Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894)

Ivanov, Kaloyan, 2016, Exotic ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) of Ohio, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 51, pp. 203-226 : 217

Hypoponera ragusai (Emery, 1894)

Distribution in Ohio.

Southern Ohio. Counties: Jackson ( Wesson and Wesson 1940, as Ponera oblongiceps Smith, M.R., 1939), (Fig. 3 ).

Where found/Habitat.

The following quote from Wesson and Wesson (1940) summarizes all the information we have for the single record of this species in Ohio - "A few workers of this species were found under a stone in partial shade, on moist but well drained soil, in Jackson."

Origin.

Old World, with assumed African origin. The current confirmed distribution includes Europe, Africa and India ( Bolton and Fisher 2011).

Natural history.

The genus Hypoponera includes small cryptic ants with global distribution, although the highest diversity of the group occurs in the tropics. Hypoponera ragusai is a species with known tramping ability widespread in most parts of the world ( Bolton and Fisher 2011). This species can be easily separated from most other North American Hypoponera by its smooth and shiny mesopleuron which lack punctures; and from the closely related Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger, 1859) by its smaller body size, and the lower and relatively longer petiolar node.

The success of this ant as a tramp species is attributed to the presence of unusual ergatoid males which remain in their natal nest where they mate with virgin queens ( Taylor 1967). These ants are predators of small soil arthropods with nests usually located in soil, leaf-litter or rotting wood ( Fisher and Cover 2007). This species was also found nesting under rocks and guano deposits inside caves in the Iberian Peninsula ( Tinaut 2001). Workers of this relatively nondescript small ant are rarely collected due to their subterranean habits.

This species often has been refferred to as Hypoponera gleadowi (Emery, 1895) in the literature (including Coovert 2005), and often has been misidentified as the closely related Hypoponera punctatissima ( Bolton and Fisher 2011). It is likely that this species shares natural history with Hypoponera punctatissima , which is often found in association with disturbed habitats, in addition to buildings in colder climates. Generaly neither Hypoponera ragusai , or any of its synonyms, have been reported as nuisance species in their introduced ranges.

Figures

Figure 3. Distribution of Cardiocondyla obscurior (5), Monomorium pharaonis (6), Pheidole bilimeki (7), Tetramorium atratulum (8), and Hypoponera ragusai (9) in Ohio.