Adelomyrmex mackayi Fernández, 2003

Longino, John T., 2012, A review of the ant genus Adelomyrmex Emery 1897 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in Central America, Zootaxa 3456, pp. 1-35 : 20

Adelomyrmex mackayi Fernández, 2003

( Fig. 21 )

Adelomyrmex mackayi Eernández ̓ 2ΟΟ3∶ 22· Hο1οtype wοrker∶ Μexȋcὀ Chȋapas∶ 2· ₁ km NW Pueb1ο Nuevὀ Sο1ȋstahuacán̓ Yerbabuena preserve, 2070 m, 23 Sep 1992 (R.S. Anderson No. 92-114) [MCZC] (not examined).

Geographic range. southern Mexico, Guatemala.

Description. Queen. Similar to worker except for queen-specific characters of large compound eyes, ocelli, and enlarged mesosoma with queen-typical sclerites; pronotum smooth medially, reticulate rugose laterally; dorsal mesonotum smooth and shining anteriorly and on median strip, longitudinally rugulose posterolaterally; scutellum longitudinally rugose; katepisternum smooth and shining; anepisternum smooth ventrally, rugose dorsally; side of propodeum rugose.

Biology. This species is now known from one area in north central Chiapas and two sites in central Guatemala. The three sites are high montane cloud forest between 1900 and 2100 m elevation. It is clearly a high elevation specialist. At Biotopo El Quetzal in Guatemala, the cloud forest on the slopes around 1700 m were dominated by A. robustus and A. paratristani . Adelomyrmex mackayi was only found by hiking up to the ridge crests at 2000 m. Adelomyrmex mackayi is in danger of mountain-top extinction resulting from climate change.

Comments. Adelomyrmex mackayi is immediately recognizable by being sharply bicolored, with dark head and mesosoma and light yellow brown gaster. Such sharply contrasting coloration is unique in the genus.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Distribution of material examined in this study: Adelomyrmex anxiocalor sp. nov., A. betoi, A. bispeculum sp. nov., A. brenesi, A. laevigatus, A. mackayi, A. marginodus sp. nov., A. metzabok sp. nov., A. micans, A. microps, A. minimus, A. paratristani sp. nov., A. quetzal sp. nov., A. tristani.