A New Species of Cryptopone Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from Brazil with Observations of this Genus and a Key for New World Species

The monophyly of Ponerinae was strongly supported by a detailed molecular phylogenetic study. Within the subfamily, substantial changes were yet done to the taxonomy of several genera, such as Cryptopone Emery, and after phylogenetic and morphological considerations, the genus Cryptopone was revived. Cryptopone is a moderately large genus of pantropical distribution, with 25 described species and subspecies, with its diversity centered mostly in East and Southeast Asia. In the New World, only four species were known until now, Cryptopone gilva (Roger), Cryptopone guianensis (Weber), Cryptopone holmgreni (Wheeler) and Cryptopone mirabilis (Mackay & Mackay). Since the Mackay and Mackay’s revision of 2010 of the genus Pachycondyla which included the species currently attributed to Cryptopone, no new species was added to Cryptopone genus in the New World. Recently an unidentified Cryptopone species was collected in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. The material here described was sampled by manual collection of soil in the Floresta Nacional do Jamari (FLONA Jamari). Four individuals belonging to the worker caste are hereafter described under the name of Cryptopone pauli sp. nov. Currently this ant is known only to a single locality in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. This is also the first record of this genus for that state. We present new records of Cryptopone for the Neotropical Region with some comments on its biology and an updated key to workers of the five species of Cryptopone currently known in the New World

Contrasting “Carrasco” and Forest Ant Communities in the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil

This study contrasts the structure of ant communities of the “carrasco” (deciduous forest) and forest (semideciduous forest) remnants in the buffer zone of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, Bahia, Brazil. Our aim was to compare the richness, composition, vertical partitioning and guild organization at the level of leaf-litter, ground-surface and lower vegetation between the habitat types. Ants were sampled at six sites within each habitat by manual extraction in the leaf-litter, pitfall traps at ground level and baited pitfall traps on tree-trunks and shrubs 1.5 m above the soil surface. A total of 132 ant species was collected belonging to 34 genera and seven subfamilies. According to the analyses performed, the habitat types had equivalent species richness and a distinct species and functional composition at the vertical strata level. Furthermore, a greater vertical partitioning was observed in the forest ant community than in the carrasco ant community. The results indicated a distinct biogeographical association between the ant fauna of the two habitat types and suggested that ant communities in carrasco and forest remnants in the buffer zone of the Chapada Diamantina National Park are especially interesting for conservation and ecological research

Composition and Diversity of Ant Species into Leaf Litter of Two Fragments of a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest in the Atlantic Forest Biome in Barra do Choça, Bahia, Brazil

We present here the preliminary results of a study of leaf litter ant diversity in remnant areas of semi-deciduous seasonal forests in the Atlantic Forest biome. Standardized collections were made in 2011, using pitfall and Winkler traps in two fragments of native forest belonging to the municipality of Barra do Choça in the micro-region of the Planalto da Conquista, in Southwestern Bahia State, Brazil; 107 species from 37 ant genera and 9 subfamilies were collected. The observed richness was high, and the diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener) of the two fragments suggest that in spite of being strongly impacted by anthropogenic actions, they maintained a high faunal diversity levels, similar to those observed in other original Atlantic Forest sites in Bahia State. Analyses of the accumulated species richness curves and estimated richnesses (Jackknife 2), however, demonstrated that the survey efforts expended were not sufficient to capture all of the species present. The high observed numbers of unique species, smooth curves of the accumulated richness graphs, and high values of estimated richness suggested that the survey areas were quite heterogeneous. These results furnished new information concerning regional biodiversity that will be useful as initial references for continuing studies of fragmentation processes in the region

Influence of the vegetation mosaic on ant (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) distributions in the Northern Brazilian Pantanal

We examined how vegetation mosaic influences distribution of the edaphic ant (Formicidae) community in the northern part of the Pantanal in Cáceres, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Plant formations (hereafter habitats) that characterize this area include several savanna types, such as: Cerrado sensu stricto, Cerradão, Semi-deciduous forest, Termite savanna, Open fields and Cerrado field/carandazal. Pitfall traps were placed in ten 250 m transects each one separated by 1 km, within an area of 2 x 5 km (following RAPELD methodology). Five traps at intervals of 50 m were placed along each transect, in September and December 2008. Forty-four ant species were collected. leaf litter predicted ant presence and influenced species occurrence in the different habitats. Pantanal habitats are very different structurally from one to another, which has have resulted in areas with very specific ant assemblages. The understanding of the antcommunity structure in these areas is fundamental to floodplain management

New records and distribution for the Neotropical ant genus Ochetomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

New records and known distribution from species of the genus Ochetomyrmex (Mayr) in the Neotropics are presented, emphasizing the first occurrence of Ochetomyrmex neopolitus (Fernández) in the Mato Grosso Pantanal region, a sub-region of Cáceres, Brazil

New Records of the Dorylinae Ant Genus Cheliomyrmex for the Brazilian Amazon Basin

The Dorylinae subfamily are dominant invertebrate predators in tropical and subtropical terrestrial ecosystems. The most cryptic army ant genus of the New World is Cheliomyrmex. The only specie recognized until now to the Amazon Brazilian Basin is C. andicola, with record in the state of Acre. We provided the first record of Cheliomyrmex megalonyx to Brazil in the Amazon Basin. This record strongly reinforces the idea that more efforts are needed to reveal the diversity, distribution and biology of such hypogaeic ants

Controle natural de Achatina fulica (Mollusca, Gastropoda) por Ocypode quadrata (Crustacea, Decapoda) em restinga antropizada de Ilhéus, Bahia, Brasil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predationof the introduced African snail Achatina fulica by the native crab Ocypode quadrata, both of them are common organismsin the anthropogenic sea shore vegetation of the northern littoral at Ilhéus, State of Bahia, Brazil. A preliminary laboratorytest was carried out aiming to verify if the mollusk was caught alive by O. quadrata. After sampling the A. fulicapopulation in a human settlement on the littoral, 30 burrows of O. quadrata were individually marked, and all emptyshells of A. fulica were collected in a 50 cm radius around them, each 15 days, over a period of a little more than six months.The empty shells were successively examined and measured. Ocypode quadrata shows a strong preference for individualsof A. fulica with less than 4 cm (75% of captured mollusks), probably because the prey is more easily handled andextracted from the shell. The preservation of O. quadrata habitat, even in partially anthropogenic places, is especiallyimportant when focusing on the natural biological control of the invading mollusk A. fulica.Additional key words: exotic species, littoral, Neotropical region, predation, sea shore vegetationObjetivou-se estudar a predação do caramujo exótico africano Achatina fulica pelo caranguejo Ocypode quadrata,ambos comuns nas restingas antropizadas do litoral norte de Ilhéus, Bahia. Foi realizado teste preliminar em laboratório,a fim de verificar se o molusco era capturado vivo pelo caranguejo. Após amostragem da população de A. fulica numcondomínio situado nesse litoral, foram marcadas 30 tocas de O. quadrata. A cada 15 dias, durante seis meses, foramcoletadas todas as conchas vazias de A. fulica num raio de 50 cm dessas tocas. As conchas coletadas foram sucessivamenteexaminadas e medidas. Observou-se que o caranguejo tem preferência por caramujos de A. fulica com até 4 cm (75% dosmoluscos capturados), provavelmente pelo fato da presa ser mais facilmente manipulada e extraída da concha. A preservaçãodo habitat de O. quadrata, mesmo em lugares parcialmente antropizados, é de fundamental importância no controlebiológico natural do molusco invasor A. fulica

Glandular Epithelium as a Possible Source of a Fertility Signal in Ectatomma tuberculatum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Queens

The wax layer covering the insect's cuticle plays an important protective role, as for example, uncontrolled water loss. In social insects, wax production is well-known in some bees that use it for nest building. Curiously, mated-fertile queens of the ant Ectatomma tuberculatum produce an uncommon extra-wax coat and, consequently queens (mated-fertile females) are matte due to such extra cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) coat that covers the cuticle and masks the brightness of the queens' cuticle while gynes (virgin-infertile queens) are shiny. In this study, histological analysis showed differences in the epidermis between fertile (i.e., queens or gynes with highly ovarian activity) and infertile females (gynes or workers with non developed ovaries). In fertile females the epidermis is a single layer of cubic cells found in all body segments whereas in infertile females it is a thin layer of flattened cells. Ultrastructural features showed active secretory tissue from fertile females similar to the glandular epithelium of wax-producing bees (type I gland). Different hypotheses related to the functions of the glandular epithelium exclusive to the E. tuberculatum fertile queens are discussed

A Review of Distribution Modeling in Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Biogeographic Studies

The state of the art of Formicidae biogeographic studies using distribution modeling tools was reviewed. We aimed to evaluate how and for what purpose such tools were used in ant studies, as well as detecting modeling methods, algorithms, and variables selected for these studies. We analyzed papers published from 2001 to 2021 and focused on predicting invasion risks, conservation, and potential distribution of species. We also considered the mechanistic and correlative approaches, types of algorithms, and environmental variables. We observed that modeling is first used to predict invasion risks before conservation. The correlative approach was the most used, although it does not consider biotic or physiological aspects as the mechanistic approach does. The most used algorithm was Maxent, combining data set of occurrences with climatic variables. Nine studies used combinations of algorithms with consensual models. Research using modeling has been conducted more and more. However, it remains still incipient, mainly regarding conservation, as the current distribution of most of the Formicidae species is not well known. Although not frequently used in ant studies, distribution modeling represents an important approach for research in biogeography, ecology, and related areas. Certain perspectives could be useful, for example, for studying climatic changes, since possible variations in ant distributions, if anticipated, could suggest or guide further investigations or decision-making in public policies