Temnothorax laetus

Wheeler (1931) reports this species has been observed nesting in bar and in dead or decaying wood.

Identification
Prebus (2017) - A member of the sallei clade.

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

Nomenclature

 * affinis. Macromischa (Macromischa) affinis Mann, 1920: 417, fig. 5 (w.) CUBA. [Junior secondary homonym of affinis Mayr, above.] Replacement name: Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501.
 *  laetus. Macromischa affinis subsp. laeta Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 456 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501; in Temnothorax: Bolton, 2003: 271. Junior synonym of similis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501. Revived from synonymy and raised to species: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154. Senior synonym of maerens, similis: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154; of umbratipes: Fontenla Rizo, 1997a: 51.
 * maerens. Macromischa affinis subsp. maerens Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 456 (w.) CUBA. Junior synonym of similis: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501; of laetus: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154.
 * umbratipes. Macromischa affinis subsp. umbratipes Wheeler, W.M. 1937b: 455 (w.) CUBA. Combination in Leptothorax: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 522. Raised to species: Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 522. Junior synonym of laetus: Fontenla Rizo, 1997a: 51.
 * similis. Leptothorax similis Baroni Urbani, 1978b: 501. Replacement name for affinis Mann, 1920: 417. [Junior secondary homonym of Leptothorax affinis Mayr, 1855: 442.] Junior synonym of laetus: Snelling, R.R. 1986: 154.

Worker
Length about 3.4 mm.

Peduncle somewhat longer than in the typical affinis and the preceding subspecies; epinotal spines more elevated; sculpture of both head and thorax finer, the thoracic rugae especially much finer and more numerous. Yellowish ferruginous; head slightly darker and more reddish; mandibles, clypeus, cheeks, neck, epinotal spines, petiolar peduncle, gaster and legs yellow; antennae, tips of femora, tips and bases of tibiae and entire basitarsi black; postpetiole and node of petiole ferruginous like the thorax. Lateral borders of first gastric segment and ill-defined bands at the posterior borders of the first, second and third segments, brown.

Type Material
One specimen from the Sierra de Purial, north of Imias, 3500 ft., July 25, 1936.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alayo D. P. 1974. Introduccion al estudio de los Himenopteros de Cuba. Superfamilia Formicoidea. Academia de Ciencias de Cuba. Instituto de Zoologia. Serie Biologica no.53: 58 pp. La Habana.
 * Baroni Urbani C. 1978. Materiali per una revisione dei Leptothorax neotropicali appartenenti al sottogenere Macromischa Roger, n. comb. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Entomol. Basil. 3: 395-618.
 * Brandao, C.R.F. 1991. Adendos ao catalogo abreviado das formigas da regiao neotropical (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Rev. Bras. Entomol. 35: 319-412.
 * Fontanla Rizo J.L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba. Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
 * Fontenla J. L. 2001. Claves para las especies cubanas del taxon Macromischa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Leptothorax). Cocuyo (Havana) 11: 15-17.
 * Fontenla J. L., and J. Alfonso-Simonetti. 2018. Classification of Cuban ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) into functional groups. Poeyana Revista Cubana de Zoologia 506: 21-30.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1993. Composición y estructura de comunidades de hormigas en un sistema de formaciones vegetales costeras. Poeyana. Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba 441:1-19.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Lista preliminar de las hormigas de Cuba (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Cocuyo 6: 18-21.
 * Fontenla Rizo J. L. 1997. Notas y sinónimos nuevos de Leptothorax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Cuba. Avicennia 6/7: 47-53.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Kusnezov N. 1963. Zoogeografia de las hormigas en sudamerica. Acta Zoologica Lilloana 19: 25-186
 * Mann W. M. 1920. Additions to the ant fauna of the West Indies and Central America. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 42: 403-439.
 * Mann W. M. 1924. Notes on Cuban ants. Psyche (Cambridge) 31: 19-23.
 * Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2002. Mirmecofauna de los macizos montañosos de Sierra Maestra y Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa. Cocuyo 12: 10-13
 * Portuondo E. F., and J. L. Reyes. 2006. Species of Hymenoptera recorded in the Reserva Ecológica Pico Mogote, Santiago de Cuba Province, 20-25 September 2002. In: Maceira F., D., A. Fong G., y/and W. S. Alverson, eds. 2006. Cuba: Pico Mogote. Rapid Biological Inventories Report 09. The Field Museum, Chicago.
 * Portuondo Ferrer, E. and J. Fernandez Triana. Biodiversidad del orden Hymenoptera en Los Macizos Montanosos de Cuba Oriental. Boletin S.E.A. 35:121-136.
 * Reyes, J. L. "Inventario de la colección de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) del Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba." Boletín de la Sociedad Aragonesa 36 (2005): 279-283.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1931. New and little-known ants of the genera Macromischa, Creosomyrmex and Antillaemyrmex. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 72: 1-34.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1937. Ants mostly from the mountains of Cuba. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 81: 439-465.