Labidus coecus

A New World subterranean army ant with an extensive geographic range. The range of L. coecus appears to be essentially continuous, from Buenos Aires, Argentina in the south (~34.6°S) to Delaware County, Oklahoma in the north (~36.6°N). The three West Indian islands with L. coecus populations are all continental shelf islands that were connected to South America during periods of lower sea levels a few thousand years ago, so L. coecus populations on these islands have only recently become isolated. Labidus coecus commonly nests in caves, a microhabitat that may allow it to live in regions with otherwise inhospitable climates. Although recent papers listed L. coecus as an exotic species in North America, we found no evidence that L. coecus is exotic to any part of its known range. (Wetterer and Snelling 2015)

Distribution
Wetterer and Snelling (2015) - L. coecus has been reported from 20 countries in Central and South America (all except Chile), three West Indian islands (Margarita, Trinidad, and Tobago), and four US states (Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas). The range of L. coecus appears to be essentially continuous, from Buenos Aires, Argentina in the south (~34.6°S) to Delaware County, Oklahoma in the north (~36.6°N).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.



Biology
Baudier et al. (2015) studied thermal tolerances of a variety of army ant workers. Labidus coecus was one of two army ant species sampled that are strictly subterranean, i.e. both bivouac and raid underground.

Nomenclature

 *  coecus. Formica coeca Latreille, 1802c: 270, pl. 9, fig. 56 (s.) CENTRAL AMERICA. Roger, 1861a: 22 (w.); Emery, 1895c: 258 (m.); Bruch, 1934b: 116 (q.); Weber, 1941c: 325 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. 1943: 332 (l.). Combination in Labidus: Jurine, 1807: 282; in Nycteresia: Roger, 1861a: 22; in Eciton: Mayr, 1886b: 119; in Eciton (Labidus): Santschi, 1924b: 11; in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86. Senior synonym of vastator: Mayr, 1865: 78; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of jurinii: Mayr, 1886a: 33; Borgmeier, 1953: 15; of erratica: Mayr, 1886b: 119; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of latreillii, rubra, saji: Emery, 1895c: 258; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of atriceps: Emery, 1900a: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of incerta: André, in Forel, 1899c: 160; Emery, 1900a: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of fulvescens: Emery, 1910b: 22; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of pilosus, smithii: Santschi, 1913h: 35; Borgmeier, 1955: 86; of grassator: Borgmeier, 1923: 41; of panzeri, biloba, elsbethae, servillei, opacifrons: Borgmeier, 1953: 16, 16, 16, 17, 19, repectively; of nigrita, kulowi, selysi, serpentis: Borgmeier, 1955: 86; material of the unavailable name hostilis referred here by Borgmeier, 1953: 14. See also: Gallardo, 1920: 326; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1984: 272; Watkins, 1976: 8.
 * latreillii. Labidus latreillii Jurine, 1807: 283 (m.) SURINAM. Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1895c: 258; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * jurinii. Labidus jurinii Shuckard, 1840a: 198 (m.) GUYANA. Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Subspecies of coecus: Emery, 1910b: 22; Forel, 1912c: 43; Gallardo, 1920: 332. Junior synonym of coecus: Mayr, 1886a: 33; Borgmeier, 1953: 15; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * servillei. Labidus servillei Westwood, 1842: 75, pl. 20, fig. 2 (m.) BRAZIL. Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Subspecies of latreillii: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4; of coecus: Forel, 1912c: 43; Santschi, 1920d: 368. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 17.
 * fulvescens. Mutilla (Labidus) fulvescens Blanchard, 1846, pl. 118, fig. 2 (m.) BRAZIL. Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 2. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1910b: 22; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * saji. Labidus saji Haldeman, 1852: 367, pl. 9, figs. 1-3 (m.) U.S.A. [Spelling emended to sayi by Roger, 1863b: 42, repeated by all later authors.] Combination in Eciton (Labidus): Mayr, 1886d: 440. Subspecies of servillei: Emery, 1890b: 39; of latreillii: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1895c: 258. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of coecus: Santschi, 1923g: 1261. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * atriceps. Labidus atriceps Smith, F. 1859b: 5 (m.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1900a: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * panzeri. Labidus panzeri Smith, F, 1859b: 71, pl. 2, fig. 2 (m.) COLOMBIA. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
 * pilosus. Labidus pilosus Smith, F. 1859b: 7 (m.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of coecus: Santschi, 1913h: 35; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * erratica. Eciton erratica Smith, F. 1860c: 71 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of coecus: Mayr, 1886b: 119; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * vastator. Eciton vastator Smith, F. 1860c: 71 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of coecus: Mayr, 1865: 78; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * rubra. Myrmica rubra Buckley, 1867: 335 (w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1895c: 258; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * incerta. Pseudodichthadia incerta André, 1885: 840, figs. 1-5 (q.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of coecus: André, in Forel, 1899c: 160; Emery, 1900a: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * smithii. Eciton smithii Dalla Torre, 1892: 89. [Unnecessary replacement name for Labidus pilosus Smith, F. 1859b: 7.] Junior synonym of coecus: Santschi, 1913h: 35.
 * biloba. Eciton coecum var. biloba Emery, 1901d: 51 (m.) ECUADOR. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
 * kulowi. Eciton coecum r. kulowi Forel, 1901h: 47 (m.) MEXICO. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * nigrita. Eciton nigrita Emery, 1901d: 52, fig. 5 (m.) GUATEMALA. Combination in E. (Labidus): Emery, 1910b: 23; in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1953: 6. Subspecies of praedator: Santschi, 1925b: 11; of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 6. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * selysi. Eciton selysi Forel, 1904d: 169 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1953: 8. Subspecies of coecus: Forel, 1905b: 157; Santschi, 1923g: 1260. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
 * grassator. Eciton grassator Forel, 1911c: 288 (w.) BRAZIL. Subspecies of coecus: Forel, 1911d: 396 (footnote); Santschi, 1923g: 1260; Wheeler, W.M. 1925b: 2. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1923: 41.
 * opacifrons. Eciton (Labidus) coecum var. opacifrons Wheeler, W.M. 1921d: 310 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 19.
 * elsbethae. Eciton (Labidus) coecum var. elsbethae Forel, 1922: 91 (m.) COLOMBIA. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
 * serpentis. Eciton (Labidus) serpentis Weber, 1938a: 209 (w.) GUYANA. Junior synonym of coecus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.