Zatania cisipa

The yellow coloration in this species is probably an adaptation, reflecting the fact that workers are nocturnal foragers (J.S. LaPolla, personal observation). At El Verde Field Station in Puerto Rico, during the day no workers were ever seen foraging, but at night it was one of the most commonly encountered ant species, often observed in large foraging trails with hundreds of individual workers moving on the forest floor. This appears to be a tree hollow-nesting species, as nests were observed by both Smith & Lavigne (1973) and J.S. LaPolla in living tree hollows at a height of about 1–1.5 m from the ground. (LaPolla et al. 2012)

Identification
This is the only yellow species known in the genus, and is therefore easy to identify.

Zatania Species Key

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico.

Nomenclature

 *  cisipa. Paratrechina (Nylanderia) cisipa Smith, D.R. & Lavigne, 1973: 184, figs. 7-12 (w.q.m.) PUERTO RICO. Combination in Nylanderia: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 127; in Zatania: LaPolla, Kallal & Brady, 2012: 206.

Worker
LaPolla et al. 2012 - Overall brownish yellow, with darker gaster; head with layer of pubescence and distinctly convex eyes; scapes with dense layer of short, slender, decumbent setae; mesosoma with scattered erect setae on pronotum and mesonotum; dorsal face of propodeum gently rounded; gaster with dense layer of pubescence.

Measurements (n = 6): TL 2.50–2.70 mm; HW 0.6–0.63 mm; HL 0.76–0.78 mm; EL 0.24–0.26 mm; SL 1.00–1.20 mm; PW 0.46–0.50 mm; WL 1.10–1.33 mm; PrFL 0.83–0.88 mm; PrFW 0.16–0.18 mm; GL 1.22–1.40 mm.

Indices: CI 78–81; REL 30–33; SI 154–176.

Type Material
LaPolla et al. 2012 - Holotype worker, Puerto Rico: Luquillo Experimental Forest, El Verde Field Station, 1500 ft, 1 July 1970 (R.J. Lavigne) [examined].

Additional References

 * [[Media:LaPolla Kallal Brady 2012.pdf|LaPolla, J.S., Kallal, R.J. & Brady, S.G. 2012. A new ant genus from the Greater Antilles and Central America, Zatania exemplifies the utility of male and molecular character systems. Systematic Entomology 37: 200-214. PDF]]