Amazon Rainforest Ant-Fauna of Parque Estadual do Cristalino: Understory and Ground-Dwelling Ants

Ants are ecologically dominant and have been used as valuable bio-indicators of environmental change or disturbance being used in monitoring inventories.  However, the majority of inventories has concentrated in ground-dwelling ant fauna disregarding the arboreal fauna. This paper aimed to list the ant species collected both on the ground and in the vegetation of the Parque Estadual do Cristalino, an important protected site in the center of the southern Amazon. Moreover, we compared the composition of the ground dwelling and vegetation foraging ants. Was sampled 203 species distributed among 23 genera and eight subfamilies, wherein 35 species had not yet been reported in the literature for Mato Grosso State. As expected, the abundance and richness of ants was higher on the ground than in the understory. Also, the ant assemblages composition was different between these habitats (with only 20% occurring in both). It indicate that complementary methods which include arboreal and terrestrial ants are indicated for efficient inventory. This study provides an inventory of the arboreal and ground ant fauna contributing to the knowledge and conservation of ant fauna of the Amazonian

Expanding the Distribution of the Remarkable Ant Gnamptogenys vriesi Brandão & Lattke (Formicidae, Ectatomminae): First Record From Brazil

Gnamptogenys vriesi Brandão & Lattke is a rare ant originally described based on a worker and on a gyne collected in Morona Santiago province, in Ecuador. After the original description, few specimens of this species were collected in Ecuadorian territory. In this paper we reported the first record for Brazil, which resulted in a significant extension on the knowledge of the distribution of this species, which was currently considered to be restricted to Ecuador. In addition, we also provided images and a distribution map for this species

Catalogue of the Dolichoderinae, Formicinae and Martialinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) types deposited at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

This catalogue lists types of three ant subfamilies (Dolichoderinae, Formicinae and Martialinae) housed in the Formicidae Collection of the Hymenoptera Laboratory, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP), Brazil. It provides label information, morphological condition of specimens, nomenclatural changes, and type status, following recommendations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Here we present information on types of 101 nominal species, of which 96 are still valid. Eight species are only represented by holotypes, 27 species only by paratypes, seven by holotypes and paratypes, 56 species by syntypes, two species by paralectotypes and one species by a lectotype and paralectotypes. With this issue we complete the publication of information regarding all MZSP ant types, summing 4,741 specimens of 892 nomenclaturally valid species

The Capixaba ant species inventory is far from complete: A local scale assessment of the ants (Formicidae) reveals the importance of diversity studies and entomological collections

The Atlantic Forest is the third largest biome in Brazil, the most sampled, and has the second highest diversity of ant species described. However, these data are spatially very heterogeneous, with the central region of the Atlantic Forest being better sampled. There is a visible gap from the south of Bahia to the north of Rio de Janeiro, comprising the entire state of Espírito Santo. Knowing this biodiversity gap, in this work, we list the ant fauna (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) deposited in the Coleção Entomológica of the Reserva Natural Vale (CERNV), located in the municipality of Linhares, Espírito Santo. The CERNV has 143 ants collected from August 1984, belonging to 63 species, 29 genera, and eight subfamilies. Of the 143 records, 94 are ant workers (66%), 27 queens (19%), and 22 males (15%). Seventy three percent of the ant workers are identified, 52% of queens and 36% of males. The species with the most individuals deposited are Camponotus sp. (15 records), Eciton burchellii (8), Atta sexdens (7), Neoponera villosa (7), and Solenopsis sp. (6). Among the identified ants, 12 species were recorded for the first time in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The collection still holds workers (and probably unidentified males) of a species considered endangered, Dinoponera lucida. We can observe the importance of biological collections for the knowledge of biodiversity, local and regional since species are recorded for the first time in a state whose biome is widely studied, helping to fill in Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from an Amazonian fragmented landscape, Juara, Mato Grosso, Brazil, with new records of ant species

The state of Mato Grosso is the 3rd largest Brazilian state, is covered with three major Brazilian biomes, including the Pantanal, Cerrado, and Amazonia. To date, 449 ant species are recorded in literature for the state. In the present work, we documented the ants sampled along a fragmented landscape, in the municipality of Juara, in the Cerrado-Amazon transition zone in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The ant species were captured with Pitfall traps installed in 20 trails with 10 traps in each (totaling 200). Our results show 151 species, belonging to 43 genera and eight subfamilies, of which 28 species were recorded for the first time in the state and five species recorded for the first time in Brazil. Most genera collected were Pheidole Westwood, 1839 (45 species) followed by Crematogaster Lund, 1831 (11 species). By highlighting species recorded for the first time in state of Mato Grosso and Brazil, we hope to encourage new discoveries and increase the general knowledge of the ant fauna of different biomes in the region

Natural regeneration in Atlantic Forest Fragments: using ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for monitoring a conservation unit

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is considered one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world due to the extensive environmental impact it has endured throughout history. Only 12.4% of its original vegetation is estimated to remain. Even though reduced and highly fragmented, it houses enormous biodiversity, and its preservation is paramount to the maintenance of the country’s fauna, flora, funga and microbiota. One of the most efficient measures adopted by public agencies aimed at protecting biodiversity has been the creation of conservation units. To evaluate the preservation state of protected areas, several environmental studies have been performed; species inventories are one among them. Ants are excellent bioindicators, for they are not only sensitive to environmental changes, but they also have a history of being used in impact assessment (i.e., fragmentation). In this study we assessed the ant communities inhabiting the leaf litter in areas with different regeneration states at the RPPN Botujuru – Serra do Itapety (Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo – Brazil). Mini-Winkler traps were used in the ant survey, and diversity analyses were performed. In total, we recorded 86 species of ants, with a highlight to Camponotus cillae Forel, 1912, a species that remained unrecorded for the state of São Paulo for over 100 years, and a possible new species of Octostruma Forel, 1912. Overall, the species found show that the areas are in the process of natural regeneration. Our data on RPPN Botujuru is unprecedented, and our species list has the potential of being used as an effective monitoring tool for this conservation unit

An overview of the ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the state of Maranhão, Brazil

The state of Maranhão, located in northeastern Brazil, comprises three biomes: Amazonian, Caatinga, and the Cerrado. To date, 99 ant species have been recorded in the literature from the state. In the present work, we provide for the first time a profile of the ant fauna in the state based on data from the historical literature and Brazilian institutional collections. The updated records on ant diversity for the state of Maranhão revealed a total of 279 species, belonging to 71 genera and 10 subfamilies. In total, 180 species are recorded for the first time in the state, of which four species recorded for the first time in Brazil. In summary, apart from documenting the ant fauna of the region, these results provide a basis for further studies and may contribute to future conservation efforts for the biomes present in this complex landscape

Taxonomic revision of Octostruma Forel, 1912 (Formicidae: Myrmicinae).

O gênero de formigas Octostruma Forel 1912 (Formicidae: Myrmicinae) está restrito à região Neotropical; suas espécies ocorrem do México até a Argentina, são predadoras de pequenos artrópodes e podem nidificar no solo, serapilheira e em epífitas. No presente trabalho, a taxonomia do gênero é revista com base no exame de cerca de 4.000 exemplares. Reconheço 43 espécies de Octostruma, 34 espécies previamente conhecidas são consideradas válidas e redescritas e, portanto, nove são reconhecidas como novas. Além disso, indivíduos de castas e sexos ainda não registrados (machos, gines e ergatóides) são aqui descritos pela primeira vez para diferentes espécies. Novos registros de localidades expandem a distribuição geográfica conhecida para parte das espécies e informações sobre a biologia das espécies a partir de dados de rótulo e observações de campo, somados às poucas informações encontradas na literatura são compiladas neste trabalho. Uma chave de identificação para as operárias de todas as espécies do gênero é fornecida.The ant genus Octostruma Forel 1912 (Myrmicinae: Attini) is restricted to the Neotropics; their species occur from Mexico to Argentina, are predators of small arthropods and may nest in the soil, leaf litter and epiphytes. In the present work, the taxonomy of the genus is reviewed based in the examination of about 4.000 specimens. Recognize 43 Octostruma species, 34 species previously known are considered valid and redescribed and nine are recognized as new. Moreover, castes and sex of individuals not yet recorded (males, gynes and ergatoids) are described here for the first time for different species. New records expand the distribution known for most species and information about the biology of the species from label data and field observations, added to the little information in the literature are compiled in this work. A key to the worker of all species of the genus is provided

CATALOGUE OF THE DOLICHODERINAE, FORMICINAE AND MARTIALINAE (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) TYPES DEPOSITED AT THE MUSEU DE ZOOLOGIA DA UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

ABSTRACT This catalogue lists types of three ant subfamilies (Dolichoderinae, Formicinae and Martialinae) housed in the Formicidae Collection of the Hymenoptera Laboratory, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP), Brazil. It provides label information, morphological condition of specimens, nomenclatural changes, and type status, following recommendations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Here we present information on types of 101 nominal species, of which 96 are still valid. Eight species are only represented by holotypes, 27 species only by paratypes, seven by holotypes and paratypes, 56 species by syntypes, two species by paralectotypes and one species by a lectotype and paralectotypes. With this issue we complete the publication of information regarding all MZSP ant types, summing 4,741 specimens of 892 nomenclaturally valid species