Rasopone

Longino, John T. & Branstetter, Michael G., 2020, Phylogenomic Species Delimitation, Taxonomy, and ‘ Bird Guide’ Identification for the Neotropical Ant Genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Insect Systematics and Diversity 4 (2), No. 1, pp. 1-33 : 28

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1093/isd/ixaa004

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0DE2398D-199F-40A7-8207-91148630CD76

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3847174

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9C548790-FFEC-FFAE-FF69-414EFBD2FF29

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Rasopone
status

 

Rasopone JTL034

( Fig. 7 View Fig ; Supp Fig. S37 [online only])

Geographic range. Mexico (Puebla, Veracruz), Honduras.

Diagnosis

Mandible smooth and shining or very faintly striate; anterior clypeal margin truncate; side of head with short erect setae; petiolar node moderately tapering, intermediate between cuboidal and scale-like. Three species are within geographic and size range of R. JTL034:

Rasopone guatemalensis ( Fig. 8 View Fig ; Supp Figs. S14 and S15 [online only]): no known local sympatry, but ranges overlap; petiolar node slightly more tapering, scale-like; scape longer (mean SI 86 vs 76); head narrower (mean CI 86 vs 93).

Rasopone politognatha ( Fig. 9 View Fig ; Supp Figs. S28 and S29 [online only]): no known local sympatry, but ranges overlap; side of head bare; scape slightly longer (mean SI 82 vs 76).

Rasopone JTL035 ( Fig. 9 View Fig ; Supp Fig. S38 [online only]): no known local sympatry but in close proximity in Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, possibly segregating by elevation; somewhat larger and darker red brown; side of head bare.

Measurements, worker: HW 1.11 (1.04–1.15, 3); HL 1.19 (1.12– 1.23, 3); SL 0.85 (0.79–0.91, 3); PTH 0.73 (0.68–0.77, 3); PTL 0.42 (0.39–0.45, 3); CI 93 (92–93, 3); SI 77 (75–79, 3); PTI 58 (56–61, 3).

Biology

This species occurs in wet to moist forest, with records from 170 to 980 m elevation. It is known from four widely separated localities. The three known worker specimens are from Winkler samples of forest floor litter and rotten wood. A male was collected 14 June 2010 in a Malaise trap.

Comments

UCE results unite three workers from widely separated localities. The sister taxon is the single specimen of R. JTL035, which appears to be a more montane version of R. JTL034 that is slightly larger and darker. The specimen of R. JTL035 is from a cloud forest site in Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, while one of the specimens of R. JTL034 is from just a few kilometers away, in the lowland rainforest of Los Tuxtlas Biological Station. However, the Los Tuxtlas specimen of R. JTL034 forms a clade with specimens from Puebla ( Mexico) and Honduras. COI data unite a male from Tela, Honduras, with the three worker specimens ( Fig. 3 View Fig ).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

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