Worked Specimens Research Articles

A new species of Crematogaster Lund, 1831 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran with an identification key to Iranian Crematogaster species

A new species of Crematogaster Lund, 1831, Crematogaster gypsophila Mohseni, sp. nov., is described based on museum and worker specimens from Iran collected in 2022. Crematogaster gypsophila appears to be well-adapted to gypseous soils. It was found only at one site, a gypsum arid dryland covered with sparse but diverse vegetation, suggesting it may have a narrow niche breadth. Additionally, we present a synoptic list and an identification key to the Iranian Crematogaster species.

Ectoparasitic fungi Rickia wasmannii infection is associated with smaller body size in Myrmica ants

Parasitism-generated negative effects on ant societies are multifaceted, implying individual and colony-level responses. Though laboratory based evidence shows that the sublethal fungus Rickia wasmannii is responsible for physiological and behavioral responses that may negatively affect individual workers’ resilience and life expectancy in Myrmica ant workers, colony-level stress response to this parasite is largely unknown. Here, we focus on understanding of a long-term, colony-level effect of Rickia infection on Myrmica scabrinodis ant populations by tracking trait size-based changes. We collected worker specimens from infected and uninfected colonies from the same population in order to: (1) compare body size in response to parasitism, (2) assess the extent to which possible changes in size are associated with the severity of infection, and (3) investigate shifts in body size in response to infection over time by testing correlation of workers’ ages and sizes. We found that workers from infected colonies were significantly smaller than their healthy congeners, but neither infection level nor the age of the workers showed significant correlation with the size in infected colonies. Decreasing body sizes in infected colonies can be ascribed to workers’ mediated effect toward developing larvae, which are unable to attain the average body size before they pupate.

Two new ant species (Formicidae: Dorylinae, Ponerinae) from New Caledonia

Two new species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) collected from New Caledonia are described and figured based on worker specimens: Leptogenys loarelae Ramage sp. nov. (Ponerinae, Ponerini) and Lioponera neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov. (Dorylinae, Cerapachyini). All specimens were collected from the South Province of Grande Terre. These two new species are primarily distinguished from the other New Caledonian relatives by the size and shape of petiole for L. loarelae Ramage sp. nov. and by the presence of dorsolateral margins on the mesosoma for L. neocaledonica Jouault, Ramage & Perrichot sp. nov. Keys to New Caledonian Leptogenys and Lioponera are provided.

A new subterranean Crematogaster with one ommatidium from Cambodia, based on morphology and DNA (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract A subterranean myrmicine ant Crematogaster monocula sp. nov. is described based on two worker specimens from Cambodia. This species belongs to the C. biroi group of the subgenus Orthocrema Santschi, 1918, which is characterized by developed subpetiolar process, developed subpostpetiolar process and sculptured mesosoma. The new species is easily distinguished from other species of Crematogaster Lund, 1831 by having only one ommatidium. DNA sequences comprising a 761 bp fragment of the 3’ region of the mitochondrial COI gene were amplified and analyzed for C. monocula sp. nov. and other closely related species from the same group. The interspecific COI divergence is 17.8% for C. monocula sp. nov. and C. reticulata Hosoishi, 2009. This species is unique in having the smallest eye in the genus Crematogaster.

Interpopulation variation in morphometric characteristics of the ant Myrmica angulinodis Ruzs. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Baikal region

The effect of geographic origin on morphometric characteristics of ants has been studies by means of one-way ANOVA using 120 worker specimens of M. angulinodis from four population groups inhabiting different parts of the Baikal region. Similarity between the population groups has been evaluated using cluster analysis. The results show that worker specimens in populations from areas with lower air temperatures have significantly greater body size and that ants with an elongated head and more strongly curved frontal carinae dominate in the south of Irkutsk oblast, while ants with a wider frons prevail in the south of the Republic of Buryatia.

Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical Myrmicinae ant genus Blepharidatta Wheeler.

We revise the taxonomy of the exclusively Neotropical Myrmicinae ant genus Blepharidatta (Attini), redescribing the known species (B. brasiliensis and B. conops), and describing two new species, B. delabiei sp. n. (Brazil: Bahia) and B. fernandezi sp. n. (Colombia: Amazonas). We also describe worker sting apparatuses, larvae, males, and ergatoid gynes of all species, except for B. fernandezi, known only from few worker specimens; we provide a key for identifying workers, present distribution maps for all species and summarize the knowledge on the biology of Blepharidatta species.

A New Locality Record forVollenhovia emeryiW. M. Wheeler (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Maryland, USA

Two worker specimens of the introduced ant species Vollenhovia emeryi (W. M. Wheeler) were collected in Baltimore County on the campus of Towson University in Towson, Maryland, on September 15, 2010. Vollenhovia emeryi has previously been collected in two localities in Maryland: the Potomac River at Fort Washington National Park, Prince George’s County; and Glen Echo Park, Montgomery County (Kjar and Suman, 2007). Both counties are part of the Washington D.C. metro area. Outside the state, the species has been collected in Virginia at Dyke Marsh Preserve, Fairfax County (Kjar and Suman, 2007), along with specimens collected in Rock Creek Park, Washington D.C. (Holldobler and Wilson, 1990), and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (King and Green, 2005). Vollenhovia emeryi is native to Japan (Ohkawara et al., 2006) but was possibly imported to Washington D.C. in 1912 when shipments of 3,020 cherry trees were given to the United States (Fisher and Cover, 2007). A separate introduction into the United States may have also occurred in 1926 when Japan gave 2,000 cherry trees to the city of Philadelphia to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (Kjar and Suman, 2007).

Primitive New Ants in Cretaceous Amber from Myanmar, New Jersey, and Canada (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

New information is provided on the oldest fossil ants (Formicidae), including the description of a new species of †Sphecomyrma (†Sphecomyrminae), a new genus of sphecomyrmines, a new genus of apparent myrmeciines, and a new genus of apparent aneuretines. New material from New Jersey amber (Turonian) includes workers of †Sphecomyrma freyi Wilson and Brown preserved together in the same piece of amber, a worker of an unidentifiable †Sphecomyrma species, and a worker of †Brownimecia clavata Grimaldi, Agosti, and Carpenter (†Brownimeciinae). A new species of †Sphecomyrma in New Jersey amber is described and figured from a worker as †S. mesaki, new species. Two worker specimens in Campanian amber from Canada are described, one of which is described as †Cananeuretus occidentalis, new genus and species, and is tentatively placed in Aneuretinae. From Burmese amber (Albian-Cenomanian) are the oldest, definitive ants, along with ones in amber from Charente-Maritime of France (approximately contemporaneous in age). A new genus and species, allied to †Sphecomyrma, is described from these deposits as †Sphecomyrmodes orientalis, along with a remarkable new “poneroid”, †Myanmyrma gracilis, new genus and species (Myrmeciinae?). A key to the species of †Sphecomyrma is provided, the classification of ants summarized, and the Cretaceous records of Formicidae briefly outlined.