Linepithema iniquum

Linepithema iniquum is an arboreal ant that prefers high altitude places. In some localities, this species was collected in coffee crops and trees. In one collection from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, sector San Pedro de la Sierra, this species was found nesting inside a stick on the leaf litter along with an unidentified Pheidole. In the stick, larvae and pupae of both species were found, in addition to L. iniquum males. In the laboratory, the L. iniquum workers seemed to feign death (thanatosis) when threatened. Food chambers were observed, containing the heads and bodies of insects such as bees (Halictidae) and flies (Diptera). (Escarraga & Guerrero, 2016)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Greater Antilles, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Lesser Antilles, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Venezuela. Palaearctic Region: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Biology
Rosumek (2017) assessed trophic resource use and period of activity within the ant community in a southern Brazil Atlantic forest. He found a number of Linepithema, reporting "More is known about Linepithema iniquum, mainly because it also appears as an exotic indoor species in North America and Europe. A few instances of honeydew and extra-floral nectaries use exist in the literature (Wheeler, 1929; Wild, 2007; Schmid et al., 2010) and Smith (1929) described it collecting arthropods, although without specifying if that meant scavenging or predation. Wild (2007) describes it as a primary arboreal ant, but clearly it also forages on the ground. None of the Linepithema species sampled in this study showed statistically significant preferences, due to low number of records and use of several resources. Linepithema micans and Linepithema pulex seem to use resources more broadly than Linepithema iniquum, which might descend to the ground mostly to scavenge animal resources. Linepithema iniquum was found to mostly be a diurnal forager.

Nomenclature

 *  iniquum. Hypoclinea iniqua Mayr, 1870a: 392, fig. 10 (w.) COLOMBIA. Forel, 1908c: 395 (m.). Combination in Iridomyrmex: Emery, 1890b: 56; in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Senior synonym of bicolor, dominicensis, fuscescens, melleus, nigellus, succineus and material of the unavailable name paranaensis referred here: Wild, 2007a: 67.
 * nigellus. Iridomyrmex iniquus var. nigellus Emery, 1890b: 56 (w.) COSTA RICA. [Also described as new by Emery, 1894k: 61.] Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Subspecies of dispertitum: Forel, 1901c: 134; Forel, 1912h: 47; of iniquum: Creighton, 1950a: 342. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 67.
 * fuscescens. Iridomyrmex melleus var. fuscescens Wheeler, W.M. 1908a: 153 (w.) PUERTO RICO. Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 68.
 * melleus. Iridomyrmex melleus Wheeler, W.M. 1908a: 151, pl. 12, figs. 15, 16 (w.q.m.) PUERTO RICO. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1974b: 397 (l.). Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 68.
 * succineus. Iridomyrmex melleus subsp. succineus Forel, 1908c: 396 (w.) BRAZIL. Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Subspecies of melleum: Santschi, 1929d: 305; of iniquum: Forel, 1912h: 47; Kempf, 1972a: 125. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 68.
 * bicolor. Iridomyrmex iniquus var. bicolor Forel, 1912h: 47 (w.) MARTINIQUE I. Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 68.
 * dominicensis. Iridomyrmex melleus var. dominicensis Wheeler, W.M. 1913d: 242 (w.) DOMINICA. Combination in Linepithema: Shattuck, 1992a: 16. Junior synonym of iniquum: Wild, 2007a: 68.