Gnamptogenys hartmani

One record from soil in a banana farm and another from soil in a destroyed Trachymyrmex nest. These ants have on several occasions been reported as predators of Trachymyrmex ants (Echols, 1964:137; Kempf and Brown, 1968:94). J. Longino (pers. comm.) reports from Costa Rican field notes of Dana Myer: “a nest was found found in leaf litter amidst the remains of a Trachymrmex nest and many cut up workers and a queen of the attines were also found along with many wounded Gnamptogenys workers.” Longino has observed this species carrying its brood in a loose 3 m column, fleeing from raiding Eciton. One specimen was taken from the stomach contents of Dendrobates lecomelas. (Lattke 1995)

Identification
A member of the hartmoni complex (in the regularis subgroup of the mordax species group). Superolateral corners of declivitous propodeal face with small lobes or carinae; mandibles triangular to subtriangular; metanotal groove vaguely impressed and posterior nodal face has longitudinal costulae; metacoxal dorsum with lobes; subpetiolar process subquadrate. The study of specimens at hand show colors vary enough to make it an unreliable character for separating species and the same is true for irregularities in the sculpture. Specimens from more southern localities have finer costulation. Also found to vary continously was the length vs. width of the petiolar node, as well as other size indicators. (Lattke 1995)

Distribution
In the United States this species has been collected only three times, twice in Texas (Walker and Brazos Counties) (Mackay and Vinson 1989) and once in Louisiana (Bienville Parish) (Echols 1964). The most reasonable explanation for the isolation of these records is that the species is subterranean and difficult to detect.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru.

Biology
Echols (1964) discovered four colonies in the nests of the fungus ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis. The ants "had killed most or all of the Trachymyrmex workers, and were occupying the entire nest. Ten nearby nests of T. septentrionalis with deteriorating fungus gardens were devoid of workers and brood, presumably as a result of action by G. hartmani. However, there were many active unmolested nests in the area. The G. hartmani colonies were all observed on an area of about one acre." A captive nest fed on larvae of T. septentrionalis, and did not eat fungus from the garden or adult Trachymyrmex that were killed by stinging.

Nomenclature

 *  hartmani. Ectatomma (Parectatomma) hartmani Wheeler, W.M. 1915b: 390 (w.) U.S.A. Brown, 1961b: 69 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1964b: 450 (l.). Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228. Senior synonym of nigrifrons, turmalis: Lattke, 1995: 169.
 * nigrifrons. Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) nigrifrons Borgmeier, 1948a: 199, figs. 24, 25 (w.q.) PERU. Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228. Junior synonym of hartmani: Lattke, 1995: 169.
 * turmalis. Gnamptogenys turmalis Kempf & Brown, 1968: 93 (w.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of hartmani: Lattke, 1995: 169.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Ahuatzin D. A., E. J. Corro, A. Aguirre Jaimes, J. E. Valenzuela Gonzalez, R. Machado Feitosa, M. Cezar Ribeiro, J. Carlos Lopez Acosta, R. Coates, W. Dattilo. 2019. Forest cover drives leaf litter ant diversity in primary rainforest remnants within human-modified tropical landscapes. Biodiversity and Conservation 28(5): 1091-1107.
 * Basset Y., L. Cizek, P. Cuenoud, R. K. Didham, F. Guilhaumon, O. Missa, V. Novotny, F. Odegaards, T. Roslin, J. Schmidl et al. 2012. Arthropod diversity in a tropical forest. Science 338(6113): 1481-1484.
 * Borgmeier T. 1948. Die Geschlechtstiere zweier Eciton-Arten und einige andere Ameisen aus Mittel- und Suedamerika (Hym. Formicidae). Revista de Entomologia (Rio de Janeiro) 19: 191-206.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 118: 173-362.
 * Cook J. L. 2003. Conservation of biodiversity in an area impacted by the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biodiversity and Conservation 12: 187195.
 * Dash S. T. and L. M. Hooper-Bui. 2008. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Louisiana. Conservation Biology and Biodiversity. 101: 1056-1066
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Dijkstra M. B., and J. J. Boomsma. 2003. Gnamptogenys hartmani Wheeler (Ponerinae: Ectatommini): an agro-predator of Trachymyrmex and Sericomyrmex fungus-growing ants. Naturwissenschaften 90: 568571.
 * INBio Collection (via Gbif)
 * Jacobs J. M., J. T. Longino, and F. J. Joyce. 2011. Ants of the Islas Murciélago: an inventory of the ants on tropical dry forest islands in northwest Costa Rica. Tropical Conservation Science 4(2): 149-171.
 * Kaspari M., D. Donoso, J. A. Lucas, T. Zumbusch, and A. D. Kay. 2012. Using nutritional ecology to predict community structure: a field test in Neotropical ants. Ecosphere 3(11): art.93.
 * Kempf W. W., and W. L. Jr. Brown. 1968. Report on some Neotropical ant studies. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 22: 89-102.
 * 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
 * LeBrun E. G., R. M. Plowes, and L. E. Gilbert. 2015. Imported fire ants near the edge of their range: disturbance and moisture determine prevalence and impact of an invasive social insect. Journal of Animal Ecology,81: 884–895.
 * Longino J. T. 2013. Ants of Nicargua. Consulted on 18 Jan 2013. https://sites.google.com/site/longinollama/reports/ants-of-nicaragua
 * Longino J. T. L., and M. G. Branstetter. 2018. The truncated bell: an enigmatic but pervasive elevational diversity pattern in Middle American ants. Ecography 41: 1-12.
 * Longino J. et al. ADMAC project. Accessed on March 24th 2017 at https://sites.google.com/site/admacsite/
 * Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
 * MacKay W. P., and S. B. Vinson. 1988. Rediscovery of the ant Gnamptogenys hartmani (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in eastern Texas. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 91: 127.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * Smith M. A., W. Hallwachs, D. H. Janzen. 2014. Diversity and phylogenetic community structure of ants along a Costa Rican elevational gradient. Ecography 37(8): 720-731.
 * 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.
 * Wetterer J. K. 2014. Geographic distribution of Gnamptogenys hartmani (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), an agro-predator that attacks fungus-growing ants. Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews 7: 147157.
 * Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1985. A checklist of Texas ants. Prairie Naturalist 17:49-64.