural research center in Ilhéus, Brazil. Forty-seven species of ants were found in 36 of 52 the bromeliads examined. Bromeliads with suspended soil and those that were larger had higher ant diversity.

Dambros et al. (2018) - Gnamptogenys moelleri  was collected via arboreal fogging in an inundated northern Pantanal (Mato Grasso, Brazil) cambarazal forest. The seasonally flooded forest was dominated by Vochysia divergens Pohl. (Vochysiaceae).

Nomenclature

 * . Holcoponera moelleri Forel, 1912c: 34 (w.q.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina).
 * Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina, Blumenau (Moeller).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228.
 * Status as species: Mann, 1916: 404; Borgmeier, 1923: 55; Santschi, 1929h: 450 (redescription); Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Kempf & Lenko, 1976: 51; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176; Lattke, et al. 2004: 347; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Feitosa, 2015c: 98; Guénard & Economo, 2015: 226; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019: 672; Camacho, et al. 2020: 454 (in key).
 * Senior synonym of concinna Santschi: Lattke, 1995: 176; Wild, 2007b: 27; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 93.
 * Senior synonym of splendens: Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 176.
 * Senior synonym of teffensis: Lattke, 1995: 176; Wild, 2007b: 27; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 93.
 * Distribution: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.
 * concinna. Holcoponera teffensis var. concinna Santschi, 1929h: 450, fig. 23 (w.) GUYANA, BRAZIL (Pará).
 * Type-material: 4 syntype workers.
 * Type-localities: Guyana (“Guyane anglaise”): Kartabo, vii.-viii.1920 (W.M. Wheeler), Brazil: Pará (W.M. Mann).
 * Type-depository: NHMB (probably also in MCZC).
 * [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Ectatomma concinna Smith, F. 1858b: 103 (Bolton, 1995b: 208).]
 * Junior synonym of teffensis: Brown, 1958g: 229, 329; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Bolton, 1995b: 208.
 * Junior synonym of moelleri: Lattke, 1995: 176; Wild, 2007b: 27; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 93.
 * splendens. Holcoponera moelleri var. splendens Santschi, 1929h: 450, fig. 15 (w.m.) BRAZIL (Santa Catarina).
 * Type-material: 2 syntype workers, 1 syntype male.
 * Type-locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina, Hammonia (Luederwaldt).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * Junior synonym of moelleri: Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 210; Lattke, 1995: 176.
 * teffensis. Holcoponera teffensis Santschi, 1929h: 449, figs. 17, 22 (w.) BRAZIL (Amazonas) (attributed to Borgmeier).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * [Note: Santschi described this taxon from a single worker. The specimen(s) in MCZC recorded by Lattke, 1995: 148, may be from the same series but are not type-material.]
 * Type-locality: Brazil: Amazonas, Tefé (Borgmeier).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 229.
 * Status as species: Brown, 1958g: 229, 329; Kempf, 1972a: 115; Lattke, 1990b: 21; Brandão, 1991: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 211.
 * Junior synonym of moelleri: Lattke, 1995: 176; Wild, 2007b: 27; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 93.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alonso L., M. Kaspari, and A. Alonso. 2001. Assessment of the Ants of the Lower Urubamba Region, Peru. Pp 87-93. In: Alsonso A, Dallmeier F, Campbell P, editors. Urubamba: The biodiversity of a Peruvian rainforest. SI/MAB Biodiversity Program-Smithsonian Institution. 204 p.
 * Borgmeier T. 1923. Catalogo systematico e synonymico das formigas do Brasil. 1 parte. Subfam. Dorylinae, Cerapachyinae, Ponerinae, Dolichoderinae. Archivos do Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro) 24: 33-103.
 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Cogni R., and P. S. Oliveira. 2004. Recruitment behavior during foraging in the neotropical ant Gnamptogenys moelleri (Formicidae: Ponerinae): does the type of food matter. Journal of Insect Behavior 17: 443-458.
 * Cogni, R. and P.S. Oliveira. 2004. Patterns in foraging and nesting ecology in the neotropical ant,Gnamptogenys moelleri(Formicidae, Ponerinae). Insectes Sociaux 51(2):123-130.
 * Dias N. D. S., R. Zanetti, M. S. Santos, M. F. Gomes, V. Peñaflor, S. M. F. Broglio, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2012. The impact of coffee and pasture agriculture on predatory and omnivorous leaf-litter ants. Journal of Insect Science 13:29. Available online: http://www.insectscience.org/13.29
 * Dias N. S., R. Zanetti, M. S. Santos, J. Louzada, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2008. Interaction between forest fragments and adjacent coffee and pasture agroecosystems: responses of the ant communities (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 98(1): 136-142.
 * Favretto M. A., E. Bortolon dos Santos, and C. J. Geuster. 2013. Entomofauna from West of Santa Catarina State, South of Brazil. EntomoBrasilis 6 (1): 42-63.
 * Fernandes I., and J. de Souza. 2018. Dataset of long-term monitoring of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the influence areas of a hydroelectric power plant on the Madeira River in the Amazon Basin. Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e24375.
 * Fernández F., E. E. Palacio, W. P. Mackay, and E. S. MacKay. 1996. Introducción al estudio de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Colombia. Pp. 349-412 in: Andrade M. G., G. Amat García, and F. Fernández. (eds.) 1996. Insectos de Colombia. Estudios escogidos. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 541 pp
 * Fernández F., and E. E. Palacio. 1995. Hormigas de Colombia IV: nuevos registros de géneros y especies. Caldasia 17: 587-596.
 * Fichaux M., B. Bechade, J. Donald, A. Weyna, J. H. C. Delabie, J. Murienne, C. Baraloto, and J. Orivel. 2019. Habitats shape taxonomic and functional composition of Neotropical ant assemblages. Oecologia 189(2): 501-513.
 * Fleck M. D., E. Bisognin Cantarelli, and F. Granzotto. 2015. Register of new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio Grande do Sul state. Ciencia Florestal, Santa Maria 25(2): 491-499.
 * Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part I. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 56: 28-49.
 * Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
 * Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
 * Kempf W. W., and K. Lenko. 1976. Levantamento da formicifauna no litoral norte e ilhas adjacentes do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. I. Subfamilias Dorylinae, Ponerinae e Pseudomyrmecinae (Hym., Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 19: 45-66.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Lattke J. E. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Gnamptogenys in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 4: 137-193
 * Lattke J. E., F. Fernández, T. M. Arias-Penna, E. E. Palacio, W. Mackay, and E. MacKay. 2008. Género Gnamptogenys Roger. Pp. 66-100 in: Jiménez, E.; Fernández, F.; Arias, T.M.; Lozano-Zambrano, F. H. (eds.) 2008. Sistemática, biogeografía y conservación de las hormigas cazadoras de Colombia. Bogotá: Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, xiv + 609 pp.
 * Lattke, J. E. 1990b. Revisión del género Gnamptogenys Roger en Venezuela (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Terramaris 2: 1-47
 * Lopes M. C., G. P. A. Lamarre, C. Baraloto, P. V. A. Fine, A. Vincentini, and F. B. Baccaro. 2019. The Amazonas-trap: a new method for sampling plant-inhabiting arthropod communities in tropical forest understory. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.12797
 * Mann W. M. 1916. The Stanford Expedition to Brazil, 1911, John C. Branner, Director. The ants of Brazil. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 399-490
 * Nascimento Santos M., J. H. C. Delabie, and J. M. Queiroz. 2019. Biodiversity conservation in urban parks: a study of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Rio de Janeiro City. Urban Ecosystems https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-019-00872-8
 * Passos L., and P. S. Oliveira. 2002. Ants affect the distribution and performance of Clusia criuva seedlings, a primarily bird-dispersed rainforest tree. Journal of Ecology 90: 517-528.
 * Passos, L. and P.S. Oliveira. 2002. Ants Affect the Distribution and Performance of Seedlings of Clusia criuva, a Primarily Bird-Dispersed Rain Forest Tree. Journal of Ecology 90(3):517-528.
 * Passos, L. and P.S. Oliveira. 2003. Interactions between ants, fruits and seeds in a restinga forest in south-eastern Brazil. Journal of Tropical Ecology 19(3):261-270.
 * Pires de Prado L., R. M. Feitosa, S. Pinzon Triana, J. A. Munoz Gutierrez, G. X. Rousseau, R. Alves Silva, G. M. Siqueira, C. L. Caldas dos Santos, F. Veras Silva, T. Sanches Ranzani da Silva, A. Casadei-Ferreira, R. Rosa da Silva, and J. Andrade-Silva. 2019. An overview of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the state of Maranhao, Brazil. Pap. Avulsos Zool. 59: e20195938.
 * Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.
 * Rosumek, F.B., M.A. Ulyssea, B.C. Lopes, J. Steiner. 2008. Formigas de solo e de bromélias em uma área de Mata Atlântica, Ilha de Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil: Levantamento de espécies e novos registros. Revista Biotemas 21(4):81-89.
 * Santschi F. 1929. Révision du genre Holcoponera Mayr. Zoologischer Anzeiger. 82: 437-477.
 * Scott-Santos, C.P., F.A. Esteves, C.R.F. Brandao. 2008. Catalogue of "Poneromorph" ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brazil. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia 48(11):75-88.
 * Sosa-Calvo J. 2007. Ants of the leaf litter of two plateaus in Eastern Suriname. In Alonso, L.E. and J.H. Mol (eds.). 2007. A rapid biological assessment of the Lely and Nassau plateaus, Suriname (with additional information on the Brownsberg Plateau). RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 43. Conservation International, Arlington, VA, USA.
 * Souza J. L. P., C. A. R. Moura, A. Y. Harada, and E. Franklin. 2007. Diversity of species of the genera Crematogaster, Gnamptogenys and Pachycondyla, (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and complementarity of sampling methods during the dry season in an ecological station in the Brazilian state of Pará. Acta Amazonica 37(4): 649-656.
 * Ulyssea M. A., B. C. Lopes, A. Zillidens, J. Steiner. 2007. Ants associated to Nidularium innocentii and Aechmea lindenii (Bromeliaceae) in atlantic rainforest in southern Brazil. Biológico, São Paulo 69(2): 319-324.
 * Ulyssea M.A., C. E. Cereto, F. B. Rosumek, R. R. Silva, and B. C. Lopes. 2011. Updated list of ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) recorded in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, with a discussion of research advances and priorities. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 55(4): 603-611.
 * Vasconcelos, H.L., J.M.S. Vilhena, W.E. Magnusson and A.L.K.M. Albernaz. 2006. Long-term effects of forest fragmentation on Amazonian ant communities. Journal of Biogeography 33:1348-1356
 * Wild, A. L.. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.