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Automontage photographs of Daceton boltoni, holotype worker. 14 body, dorsal view; 15 body, lateral view; 16 head, full-face view.
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A remarkable new species in the ant genus Daceton, which has remained monotypic for 205 years, is described from Brazil and Peru. The new species, Daceton boltoni sp. nov., is similar to its sister species, D. armigerum, but differs from it mainly in the form of the pronotal lateral spines and in the pilosity of the first gastral segment. The taxon...
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A remarkable new species in the ant genus Daceton, which has remained monotypic for 205 years, is described from Brazil and Peru. The new species, Daceton boltoni sp. nov., is similar to its sister species, D. armigerum, but differs from it mainly in the form of the pronotal lateral spines and in the pilosity of the first gastral segment. The taxon...
Citations
... The tococae species group of Strumigenys includes several species associated with trees (Bolton 2000: 563) and their relatively larger eyes are characteristic for the group. The two species of Daceton are also arboreal and have very prominent eyes dorsally positioned on the head (Azorsa & Sosa-Calvo 2008). This condition can be explained by the fact that larger eyes provide higher sampling resolution (Narendra et al. 2016), meaning that individuals presenting this condition can optimize tracking for potential prey, or threats, in a wider area. ...
We report finding Strumigenys thaxteri Wheeler in the Amazonian foothills of southeastern Ecuador, over 2000 km to the west of previously known records for the species in Trinidad and Guyana. Field observations suggest it is a sit and wait ambush predator that captures insects that alight on the vegetation upon which they position themselves. Once prey is subdued they descend with it to ground level, where they presumably nest. Their massive mandibles, robust claws, dense body cover of long silky hairs, and sting may all contribute to detecting, trapping, and subduing larger sized, flying prey. This type of predation is hitherto unreported for the genus. Strumigenys reticeps (Kempf), an apparently closely related species from southern Brazil, may share the same behavior but its key morphological traits are of a lesser degree of development than in S. thaxteri. Both species are redescribed and their morphological variability is discussed. High resolution images of both species are provided. The more frequent use of vegetation beating for ant-collecting is urged. Strumigenys lojanensis Lattke & Aguirre is synonymized as a junior synonym of S. onorei Baroni Urbani & De Andrade.
... These results can be partially explained by the presence of arboreal ants, found only in the forest fragments, such as Camponotus latangulus Roger, 1863, Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier, 1792) and Daceton armigerum (Latreille, 1802) that, even in forested environments, are more closely related with native vegetation (Marinho et al. 2002). Interestingly, despite its wide distribution along the Amazon (Azorsa and Sosa-Calvo 2008;Vicente et al. 2011), this is the first record of D. armigerum for the state of Rondônia. Labidus praedator (Smith, 1858) was also collected only in forest fragments. ...
In this paper we list the ant species collected in both remaining forests and urban areas in a South Amazonian landscape. The list includes 102 species, of which 29 are new records for the state of Rondônia, Brazil. This work demonstrates the gap in ant biodiversity surveys for Meridional Amazon as well as encouraging further research in this region.
... Currently, the various synonyms related to the genus Strumigenys proposed by Baroni Urbani & De Andrade [10] are well accepted [11], although, the proposal of merging the tribes Phalacromyrmecini and Basicerotini into the tribe Dacetini is still controversial [12]. Commenting on this issue is not withinthe scope of this paper and assuming that the Basicerotini and Phalacromyrmecini continue to be ranked as separate tribes [12], the tribe Dacetini would include 203 Neotropical species with representatives from three genera: Acanthognathus, Daceton and Strumigenys [9,1314151617. The genus Strumigenys includes 194 species in the Neotropics, although none have been subjected to cytogenetic studies [4,9]. ...
... Currently, the various synonyms related to the genus Strumigenys proposed by Baroni Urbani & De Andrade [10] are well accepted [11], although, the proposal of merging the tribes Phalacromyrmecini and Basicerotini into the tribe Dacetini is still controversial [12]. Commenting on this issue is not withinthe scope of this paper and assuming that the Basicerotini and Phalacromyrmecini continue to be ranked as separate tribes [12], the tribe Dacetini would include 203 Neotropical species with representatives from three genera: Acanthognathus, Daceton and Strumigenys [9,[13][14][15][16][17]. The genus Strumigenys includes 194 species in the Neotropics, although none have been subjected to cytogenetic studies [4,9]. ...
In the present study, the first cytogenetic data was obtained for the ant species Strumigenys louisianae, from a genus possessing no previous cytogenetic data for the Neotropical region. The chromosome number observed was 2n = 4, all possessing metacentric morphology. Blocks rich in GC base pairs were observed in the interstitial region of the short arm of the largest chromosome pair, which may indicate that this region corresponds to the NORs. The referred species presented the lowest chromosome number observed for the subfamily Myrmicinae and for the Hymenoptera found in the Neotropical region. Observation of a low chromosome number karyotype has been described in Myrmecia croslandi, in which the occurrence of tandem fusions accounts for the most probable rearrangement for its formation. The accumulation of cytogenetic data may carry crucial information to ensure deeper understanding of the systematics of the tribe Dacetini.
... Moreover, the posture mimicry of C. specularis is most apparent from the profile perspective of C. ampla and is likely to be readily visible to the host ants. Arboreal ants typically have large absolute and relative eye size (e.g., de Andrade and Baroni Urbani 1999; Ward and Downie 2005; Azorsa and Sosa-Calvo 2008) and visual systems that are critical for orientation and landmark recognition (e.g., Carroll and Janzen 1973; Baader 1996; Jander and Jander 1998; Ehmer 1999; Yanoviak and Dudley 2006), prey capture (e.g., Wilson 1962; Dejean et al. 2012), and enemy avoidance (e.g., Coyle 1966) in the high-light canopy environment. This explains the high incidents of visual Batesian-Wallacian mimicry of arboreal ant taxa by a wide diversity of solitary arthropod taxa (McIver and Stonedahl 1993). ...
Abstract Social parasitism is defined by the exploitation of the social mechanisms of one society by another whole society. Here, we use quantitative ecological data and experiments to identify the components of a new form of social parasitism by the recently discovered "mirror turtle ant," Cephalotes specularis. We show that C. specularis workers visually mimic and actively avoid contact with foragers of the hyperaggressive host ant Crematogaster ampla, allowing them to move freely in the extensive and otherwise defended foraging networks of host colonies. Workers from parasite colonies have immediate access to these networks by nesting exclusively within host territories, and 89% of all potential host territories were parasitized. Inside the network, parasite workers eavesdrop on the host's trail pheromones to locate and exploit food resources that are defended by the host to the exclusion of all other ants. Experiments demonstrated the unprecedented capacity of the parasite for superior foraging performance on its host's pheromone trails than on trails of its own. Considered together, the apparent Batesian-Wallacian mimicry, pheromone-based interceptive eavesdropping, kleptoparasitism, and xenobiotic nesting ecology displayed by C. specularis within the territory and foraging network of a host ant represents a novel adaptive syndrome for social exploitation.
... The Neotropical genus Daceton comprises only two species[1]; Daceton armigerum, the most studied species, is distributed throughout northern South America. The arboreal D. armigerum colonies nest in the naturally hollow branches of trees or in branches hollowed out by insect larvae; they can very easily consist of up to 10,000 individuals[2,3]. ...
Here we show that Daceton armigerum, an arboreal myrmicine ant whose workers are equipped with hypertrophied trap-jaw mandibles, is characterized by a set of unexpected biological traits including colony size, aggressiveness, trophobiosis and hunting behavior. The size of one colony has been evaluated at ca. 952,000 individuals. Intra- and interspecific aggressiveness were tested and an equiprobable null model used to show how D. armigerum colonies react vis-à-vis other arboreal ant species with large colonies; it happens that D. armigerum can share trees with certain of these species. As they hunt by sight, workers occupy their hunting areas only during the daytime, but stay on chemical trails between nests at night so that the center of their home range is occupied 24 hours a day. Workers tend different Hemiptera taxa (i.e., Coccidae, Pseudococcidae, Membracidae and Aethalionidae). Through group-hunting, short-range recruitment and spread-eagling prey, workers can capture a wide range of prey (up to 94.12 times the mean weight of foraging workers).
... It is probable that gliding is restricted to diurnal species given the importance of visual cues in targeting. However, many arboreal ant species are either primarily nocturnal (e.g., Camponotus atriceps, Cephalotes pallidus, Daceton boltoni, some Odontomachus spp.) or active both day and night (e.g., some Crematogaster spp.; Hossaert-McKey et al. 2001; Azorsa and Sosa-Calvo 2008; Longino 2010 ; S.P. Yanoviak, personal observations ). Although C. atratus is essentially a diurnal ant, workers often continue tending hemipteran trophobionts after sunset. ...
... Likewise, nocturnal Camponotus spp. and D. boltoni dropped in the daytime fell dorsalside up, but showed no ability to glide (Azorsa and Sosa-Calvo 2008). Although not quantified, success and performance in gliding in C. atratus appear to be significantly diminished under conditions of low light (i.e., dusk and dawn). ...
Directed aerial descent (DAD) is used by a variety of arboreal animals to escape predators, to remain in the canopy, and to
access resources. Here, we build upon the discovery of DAD in ants of tropical canopies by summarizing its known phylogenetic
distribution among ant genera, and within both the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae and the genus Cephalotes. DAD has multiple evolutionary origins in ants, occurring independently in numerous genera in the subfamilies Myrmicinae,
Formicinae, and Pseudomyrmecinae. Ablation experiments and video recordings of ants in a vertical wind tunnel showed that
DAD in Cephalotes atratus is achieved via postural changes, specifically orientation of the legs and gaster. The occurrence of DAD in Formicinae indicates
that the presence of a postpetiole is not essential for the behavior. Evidence to date indicates that gliding behavior is
accomplished by visual targeting mediated by the compound eyes, and is restricted to diurnally active ants that nest in trees.
Occlusion of ocelli in Pseudomyrmex gracilis workers had no effect on their success or performance in gliding. Experimental assessment of the fate of ants that fall to
the understory showed that ants landing in water are 15 times more likely to suffer lethal attacks than are ants landing in
leaf litter. Variation in both the aerodynamic mechanisms and selective advantages of DAD merits further study given the broad
taxonomic diversity of arboreal ants that engage in this intriguing form of flight.
Ahh, as formigas... Muitas pessoas me perguntam o porquê me apaixonei por estes pequenos seres que muitas vezes passam desapercebidos por nós no dia a dia. Pode até parecer clichê, mas eu sempre respondo a mesma coisa: -Elas são lindas, fantásticas, eficientes e de uma organização invejável. E é bem isso mesmo, as formigas me encantam por sua beleza, variedade de formas, cores, tamanhos, estratégias de vida, além das inúmeras funções que elas desempenham na natureza. E foi dessa minha paixão pelas formigas que nasceu a ideia do “Formigas em
cores”. Este livro vem como uma maneira de apresentar para vocês parte dessa diversidade de espécies de formigas conhecidas pela ciência. Todas as espécies presentes neste livro ocorrem no Brasil, suspeito até que algumas vocês já conhecem e agora vão descobrir mais curiosidades e seus nomes científicos, legal demais né? Dentre estas espécies, algumas foram nomeadas por pesquisadoras e pesquisadores brasileiros, que serão apresentados para vocês aqui. Espero que ao decorrer destas páginas vocês possam também se encantar por estas pequenas e usarem a imaginação para colorir com muita criatividade todas as “Formigas em cores”
Citation: Rabeling C, Sosa-Calvo J, O'Connell LA, Coloma LA, Fernández F (2016) Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri: a new ant species discovered in the stomach of the dendrobatid poison frog, Oophaga sylvatica (Funkhouser). ZooKeys 618: 79–95. Abstract The ant genus Lenomyrmex was recently discovered and described from mid to high elevation rainforests in southern Central and northwestern South America. Lenomyrmex currently consists of six described species , which are only rarely collected. Here, we add a new species, Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri sp. n., which was discovered in a stomach content sample of the dendrobatid frog, Oophaga sylvatica, from northwestern Ecuador. Lenomyrmex hoelldobleri can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the presence of a well-developed petiolar node, whereas in all other species the node of the petiole is ill-defined. In addition to the shape of the petiolar node, L. hoelldobleri can be distinguished from the morphologically similar L. costatus by (i) the presence of the metanotal suture, (ii) the direction of the striae on dorsum of propodeum (concentrically transverse in L. hoelldobleri, longitudinal in L. costatus), (iii) the finely striate dorsum of postpetiole, (iv) its larger size, and (v) distinctly darker coloration. We also describe the gyne of Lenomyrmex foveolatus. This collection record from northwestern Ecuador extends the geographic distribution of L. foveolatus 400 km south from its previous record in Colombia. A revised taxonomic key to the workers and gynes of all described Lenomyrmex species is provided. We discuss the taxonomic relationship of L. hoelldobleri to other species in the genus and its biology based on the limited information that is currently available. Finally, we briefly discuss the feeding ecology of dendrobatid poison frogs in the context of providing a valuable source of rarely collected and cryptic new ant species.
The article presents a comprehensive list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Peru. Distribution data for 592 valid names of species-group taxa in 76 genera and 12 subfamilies were collected through a bibliographical review. The most diverse subfamilies in terms of species richness are Myrmicinae (273 species/subspecies), Formicinae (86 species/subspecies) and Ponerinae (71 species/subspecies). The most diverse genera are Pheidole (86 species/subspecies), Camponotus (73 species/subspecies), and Pseudomyrmex (47 species/subspecies). With respect to geographic divisions, richness is highest in Madre de Dios (245 species/subspecies), followed by Huanuco (109 species/subspecies) and Cusco (104 species/subspecies). Regions in greatest need of additional survey work are Aycucho, Huancavelica, Moquegua and Tacna, from which virtually no information on the ant fauna is available.
Ecuador is considered a diverse country but information on the distribution and conservation of its ant species is scarce and scattered through the literature. Here we review 150 years of published literature to assemble the first comprehensive species list of continental Ecuadorian ants (excluding the Galapagos Islands). Our main goal is to serve as a reference to the various research initiatives currently being done in the country. We found 2,124 ant records of 679 ant species from 180 localities reported in
149 articles. We used a subset of this database (i.e. 1,125 records left after removal of duplicates and records with no locality information) to review the Ecuadorian regions, provinces, and national parks covered by the list. For a tropical country, both the number of records per ant species (mean=1.8, SD=1.9) and the number of ant species per locality (mean=6.2, SD=29.7) are extremely low. Moreover, the ant records in our list are biased towards three provinces (Orellana, 410 ant records and 378 ant spp.; Sucumbios, 212 and 177; Pichincha, 129 and 92), one region (Oriente, 779 records and 487 ant species) and non-protected areas (777 ant records and 510 ant spp.). Endemic ants are poorly covered by the Ecuadorian system of protected areas. This study highlights the gaps and opportunities in ant research for the country.
