Alfaria minuta

A nest was uncovered in a cocoa plantation close to the northcentral Venezuelan coastal town of Ocumare by Dr. Robert Johnson during the 2008 edition of Ant Course. The nest was found under a grapefruit-sized stone with a cusp shaped structure, it consisted of a single chamber dug out from the soil from which 24 workers were collected. Two specimens are deposited in the Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola of the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Maracay, Venezuela, and the rest are in the Arizona State University collection. This observation further reinforces the notion that G. minuta group species are subterranean nesters, in contrast with most members of the genus which prefer to nest in decomposing wood. (Lattke and Delsinne 2016)

Identification
A widespread distribution in South America, but documented with relatively sparse and widely scattered occurrence records.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Suriname.

Nomenclature

 * . Alfaria minnta Emery, 1896g: 106 (q.) BOLIVIA.
 * [Note: correct spelling minuta noted earlier in same paper by Emery, 1896g: 43.]
 * Type-material: 2 syntype queens.
 * Type-locality: Bolivia: chaco (no further data) (Staudinger & Bang-Haas).
 * Type-depository: MSNG.
 * Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 228.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 46; Borgmeier, 1949: 205 (in key); Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 316; Kempf, 1961b: 492; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209; Lattke, et al. 2004: 346; Lattke, et al. 2007: 264 (in key); Lattke, et al. 2008: 93; Feitosa, 2015c: 98; Guénard & Economo, 2015: 226; Lattke & Delsinne, 2016: 142; Feitosa & Prada-Achiardi, 2019: 672; Camacho, et al. 2020: 462 (in key).
 * Senior synonym of carinata: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * Senior synonym of emeryi: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * Senior synonym of mus: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * Senior synonym of panamensis: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * Senior synonym of pneodonax: Lattke, 1992a: 127.
 * Senior synonym of scabrosus: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * Distribution: Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela.
 * carinata. Alfaria carinata Weber, 1940b: 82, fig. 3 (q.) GUYANA.
 * Type-material: 2 syntype queens.
 * Type-locality: Guyana (“British Guiana”): Mazaruni River, Forest Settlement, 20.viii.1935 (N.A. Weber).
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * Status as species: Borgmeier, 1949: 205 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 208.
 * emeryi. Alfaria emeryi Forel, 1901f: 326 (w.) COLOMBIA.
 * Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
 * [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
 * Type-locality: Colombia: foot of Sierra Nevada de Santa-Marta, Hacienda de l’Esperanza, nr Dibulla (A. Forel).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 46; Borgmeier, 1949: 205 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * mus. Alfaria mus Santschi, 1931c: 265 (w.) PANAMA.
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Panama: France Field, 2.vi.1930 (A. Bierig).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * Status as species: Borgmeier, 1949: 205 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 209.
 * panamensis. Alfaria panamensis Weber, 1940b: 80 (w.q.) PANAMA.
 * Type-material: 1 syntype worker, 1 syntype queen.
 * Type-locality: worker Panama: Canal Zone, Barro Colorado I., 29.vii.1938, no. 58 (E.C. Williams), queen with same data but 4.viii.1938, no. 534.
 * Type-depository: MCZC.
 * [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of Ectatomma (Gnamptogenys) continuum var. panamensis Santschi, 1931c: 265 (Bolton, 1995b: 210).]
 * Status as species: Borgmeier, 1949: 205 (in key).
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 210.
 * pneodonax. Gnamptogenys pneodonax Kempf, 1968b: 375, figs. 2, 3 (w.) BRAZIL (Amazonas).
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Brazil: Amazonas, Benjamim Constant, 18-28.ix.1962 (K. Lenko).
 * Type-depository: DZSP.
 * Status as species: Kempf, 1972a: 114; Lattke, 1990b: 19; Brandão, 1991: 345.
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 210.
 * scabrosus. Opisthoscyphus scabrosus Mann, 1922: 5, figs. 2, 3 (w.) HONDURAS.
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Honduras: Lombardia, ii.-iii.1920 (W.M. Mann).
 * Type-depository: USNM.
 * Junior synonym of minuta: Brown, in Borgmeier, 1957: 115; Brown, 1958g: 228, 317; Kempf, 1972a: 113; Brandão & Lattke, 1990: 489; Lattke, 1992a: 127; Bolton, 1995b: 210.

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