Aphaenogaster punctaticeps

This ant nests in kangaroo rat mounds (Cover, pers. commun.) or in prairie dog towns (Fagerlund, pers. comun.). It apparently steals seeds from the rodents. (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Identification
The head of this species is elongate (head width /head length 0.71), and nearly completely covered with punctures. Most of the mesosoma has similar sculpture. The propodeal spines are small. This species is similar to Aphaenogaster texana but differs in that the posterior border of the head is moderately pointed (rounded in A. texana) and the dorsum of the head is primarily punctate (rugose with punctures in the intrarugal spaces in A. texana). (Mackay and Mackay 2002)

Aphaenogaster punctaticeps is similar to A. texana, but with the posterior border of head moderately pointed as opposed to rounded (DeMarco, 2015).

Distribution
United States: Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Mexico.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Habitat
Creosotebush scrub.

Nomenclature

 * . Aphaenogaster punctaticeps Mackay, 1989: 47, figs. 1, 4, 6, 7 (w.) U.S.A. (New Mexico).
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 72; Umphrey, 1996: 557 (in key); Mackay & Mackay, 2002: 76; Mackay & Mackay, 2017: 366 (redescription).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Cover S. P., and R. A. Johnson. 20011. Checklist of Arizona Ants. Downloaded on January 7th at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/AZants-2011%20updatev2.pdf
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * MacKay W. P. 1989. A new Aphaenogaster (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from southern New Mexico. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 97: 47-49.
 * Mackay W. P., and E. E. Mackay. 2002. The ants of New Mexico (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press, 400 pp.
 * Mackay, W.P. and E. Mackay. XXXX. The Ants of New Mexico
 * O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
 * Villalvazo-Palacios M.,  J. F. Pérez-Domínguez,  &  M. Vásquez-Bolaños. 2014.  New  record  of Aphaenogaster punctaticeps Mackay, 1989 for Mexico and first record of Aphaenogaster mexicana (Pergande,  1896)  for  Jalisco  state  (Hymenoptera:  Formicidae:  Myrmicinae). Acta  Zoológica Mexicana, 30(2): 431-433.