Zatania karstica

A slow moving ant relative to other members of the genus, and of all Prenolepis group species, that lives in habitats situated on limestone substrates.

Identification
The workers of this species are the only extant species that is uniformly coloured, making them relatively easy to identify.

Zatania Species Key

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

Biology
LaPolla et al. (2012): "Fontenla (2000) discussed the interesting behaviour of Zatania karstica workers. In other Zatania species workers are fast-moving individuals (not surprising given the long legs observed in workers), but in Z. karstica the workers are slower (although Fontenla did not qualify this), and they often display what he termed a frozen pose as they moved along. Fontenla (2000) suggested that this behaviour was related to the fact that the species is putatively restricted to living on limestone mogotes, and that the coloration of Z. karstica mimics Temnothorax ants (Temnothorax gundlachi and Temnothorax poeyi), with which it lives sympatrically. It has been suggested that the coloration of the Temnothorax ants is aposematic (Wilson, 1988; Fontenla, 1995), and therefore Fontenla (2000) speculated that Z. karstica is engaged in some kind of convergent mimicry to protect them against Anolis lizards, presumably one of their main predators. We have not personally observed this species in the field, but Z. karstica may be an interesting candidate for the study of adaptations (morphological and behavioural) of ants to living on limestone mogotes.

Nomenclature

 *  karstica. Prenolepis karstica Fontenla Rizo, 2000: 84, fig. 5 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Zatania: LaPolla, Kallal & Brady, 2012: 211.

Worker
LaPolla et al. (2012) - Overall coloration uniformly dark brown; scattered erect setae on head, pronotum and gaster; no erect setae on scapes, mesonotum or propodeum; whitish pubescence scattered across body; dorsal face of propodeum distinctly dome-like.

Type Locality
LaPolla et al. (2012) - Holotype worker, Cuba: Pinar del Río Province, near Ceja de Francisco, Sierra de Mesa (IESC) (examined).