ABSTRACT
The taxonomic boundaries of many Neotropical ant species of the genus Tapinoma are still unclear. Tapinoma atriceps and T. atriceps breviscapum are two morphologically similar taxa which occur sympatrically in the southern Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Some characters such as the scape length and head shape suggest that these taxa may be different species. We used DNA analysis and morphological evidence, including scanning electron microscopy, to evaluate the taxonomic validity of these taxa. We found distinct morphological characteristics that allow separating them as two different species, Tapinoma atriceps and Tapinoma breviscapum status novo, and this decision is supported by the DNA results, where Tapinoma atriceps was recovered as a lineage independent of T. breviscapum.
ABSTRACT
The male of the endangered ant Dinoponera lucida Emery is described, providing morphometric measurements, high-resolution images, and a distribution map of the species. This ant inhabits the Brazilian Atlantic forest, an ecosystem strongly impacted by fragmentation. The males show clear morphological differences from the known males of other species of Dinoponera. We briefly discuss the relevance of the male description for the conservation strategies of this ant.
Subject(s)
Ants , Animals , Brazil , Ecosystem , Forests , Male , RainforestABSTRACT
The species of Linepithema Mayr in Colombia are reviewed from collection material. The genus Linepithema comprises 20 species, of which the following are reported in Colombia: L. angulatum (Emery), L. dispertitum (Forel), L. gallardoi (Brèthes), L. humile (Mayr), L. iniquum (Mayr), L. neotropicum Wild, L. piliferum (Mayr), L. tsachila Wild, and a new species, Linepithema hirsutum sp. nov. Linepithema dispertitum is a new record for Colombia and South America. A taxonomic key (English and Spanish) and distribution maps to the species of Linepithema in Colombia are provided.
