Wasmannia rochai Forel

Longino, J. T. & Fernández, F., 2007, Taxonomic review of the genus Wasmannia., Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E. O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions. (Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80), pp. 271-289 : 279-280

publication ID

21284

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6237277

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3FF28900-5889-8D8F-1DAA-0D861106B959

treatment provided by

Christiana

scientific name

Wasmannia rochai Forel
status

 

Wasmannia rochai Forel View in CoL   HNS

Wasmannia rochai Forel   HNS , 1912: 1. Syntype worker: Ceara, Brazil (Diaz da Rocha) [ MHNG] (examined, one worker here designated LECTOTYPE).

Comments

Wasmannia rochai   HNS occurs widely in the mainland Neotropics, from Guatemala south to Sao Paulo state in Brazil. The syntype workers from Ceara are slightly larger than workers from Panama and Costa Rica, but with similar proportions. The differences between rochai   HNS and sigmoidea   HNS are subtle but consistent. Compared to sigmoidea   HNS , rochai   HNS is smaller, with a relatively shorter and broader head. The propodeal spines are shorter and are directed posteriorly, instead of upturned in sigmoidea   HNS . The setae on the face, mesosoma, and gaster are more curved, appearing shorter than the setae of sigmoidea   HNS because of the greater curvature. They are also more clavate, swelling noticeably at the tips.

In some specimens of rochai   HNS the outer margin of the antennal scrobe is weakly defined, approaching the condition seen in affinis   HNS and lutzi   HNS . However, the face sculpture of rochai   HNS is always much more feeble than the coarse reticulate rugose sculpture on affinis   HNS and lutzi   HNS .

Kempf (1972) recorded the range of rochai   HNS as Panama, the Guianas, Trinidad, and six Brazilian states from Ceara south to Sao Paulo. Given the prior uncertainty of species differences among affinis   HNS , lutzi   HNS , rochai   HNS , and sigmoidea   HNS , earlier determinations should be treated cautiously pending reexamination of existing material. We have examined material from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Brazil (Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, and Sao Paulo states).

This species appears to be rare in Costa Rica, although its superficial similarity to W. auropunctata   HNS may result in its being overlooked in a sea of the latter species. Only two Costa Rican collections are known: Phil Ward collected workers and a dealate queen (PSW # 7628) in a recent treefall at Carara Biological Reserve. The senior author collected a lone dealate queen in a canopy tree at Sirena in Corcovado National Park. The species has been collected multiple times on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, where it is a relatively common part of the canopy ant fauna (Mike Kaspari pers. comm.).

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

MHNG

Switzerland, Geneva, Museum d'Histoire Naturelle

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Wasmannia

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