Holcoponera gracilis

This is an epigaeic forager known only from primary and secondary wet forests of the Guiana Shield and its remnants in the Venezuelan Amazonas, mostly between altitudes of 850-1600 m. Within the range of 1000-1200 it can be locally abundant. One record from 550 is next to Angel Falls. This suggests that proximity with the higher forested talus slopes of Auyan Tepuy could explain its occurrence at such a low elevation. This species obviously prefers cool, mesic habitats. This distribution plus climatic evidence (Schubert 1988) suggests that G. gracilis may have been more widely distributed in this area during the last glacial period.

Identification
A member of the porcata subgroup (in the striatula species group). Finely costulae; pronotal costulae concentric to arched; mesonotum frequently with longitudinal costulae surrounded by concentric costulae; metanotum and propodeal dorsum with transverse costulae, and longitudinal on declivitous propodeal face; subpetiolar process anteriorly triangular and posteriorly angular. On account of size, similar sculpture, posteriorly inclined node and fair amount of pilosity, its nearest relative appears to be Holcoponera pilosa, also an apparent endemic, of the Colombian Cordillera N and NNW of Cali. An occasional specimen may have a second, smaller seta just below the prominent seta of the foretarsal base. (Lattke 1995)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 * . Holcoponera gracilis Santschi, 1929h: 468, figs. 14, 41 (w.) GUYANA.
 * Type-material: 3 syntype workers.
 * Type-locality: Guyana (“Guyane anglaise”): Kurupung (H.O. Lang).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * [Note: this species was founded on 3 syntype workers, all recorded as present in NHMB by Baroni Urbani, 1973b: 127; the specimen recorded in MCZC by Lattke, 1995: 148, is part of this series.]
 * Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228;
 * combination in Holcoponera: Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
 * Status as species: Brown, 1958g: 228; Kempf, 1972a: 112; Lattke, 1990b: 14; Brandão, 1991: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, 1995: 168; Lattke, et al. 2007: 258 (in key); Camacho, et al. 2020: 455 (in key); Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 11.
 * Distribution: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118: 173-362.
 * 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.
 * Fernández F., and T. M. Arias-Penna. 2008. Las hormigas cazadoras en la región Neotropical. Pp. 3-39 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.
 * Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
 * 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. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Lattke, J. E. 1990b. Revisión del género Gnamptogenys Roger en Venezuela (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Acta Terramaris 2: 1-47
 * Santschi F. 1929. Révision du genre Holcoponera Mayr. Zoologischer Anzeiger. 82: 437-477.
 * Siqueira de Castro F., A. B. Gontijo, P. de Tarso Amorim Castro, and S. Pontes Ribeiro. 2012. Annual and Seasonal Changes in the Structure of Litter-Dwelling Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Atlantic Semideciduous Forests. Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/959715
 * Siqueira de Castro F., A. B. Gontijo, W. Duarte da Rocha, and S. Pontes Ribeiro. 2011. As comunidades de formigas de serapilheira nas florestas semidecíduas do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Minas Gerais. MG.BIOTA, Belo Horizonte 3(5): 5-24.