Temnothorax pastinifer (Emery, 1894) Prebus, 2021

Prebus, Matthew M., 2021, Taxonomic revision of the Temnothorax salvini clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a key to the clades of New World Temnothorax, PeerJ (e 11514) 9, pp. 1-462 : 205

pastinifer group overview

With five species (one described as new here), the pastinifer group spans the low elevations of the Bahamas and Cuba ( Fig. 121 ). This group is likely composed of littoral specialists, as it has only been collected from low-lying habitats near the sea. Most nest collections have been taken from wood or woody fruits lying on the ground. These distinctive species have extremely arched mesosomata, broad postpetioles, and incrassate femora, and so are prime examples of the Macromischa syndrome. Members of the pastinifer group may be confused with Temnothorax subditivus , members of the pulchellus group, or morphologically convergent members of the sallei clade. Because of multiple character overlaps between these groups, the keys above and the ‘similar species’ sections below should be used to determine species group membership. The nominal T. pastinifer and T. rutabulafer sp. nov. have historically been conflated as a single species, probably due to a mixed pin prepared by W.M. Mann.

Figures

Figure 121 Geographical and elevational distribution of the pastinifer group. (A) Temnothorax androsanus (B) T. nigricans (C) T. pastinifer (D) T. rutabulafer sp. nov. (E) T. schwarzi. Colored scale to the left of each map represents elevation in meters. Points in black represent the species named in each subfigure, while points in red represent other members of the species group. Type localities are represented by triangles; if present, types of synonyms are named; non-type localities are represented by circles. Bounding box in inset map shows location of main map. Full-size DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11514/fig-121