Nylanderia wojciki

Nests are common in grass tussocks in scrub habitats in central Florida. They are typically found in sandy soil and leaf litter in flatwoods dominated by pine and palm. They can also be found in forests and under rocks in the southern U.S. where Nylanderia faisonensis is less common (Trager, 1984). Reproductives fly in early spring and have a similar flight pattern as other Nearctic Nylanderia (Trager, 1984). An undescribed socially parasitic Nylanderia species (n. sp. 3) is known to parasitize N. wojciki populations in Florida (Cover et al., in prep). Its known distribution is limited to states bordering the Gulf of Mexico and some of their neighbors (Kallal & LaPolla, 2012).

Identification
Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Small (TL: 1.5–2.2), bicolored species with dense head pubescence, pale whitish mesocoxae and metacoxae, and scapes without or with very few macrosetae (SMC: 0–4).

Compare with: Nylanderia vividula and Nylanderia faisonensis.

Nylanderia wojciki can easily be confused with N. faisonensis or N. vividula. In particular, N. wojciki and N. faisonensis are quite similar, and the former can be distinguished by its usually smaller total length, bicolored body coloration, and lower scape macrosetae count. Nylanderia vividula is also bicolored, but N. wojciki has a more ovate head, dense cephalic pubescence, and typically has less scape macrosetae. There are populations in Alabama and northern Florida with more scape macrosetae (SMC: 4–9), but otherwise they match the morphological features for this species. These populations should be further examined to determine whether or not they represent cryptic species.

Distribution
Southeastern US.

This taxon was described from United States.

Habitat
sandy soil and leaf litter in flatwoods dominated by pine and palm. They can also be found in forests and under rocks in the southern U.S. where N. faisonensis is less common (Trager, 1984).

Nomenclature

 *  wojciki. Paratrechina wojciki Trager, 1984b: 108, figs. 18, 21 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986d: 337 (l.). Combination in Nylanderia: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 127.

Worker
Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=20) TL: 1.59–2.18; HW: 0.41–0.48; HL: 0.47–0.59; EL: 0.13–0.16; SL: 0.45–0.68; PW: 0.26–0.37; WL: 0.48–0.69; GL: 0.56–1.10; PH: 0.14–0.28; PFL: 0.40–0.52; PFW: 0.09–0.17. SMC: 0–4; PMC: 2–4; MMC: 1–3. Indices: CI: 79–91; REL: 25–29; SI: 96–119; FI: 79–82.

Bicolored brown, with darker head and gaster; scapes, mandibles, and legs yellowish-brown; mesocoxae and metacoxae pale whitish; cuticle smooth and shiny; cephalic pubescence moderate to dense; mesosoma and gastral pubescence virtually absent. Head ovate; posterior margin slightly emarginated medially; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 3–4 funicular segments; ocelli not apparent. Pronotal anterior face at approximately 45°; pronotum inflected with pronotal anterior face shorter than pronotal dorsal face; anterior margin of mesonotum slightly higher than pronotal margin; propodeum rounded with shorter dorsal face and longer declivitous face.

Queen
Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=4) TL: 3.49–3.78; HW: 0.64–0.67; HL: 0.66–0.71; EL: 0.21–0.23 ; SL: 0.61–0.67; PW: 0.67–0.80; MW: 0.66–0.71; WL: 1.06–1.47; GL: 1.63–1.88; PH: 0.33–0.44; PFL: 0.58–0.61; PFW: 0.18–0.19. SMC: 1–2; PMC: 4–6; MMC: 6–12; MtMC: 2–3. Indices: CI: 95–97; REL: 30–34; SI: 86–101; FI: 84–93.

Brown in color with gaster darker; scapes, mandibles, and legs yellowish-brown; cuticle smooth and shiny; body with dense pubescence; macrosetae brown. Head broader than long; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 2–3 segments. Propodeum with short dorsal face and long declivitous face.

Male
Kallal & LaPolla (2012) - Measurements (n=4) TL: 1.52–1.82; HW: 0.44–0.49; HL: 0.45–0.52; EL: 0.18; SL: 0.46–0.55; PW: 0.43–0.46; MW: 0.37; WL: 0.43–0.662; GL: 0.58–0.65; PH: 0.18–0.26; PFL: 0.43–0.48; PFW: 0.11–0.15; PL: 0.10–0.20. SMC: 1–2. MMC: 2–9; MtMC: 2–3. Indices: CI: 92–98; REL: 35–40; SI: 104–107; FI: 87–97.

Overall brown with scapes, mandibles, mesocoxae, metacoxae, leg joints, and tarsi yellowish-brown; cuticle smooth and shiny; cephalic pubescence sparse to moderate; mesonotum with dense pubescence; gastral pubescence virtually absent; macrosetae brown. Head longer than broad; eyes convex, extending beyond the lateral margins of the head in full face view; scapes surpass posterior margin by first 2–3 funicular segments; inner mandibular margin long and straight; basal angle approximately 90°; masticatory margin with one subapical tooth and large apical tooth. Mesosoma enlarged to accommodate flight muscles; in lateral view, pronotal margin short and straight, becoming rounded toward mesonotum margin; propodeum with longer dorsal face and shorter declivitous face. Genitalia: parameres laterally oriented, triangular; digiti angled ventrally, slightly shorter than aedeagal valves; cuspides about half as long; both with rounded teeth where they meet; aedeagal valves triangular, short, teeth absent; overall structures similar to N. faisonensis and N. parvula; ninth sternite very small, with short, thin lateral apodemes and a long, slender ventral apodeme.

Additional References

 * Kallal, R.J. & LaPolla, J.S. 2012. Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera:Formicidae) of the World, Part II: Nylanderia in the Nearctic. Zootaxa 3508, 1-64.