Abstract
Blepharidatta is a rare Neotropical ant genus formed by predatory species whose small colonies nest in soil or leaf-litter. A population of Blepharidatta that presents affinities with the Cerrado species, Blepharidatta conops Kempf, was found in the Caatinga biome, at the “Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Serra das Almas” (RPPNSA), in Crateús (State of Ceará, northeastern Brazil). The aim of our study was to obtain information on nest architecture, size and composition of colonies, foraging behavior, and female castes morphology in this newly found population, and to compare it with other Blepharidatta species, particularly B. conops. The results show that Blepharidatta sp. and B. conops share key features of their biology like basic nest architecture, diet and foraging behavior, monogyny, and ergatoid queens with a phragmotic head. However, marked differences were also found in queen head and mesosoma morphology, nest architecture, colony size, and queen location in the nest. Two mutually exclusive hypotheses are discussed. The Blepharidatta population found in the RPPNSA would represent a new species, possibly endemic to the Caatinga biome or this population would represent one extreme of the phenotypic variations observed in populations forming B. conops species.
Highlights
The myrmicine ant genus Blepharidatta is a strictly Neotropical group that was described by Wheeler (1915) from workers of Blepharidatta brasiliensis Wheeler collected near Belém (State of Pará, Brazil), in the Amazon Forest
Based on morphological as well as behavioral data, only three species are formally recognized: B. brasiliensis found in the Amazonian forest, Blepharidatta conops Kempf, an inhabitant of savanna-like formation from central Brazil (Cerrado), and an undescribed species (Blepharidatta sp-ba, hereafter) known from the Atlantic rainforest of the State of Bahia, eastern Brazil (Rabeling et al, 2006; Brandão et al, 2008; Cassano et al, 2009) (Fig 1)
There is no doubt that B. conops and Blepharidatta sp. belong to a group of closely related taxa since they share key features of their behavior, ecology and morphology, while at the same time both show fundamental differences with the other Blepharidatta species living in tropical humid environments
Summary
The myrmicine ant genus Blepharidatta is a strictly Neotropical group that was described by Wheeler (1915) from workers of Blepharidatta brasiliensis Wheeler collected near Belém (State of Pará, Brazil), in the Amazon Forest. Up to seven species are currently recognized (Silva, 2007), but most of them are waiting for a formal taxonomic treatment or confirmation. Based on morphological as well as behavioral data, only three species are formally recognized: B. brasiliensis found in the Amazonian forest, Blepharidatta conops Kempf, an inhabitant of savanna-like formation from central Brazil (Cerrado), and an undescribed species (Blepharidatta sp-ba, hereafter) known from the Atlantic rainforest of the State of Bahia, eastern Brazil (Rabeling et al, 2006; Brandão et al, 2008; Cassano et al, 2009) (Fig 1). Queens are ergatoid (sensu Peeters, 1991, i.e. permanently wingless and worker-like) and, at least in B. conops, it is believed that the foundation of new colonies is by fission of established colonies (Brandão et al, 2001)
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