Abstract
Gracilidris pombero Wild & Cuezzo, 2006 is an ant that remains poorly studied. Endemic from South America, its geographical distribution is known from few and scattered collection points. In this study, we present new occurrence records of G. pombero obtained through extensive collections along the Cerrado biome and the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. Based on the new and existing occurrence records we produced a model of the geographic distribution of G. pombero. Modelling method was chosen based on maximization of model performance after evaluating a series of modelling approaches, including different parametrizations of the Maxent algorithm and distinct runs of the GARP algorithm. We found a total of 43 new records of G. pombero in Brazil, including the first records of this species in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Piauí, Sergipe and Tocantins. Based on our model, the areas of highest suitability of occurrence of G. pombero are located in two main zones in South America: one ranging from midwestern Brazil to southeastern Bolivia and Paraguay; and the other spanning the South of Brazil and Uruguay.
Highlights
Gracilidris pombero Wild & Cuezzo, 2006 is the only extant species of the Dolichoderinae ant genus Gracilidris Wild & Cuezzo, 2006
We present new occurrence records of G. pombero obtained through extensive collections of grounddwelling ants along the Cerrado biome (South American savanna) of central Brazil and along the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil
We found 43 new records of G. pombero for Brazil, including the first records of this species for the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Piauí, Sergipe and Tocantins (Table 1)
Summary
Gracilidris pombero Wild & Cuezzo, 2006 is the only extant species of the Dolichoderinae ant genus Gracilidris Wild & Cuezzo, 2006. The natural history of this species is poorly known but previous studies indicate that colonies are relatively small (Wild & Cuezzo, 2006) This ant builds its nest in the ground, and foraging is predominantly or strictly nocturnal, which may explain why G. pombero is poorly represented in entomological collections (Wild & Cuezzo, 2006). Gracilidris pombero seems to be associated with relatively dry and open habitats, such as grasslands and savannas (Wild & Cuezzo, 2006; Feitosa et al, 2015) Populations of this species have been found in the Colombian Amazon and in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil. In both cases, the ants were not found in forest areas, but rather in human-managed habitats (such as cattle pastures or cocoa plantations) (Wild & Cuezzo, 2006; Guerrero & Sanabria, 2011)
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