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International audience; Invertebrates constitute the majority of animal species and are critical for ecosystem functioning and services. Nonetheless, global invertebrate biodiversity patterns and their congruences with vertebrates remain largely unknown. We resolve the first high-resolution (~20-km) global diversity map for a major invertebrate clade, ants, using biodiversity informatics, range modeling, and machine learning to synthesize existing knowledge and predict the distribution of undiscovered diversity. We find that ants and different vertebrate groups have distinct features in their patterns of richness and rarity, underscoring the need to consider a diversity of taxa in conservation. However, despite their phylogenetic and physiological divergence, ant distributions are not highly anomalous relative to variation among vertebrate clades. Furthermore, our models predict that rarity centers largely overlap (78%), suggesting that general forces shape endemism patterns across taxa. This raises confidence that conservation of areas important for small-ranged vertebrates will benefit invertebrates while providing a "treasure map" to guide future discovery.

The non-leaf-cutting fungus-growing ants deposited in two entomological collections in Colombia were curated and identified to assess their diversity in the country. We examined 680 specimens, identifying 41 species belonging to seven genera, bringing the total of fungus-growing ant species known from Colombia to 85. The following species are new records for Colombia: Apterostigma angustum Lattke, 1997, Mycetomoellerius jamaicensis (André, 1893), Paratrachymyrmex diversus (Mann, 1916), and Paratrachymyrmex phaleratus (Wheeler, 1925).

SSe presentan una lista comentada de las especies de hormigas legionarias del estado de Jalisco y occidente de México, así como claves para la determinación de soldados y obreras. Este trabajo se basó en muestreos realizados en 17 localidades de 14 municipios de Jalisco, así como en la revisión de especímenes depositados en cuatro colecciones entomológicas nacionales. Se examinaron 21,167 ejemplares de hormigas legionarias, donde 18,344 correspondieron a material depositado en las colecciones. Para cada especie, se elaboró una lámina con los principales caracteres diagnósticos empleados en las claves dicotómicas. Los ejemplares en mejores condiciones, con excepción de Neivamyrmex pauxillus y N. Pilosus, cuyos esquemas fueron redibujados a partir de fotografías obtenidas del sitio AntWeb (2015), se eligieron para elaborar las láminas. Se incluyen 21 especies, en la clave y la lista comentada, agrupadas en cuatro géneros: Eciton, Labidus, Neivamyrmex y Nomamyrmex. Se documentan tres primeros nuevos registros para Jalisco: Neivamyrmex halidaii (Shuckard, 1840), N. Impudens (Mann, 1922) y N. Pauxillus (Wheeler, 1903).

Ants, an ecologically successful and numerically dominant group of animals, play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, nutrient recyclers, and regulators of plant growth and reproduction in most terrestrial ecosystems. Further, ants are widely used as bioindicators of the ecological impact of land use. We gathered information of ant species in the Atlantic Forest of South America. The ATLANTIC ANTS data set-which is part of the ATLANTIC SERIES data papers-is a compilation of ant records from collections (18,713 records), unpublished data (29,651 records), and published sources (106,910 records; 1059 references), including papers, theses, dissertations, and book chapters published from 1886 to 2020. In total, the data set contains 153,818 ant records from 7,636 study locations in the Atlantic Forest, representing 10 subfamilies, 99 genera, 1,114 ant species identified with updated taxonomic certainty, and 2,235 morphospecies codes. Our data set reflects the heterogeneity in ant records, which include ants sampled at the beginning of the taxonomic history of myrmecology (the nineteenth and twentieth centuries) and more recent ant surveys designed to address specific questions in ecology and biology. The data set can be used by researchers to develop strategies to deal with different macroecological and regional-wide questions, focusing on assemblages, species occurrences and distribution patterns. Furthermore, the data can be used to assess the consequences of changes in land use in the Atlantic Forest on different ecological processes. No copyright restrictions apply to the use of this data set, but we request that authors cite this data paper when using these data in publications or teaching events.

Leafcutter ants propagate co-evolving fungi for food. The nearly 50 species of leafcutter ants (Atta, Acromyrmex) range from Argentina to the United States, with the greatest species diversity in southern South America. We elucidate the biogeography of fungi cultivated by leafcutter ants using DNA sequence and microsatellite-marker analyses of 474 cultivars collected across the leafcutter range. Fungal cultivars belong to two clades (Clade-A and Clade-B). The dominant and widespread Clade-A cultivars form three genotype clusters, with their relative prevalence corresponding to southern South America, northern South America, Central and North America. Admixture between Clade-A populations supports genetic exchange within a single species, Leucocoprinus gongylophorus. Some leafcutter species that cut grass as fungicultural substrate are specialized to cultivate Clade-B fungi, whereas leafcutters preferring dicot plants appear specialized on Clade-A fungi. Cultivar sharing between sympatric leafcutter species occurs frequently such that cultivars of Atta are not distinct from those of Acromyrmex. Leafcutters specialized on Clade-B fungi occur only in South America. Diversity of Clade-A fungi is greatest in South America, but minimal in Central and North America. Maximum cultivar diversity in South America is predicted by the Kusnezov-Fowler hypothesis that leafcutter ants originated in subtropical South America and only dicot-specialized leafcutter ants migrated out of South America, but the cultivar diversity becomes also compatible with a recently proposed hypothesis of a Central American origin by postulating that leafcutter ants acquired novel cultivars many times from other nonleafcutter fungus-growing ants during their migrations from Central America across South America. We evaluate these biogeographic hypotheses in the light of estimated dates for the origins of leafcutter ants and their cultivars.

espanol El manejo de las especies invasoras es considerado uno de los grandes desafios que impone el Cambio Global a nuestras sociedades, junto con la deforestacion y el calentamiento de la atmosfera. Se conoce muy poco sobre las hormigas invasoras en el Ecuador continental, incluso cuando se ha demostrado en el resto del mundo su agresividad, los impactos negativos en los ecosistemas y las perdidas economicas que causan. La mayoria de registros de hormigas invasoras en el Ecuador provienen de las Islas Galapagos y no existe un inventario de ellas para el Ecuador continental. Aqui compilamos registros de hormigas invasoras presentes en la literatura y en colecciones entomologicas locales para crear la primera lista de hormigas invasoras presentes en el Ecuador continental. Se registra la presencia de un total de 16 especies de hormigas invasoras. De estas, diez especies son extranjeras, pero invasoras en el Ecuador; y seis especies son nativas en el Ecuador e invasoras en el exterior. Proveemos los primeros registros para Ecuador continental de Cardiocondyla minutior, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium pharaonis, Tapinoma melanocephalum, y Tetramorium bicarinatum. Ademas, los registros de Cardiocondyla wroughtonii y Tetramorium lucayanum son los primeros para el pais. English Management of invasive species is considered one of the great challenges deriving from Global Change that our societies currently face, besides deforestation and the warming of the atmosphere. Little is known about the invasive ants in continental Ecuador, despite the world-wide demonstrated aggressiveness, negative ecological impact, and economic losses caused by them. Most Ecuadorian records are from the Galapagos Islands and there is yet no inventory for the mainland. Gleaning records from the literature and local entomological collections, we present the first list of invasive ants present on mainland Ecuador. A total of 16 invasive ant species are recorded. Ten ant species are foreign to the country. The remaining six ant species are native to Ecuador and invasive elsewhere. Records of Cardiocondyla minutior, Monomorium floricola, Monomorium pharaonis, Tapinoma melanocephalum, and Tetramorium bicarinatum are the first ones for continental Ecuador. Furthermore, Cardiocondyla wroughtonii and Tetramorium lucayanum are reported for the first time for the country.

Genitalia include some of the most complex and morphologically diverse structures in insects, finding extensive use in taxonomy, but ant taxonomy is female biased and knowledge of the males is little explored, potentially depriving ant taxonomy of valuable information. We examine the male genital morphology of six species of Dinoponera and the variation among species and within species is described. We performed geometric morphometric analyses for the penisvalvae and lateropenite of the volsella. The results from the descriptions and statistical analyses show the genitalia offer valuable characters for species delimitation. What is presently known as Dinoponera australis can be differentiated into discrete populations, perhaps some representing cryptic species. The similarities between D. australis and D. snellingi suggest a close relation between them as well as between D. gigantea and D. quadriceps. We conclude that several genital characters, especially those of the penisvalvae, can be used to differentiate the species and might be useful to clarify the taxonomy of Dinoponera.

We describe, Gnamptogenys rugimala n. sp, a very distinct new species of the ectatommine genus Gnamptogenys, from specimens collected in forests of southeastern Brazil. We provide some data about G. rugimala n. sp occurrence and ecology as well as a species identification key for the mordax subgroup.

Three new species and a new genus of “hell ants” (Haidomyrmecinae) are described from Cenomanian Burmese amber. Ceratomyrmex planus sp. nov. is the second species formally known for the genus and obliges a revision of the generic diagnosis. It can be recognized by its smaller size, the straight and shorter club-like cephalic horn, and flattened eyes. Haidomyrmex davidbowiei sp. nov. has only two trigger hairs on the apex of a brief clypeal lobe dorsal to the setal patch, the first flagellomere distinctly longer than the second, amongst other characters. Dilobops bidentata gen. et sp. nov., is the only known ant with a bidentate projection on the frontal region. Its clypeus is posteriorly flanked by two projecting lobes. The possible relation of the cephalic and mandibular morphology with the feeding habits of Haidomyrmecinae is discussed. It is argued that not all species impaled prey with their mandibles and that honeydew collection could have formed a part of their diet. A key for identifying the species of Haidomyrmex is included.

We report finding Strumigenys thaxteri Wheeler in the Amazonian foothills of southeastern Ecuador, over 2000 km to the west of previously known records for the species in Trinidad and Guyana. Field observations suggest it is a sit and wait ambush predator that captures insects that alight on the vegetation upon which they position themselves. Once prey is subdued they descend with it to ground level, where they presumably nest. Their massive mandibles, robust claws, dense body cover of long silky hairs, and sting may all contribute to detecting, trapping, and subduing larger sized, flying prey. This type of predation is hitherto unreported for the genus. Strumigenys reticeps (Kempf), an apparently closely related species from southern Brazil, may share the same behavior but its key morphological traits are of a lesser degree of development than in S. thaxteri. Both species are redescribed and their morphological variability is discussed. High resolution images of both species are provided. The more frequent use of vegetation beating for ant-collecting is urged. Strumigenys lojanensis Lattke & Aguirre is synonymized as a junior synonym of S. onorei Baroni Urbani & De Andrade.

Two new species of ants belonging to the genus Leptogenys are described: L. academica n. sp., and L. carioca n. sp., both belonging to the crudelis group. The former species is known from the city of Curitiba while the other species occurs in montane forests of the Itatiaia Plateau. We provide descriptions based on the worker caste, images, as well as a modification of the key presently used for identifying the New World workers of Leptogenys.

Dinoponera lucida Emery 1901 (Figures 1���3) Dinoponera grandis subsp. lucida Emery 1901:48 Dinoponera lucida Emery. Raised to species by Kempf 1971:376 Male diagnosis. Body bicolored: head, mesosoma, and petiole brown; scape, legs and gaster ferruginous brown. Lateral ocelli protruding beyond posterior cephalic margin in dorsal view of the head; abdominal tergum VIII shaped as acute triangular; body with abundant long yellow hairs. Measurements: (n=8) HL= 1.90���2.10, HW1= 1.58���1.86, HW2= 2.22���2.44, MAL = 0.14���0.24, MDL= 0.48��� 0.56, SL= 0.60���0.76, PDL= 0.20���0.24, A3L= 1.38���1.50, A4L= 1.40���1.58, AAL= 1.34���1.46, EL= 1.16���1.28, EW= 0.74���0.80, MOD = 0.34���0.40, OOD= 0.32���0.42, LOD = 0.32���0.38, WL= 5.83���6.33, MLL= 1.14���1.48, MLW= 2.00���2.26, MTL= 2.52���2.68, MTW= 2.56���2.84, PFL= 3.68���3.96, MFL= 4.72���5.08, FWL= 13.3���15.0, HWL= 10.0���11.7, PTH = 1.24���1.48, PTL= 1.66���1.82, PTW= 0.98���1.10, GL= 7.33���8.17, TBL= 17.6���18.7, CI= 74.7���93.9, CS= 1.66���1.95, SEI= 168���200, SI= 32.3���46.5, EI1= 59.7���63.8, EI2= 98���119, MDI = 23.1���28.4, OBI = 60.2���79.3, OMI= 483���900, MNI= 1.49���1.84, MTI= 101���184 FI= 76.7���80.5, PTI= 70���87.1 Cephalic capsule ovoid in dorsal view, wider than long including compound eyes; posterior cephalic margin forming blunt angle interrupted by lateral ocelli close to its apex; lateral head margin convex, formed by compound eye. Clypeus protrudes posteriorly between compound eyes; anterior margin bordered by narrow, translucent lamella; lamella medially straight to weakly convex, laterally convex; surface of clypeal disc very convex, epistomal sulcus posteriorly convex and weakly impressed, separating clypeus from weakly elevated but flattened frontal triangle that extends posterad between antennal sockets; anterior tentorial pit large and easily discernible. Frontal carina reduced to faint and short elevated line, median torular arch shaped as weak posteromedian convex lobe that leaves antennal condyle completely exposed, lateral torular arch simple; antennal socket located at cephalic mid-length, as measured from anterior clypeal margin to posterior head margin, separated from other socket by distance shorter than median ocellus diameter (MOD = 0.34���0.40). Compound eye large and bulging (EI2= 98���119), occupying whole lateral cephalic margin (OBI = 60.2���79.3), dorsomedial margin weakly emarginate; ocelli large and protruding, approximately equal in sized, lateral ocelli closer to anterior ocellus than to each other and separated from compound eye by a distance similar to its diameter (OOD=0.32���0.42). Antenna longer than mesosoma, 13-segmented; scape length approximately half of first flagellomere and shorter than EL; pedicel length approximately one-third that of scape, surface smooth; flagellum filiform, punctate. Palpal formula 4,3 (in situ count); labrum, in dorsal view, lateromedially narrower than labium, weakly projecting as transverse, anteriorly emarginate structure with convex dorsal surface. Mandible slightly shorter than antennal scape, apically rounded, lacking teeth, surface smooth and shiny, with basal, flattened lateral expansion. Cephalic sculpture mostly shining with scattered small, piligerous tubercles; weak longitudinal striae present between ocelli and antenna. Mesosoma in lateral view with anterior pronotal margin forming brief overhang above head, narrow posterior shelf present at promesonotal junction; mesoscutum convex; mesoscutellum strongly convex; metanotum brief and strongly convex; propodeal dorsal margin straight to weakly convex in profile view, forming smooth continuity with broadly convex declivitous margin. Pronotum trapezoid in lateral view, posterolateral corners blunt and slighted lifted; mesopleural sulcus oblique, deeply impressed, scrobiculate, mesopleural pit directed ventrally; spiracular sclerite oval, directed anterolaterally; metapleuron medially constricted, with conspicuous and deep pit medially located near metapleural-propodeal suture; metapleural-propodeal suture broad and shallow but well-defined; propodeal spiracle slit-shaped. In dorsal view, pronotal posterior margin broadly concave, lateral lobe protruding, mesoscutum with three longitudinal carinae: one anterior median notal carina and two lateral parapsidal lines; notauli absent, mesoscutum smooth and shining; scutoscutellar sulcus scrobiculate, mesoscutellum hexagonal, disc smooth and shining; metascutellum transversally rectangular with transverse striae. Mesosoma mostly smooth and shining except for metanotum and irregular minute raised areas on propodeal declivity. Protibial calcar pectinate with small basal lamella (= ���velum of calcar���), probasitarsus with basal comb; meso- and metatibia each with long pectinate spur and simple short spur; all basitarsi long, each about same length of its corresponding tibia; tarsal claws with preapical tooth; arolium well-developed. Fore wing with pterostigma, abscissae C, Sc+R, R, Rs, Rs+M, M+Cu, M, Cu, and A present; crossveins 2r-rs, 2rs-m, 1m-cu, cu-a present. Cells Costal+Subcostal, Basal, Subbasal, Marginal, Submarginal 1, Submarginal 2, Discal, Subdiscal present. Rs weakly curved anterad R; M and Cu curved posterad, without reaching posterior margin. Crossvein cu-a far from wing base, near discal cell (Fig. 3A). Hind wing with abscissae R+Rs, Rs, M+Cu, M, Cu, and A present; crossveins 1rs-m and cu-a present; no abscissae reach posterior margin; segment of M+Cu posterior to cu-a twice as long as segment of M anterior to rs-m; 1rs-m almost twice longer than cu-a, jugal lobe present (Fig. 3B). Petiole rounded in lateral view, anterior margin more broadly convex than posterior margin, petiolar spiracle relatively small, oval, anteriorly located. Petiole rectangular in dorsal view, longer than broad with anterior cervix developed, posterior corner rounded, spiracle laterally protruding; articulation with gaster well-defined. Gaster smooth and shiny, with well-marked constriction between abdominal segments III and IV; spiracles on tergites III��� V exposed; stridulitrum present on abdominal pretergite IV; abdominal tergum VIII ending in very acute triangle almost forming a spine (Fig. 1B), cercus about as long as fourth protarsomere, club-shaped, bearing many long hairs issuing from small piligerous tubercles; abdominal sternum IX apically truncate; telomere rounded; penisvalva with ventral margin serrated. Head covered with scattered, long yellow hairs, longest hairs on posterior part of head; clypeus bearing long, subdecumbent, anteriorly projecting hairs that surpass extended labrum, posterior region of clypeus and frons with shorter appressed yellow hairs. Antenna with many short, appressed and subdecumbent hairs, some longer erect hairs present on first three flagellomere, each about as long as pedicel. Maxillary palp segments III and IV with erect hairs; labrum bearing short erect setae. Dorsum of mesosoma densely covered with yellow decumbent and erect hairs, hairs longer on pronotum and propodeum; pilosity scarce on sides of pronotum and anterior portion of mesopleuron; setae on propodeum long, about same length of mandible. Wings covered with short decumbent hairs. Petiole densely covered with erect, yellow hairs, longer than propodeal hairs. Gaster covered with many subdecumbent yellow hairs. Head, mesosoma, and petiole brown; scape, pedicel, mandible, labrum, maxilla, labium, legs, and gaster ferruginous brown; flagellum mostly dark brown (Fig. 1A). Discrete light blue iridescence visible on different body parts depending upon light source used. Distribution (Figure 4). Dinoponera lucida is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, recorded from the states of Bahia, Esp��rito Santo, Minas Gerais, and S��o Paulo, with most records in Esp��rito Santo and Southern Bahia. The most northern record is from Ilheus (Bahia) and the southernmost record is from Cruzeiro (S��o Paulo). There is a single record from S��o Paulo by Kempf (1971)., Published as part of Mayron E Esc��rraga, John E Lattke & Celso O Azevedo, 2017, Discovery of the Dinoponera lucida male (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), a threatened giant ant from the Atlantic rain forest, pp. 128-136 in Zootaxa 4347 (1) on pages 130-134, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4347.1.7, http://zenodo.org/record/1045149, {"references":["Emery, C. (1901) Notes sur les sous-familles des Dorylines et Ponerines (Famille des Formicides). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, 45, 32 - 54.","Kempf, W. W. (1971) A preliminary review of the ponerine ant genus Dinoponera Roger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica, 14, 369 - 394."]}

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Museo Nacl Hist Nat, Montevideo, Uruguay Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Fdn Miguel Lillo, San Miguel De Tucuman, Argentina Roger Tory Peterson Inst Nat Hist, Jamestown, VA USA Univ Fed Reconcavo Bahia, Cruz Das Almas, Brazil South China Normal Univ, Guangzhou 510631, Guangdong, Peoples R China Museu Ciencias Tecnol PUCRS, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Univ Fed Tocantins, Porto Nacl, Brazil Univ Toronto, Scarborough, ON, Canada Univ Nacl Colombia, Inst Ciencias Nat, Bogota, Colombia Natl Museum Philippines, Manila, Philippines NOVA Univ Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK, Canada Deutsch Zentrum Marine Biodiversitatsforsch, Hamburg, Germany Ctr Invest Biol Noroeste, La Paz, Mexico Naturalis Biodivers Ctr, Leiden, Netherlands Univ Douala, Douala, Cameroon Vet & Farmaceut Univ Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Univ Swaziland, Kwaluseni, Eswatini Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Univ Claude Bernard, Lyon, France Museum Vertebrate Zool, Berkeley, CA USA Smithsonian Inst, Washington, DC 20560 USA Nat Hist Museum & Inst, Chiba, Japan Senckenberg Biodiversitat & Klima Forschunsgzentr, Frankfurt, Germany Marquette Univ, Milwaukee, WI 53233 USA Univ Firenze, Museo Storia Nat, Florence, Italy Univ Fed Bahia, Salvador, BA, Brazil Fed Univ ABC, Sao Bernardo, Brazil Univ Fed Goias, Goiania, Go, Brazil Univ Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, AK USA Egerton Univ, Egerton, Kenya Museo Hist Nat, Lima, Peru IKIAM Univ Reg Amazon, Tena, Ecuador Univ Hyogo, Sanda, Japan Inst Rech Dev, Paris, France Univ Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Brazil Niedersachs Landesbetrieb Wasserwirtschaft Kusten, Hannover, Germany Univ Complutense Madrid, Madrid, Spain Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Ctr Nacl Patagon, Puerto Madryn, Argentina Roosevelt Univ, Coll Profess Studies, Chicago, IL 60605 USA Western Kentucky Univ, Bowling Green, KY 42101 USA Univ Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy Univ Fed Acre, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil Inst Bio & Geociencias Noroeste Argentino, Salta, Argentina Inst Venezolano Invest Cient, Caracas, Venezuela Umweltbundesamt, Vienna, Austria Penclen, Plumelec, France CNRS MNHN UPMC, Ctr Rech Paleobiodivers & Paleoenvironm, Paris, France Staatl Museum Nat Kunde, Stuttgart, Germany Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Museo Argentino Ciencias Nat Bernardino Rivada, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina Ctr Biol Gest Populat INRA, Montferrier Sur Lez, France Loyola Univ Chicago, Chicago, IL USA Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil Durban Museum Nat Sci, Durban, South Africa Univ Estado Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil Brigham Young Univ, Provo, UT 84602 USA Museo Hist Nat La Salle, Caracas, Venezuela Univ Vet Med Hannover, Hannover, Germany Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW, Australia Texas Tech Univ, Lubbock, TX 79409 USA Francis Marion Univ, Florence, SC USA Univ Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 USA Univ Connecticut, Groton, CT USA Fed Univ ABC, Santo Andre, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Uberlandia, Uberlandia, MG, Brazil Fed Univ Para, Belem, Para, Brazil Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, CT USA Univ Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019 USA Senckenberg Deutsch Entomol Inst, Muncheberg, Germany CSIRO, Natl Res Collect, Canberra, ACT, Australia Univ Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa Univ Ulsan, Ulsan, South Korea Univ Estadual Sao Paulo, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Senckenberg Forsch Inst & Nat Museum, Frankfurt, Germany Ocean Univ China, Inst Marine Biodivers & Evolut, Qingdao, Shandong, Peoples R China Univ Fed Para, Altamira, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Assis, Brazil UPMC, Ctr Rech Paleobiodiversite & Paleoenvironm, CNRS, MNHN, Paris, France Tech Univ Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany Charles Univ Prague, Dept Zool, Prague, Czech Republic Univ Nacl Expt los Llanos Occident Ezequiel Zamor, Guanare, Venezuela Long Isl Univ, Brooklyn, NY USA Univ Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan Pontificia Univ Catolica Ecuador, Museo Zool, Escuela Ciencias Biol, Quito, Ecuador Indiana Univ Penn, Indiana, PA USA IRD, Dakar, Senegal State Museum Nat Hist Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany Univ Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France Univ Ghent, Ghent, Belgium Univ Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium Karlsruhe Inst Technol, Karlsruhe, Germany Ctr Cellular & Mol Biol, Hyderabad, India Univ Fed ABC, Santo Andre, Brazil Yale Peabody Museum Nat Hist, New Haven, CT USA Univ Innsbruck, Mondsee, Austria Bethune Cookman Univ, Daytona Beach, FL USA Natl Museum Nat & Sci, Tokyo, Japan Zool Garten Koln, Cologne, Germany Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Vicente, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Assis, Brazil

What forces structure ecological assemblages? A key limitation to general insights about assemblage structure is the availability of data that are collected at a small spatial grain (local assemblages) and a large spatial extent (global coverage). Here, we present published and unpublished data from 51 ,388 ant abundance and occurrence records of more than 2,693 species and 7,953 morphospecies from local assemblages collected at 4,212 locations around the world. Ants were selected because they are diverse and abundant globally, comprise a large fraction of animal biomass in most terrestrial communities, and are key contributors to a range of ecosystem functions. Data were collected between 1949 and 2014, and include, for each geo-referenced sampling site, both the identity of the ants collected and details of sampling design, habitat type, and degree of disturbance. The aim of compiling this data set was to provide comprehensive species abundance data in order to test relationships between assemblage structure and environmental and biogeographic factors. Data were collected using a variety of standardized methods, such as pitfall and Winkler traps, and will be valuable for studies investigating large-scale forces structuring local assemblages. Understanding such relationships is particularly critical under current rates of global change. We encourage authors holding additional data on systematically collected ant assemblages, especially those in dry and cold, and remote areas, to contact us and contribute their data to this growing data set.

Aim To use a fine-grained global model of ant diversity to identify the limits of our knowledge of diversity in the context of climate change. Location Global. Methods We applied generalized linear modelling to a global database of local ant assemblages to predict the species density of ants globally. Predictors evaluated included simple climate variables, combined temperature × precipitation variables, biogeographic region, elevation, and interactions between select variables. Areas of the planet identified as beyond the reliable prediction ability of the model were those having climatic conditions more extreme than what was represented in the ant database. Results Temperature was the most important single predictor of ant species density, and a mix of climatic variables, biogeographic region and interactions between climate and region yielded the best overall model. Broadly, geographic patterns of ant diversity match those of other taxa, with high species density in the wet tropics and in some, but not all, parts of the dry tropics. Uncertainty in model predictions appears to derive from the low amount of standardized sampling of ants in Asia, in Africa and in the most extreme (e.g. hottest) climates. Model residuals increase as a function of temperature. This suggests that our understanding of the drivers of ant diversity at high temperatures is incomplete, especially in hot and arid climates. In other words, our ignorance of how ant diversity relates to environment is greatest in those regions where most species occur – hot climates, both wet and dry. Main conclusions Our results have two important implications. First, temperature is necessary, but not sufficient, to explain fully the patterns of ant diversity. Second, our ability to predict ant diversity is weakest exactly where we need to know the most, the warmest regions of a warming world. This includes significant parts of the tropics and some of the most biologically diverse areas in the world.

Summary 1. Swarm-raiding army ants have long been considered as episodic, catastrophic agents of disturbance in the tropical litter, but few quantitative data exist on their diets, preferences, and, critically, their ability to deplete prey. 2. Here, we provide such data for two common species of swarm raiders broadly sympatric throughout the Neotropics: the iconic Eciton burchellii and the more secretive, less studied Labidus praedator. In Ecuador, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Panama, patches of forest floor were sampled for litter invertebrates immediately before and after army ant raids. These invertebrates have been shown to regulate decomposition and vary 100-fold in local densities across the forest floor. 3. Contrary to Eciton’s popular image, only Labidus consistently reduced the biomass of litter invertebrates and only then by an average of 25%. Eciton’s impacts were concentrated on rich patches of invertebrates, while Labidus prey depletion showed no such density dependence. Labidus reduced the biomass of some invertebrates–isopods, larviforms and coleoptera–by up to 75%; Eciton showed no such prey preferences. 4. Our results suggest that Eciton specializes on high biomass patches, while Labidus feeds profitably from any litter patch. Combined, these swarm raiders sum to be chronic, but not catastrophic, predators of common litter invertebrates of the brown food web.

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Along with large wingless queens and group foraging raids, periodic colony movements or emigrations are a defining feature of army ant behaviour. Emigrations are important because they regulate spacing among colonies, and provide access to new foraging sites. 2. Raid and emigration activity of army ant communities was measured at four Neotropical sites using a standardised sampling protocol. Sampling of emigration activity was carried out throughout the diel cycle. 3. Both raid and emigration activity occurred throughout the day and night. Emigration activity was highest under cover of darkness, but sites and species differed in the diel timing of emigrations. These site and species differences have implications for the evolution of emigration behaviour, as well as for the community ecology of army ants.

The Neotropical minuta group of Gnamptogenys Roger is revised. A group synopsis for the workers is given, as well as a comparative table of characters that separate the group from the rest of Gnamptogenys. The possible evolutionary history of the nine species of the group is discussed. An identification key is included, and information for each species is reviewed.

1. The New World army ants are top predators in the litter of tropical forest, but no comprehensive studies exist on variation in assemblage-wide activity and species composition. We used standardized protocols to estimate foraging raid rates and species composition of army ant communities in four Neotropical forests. The study sites spanned approximately 10 degrees latitude, with two sites each in Central and South America. 2. We recorded a total of 22 species of army ants. The four sites varied in observed and estimated species richness. Species overlap was highest between the Central American sites, and lowest between the South American sites. 3. Raid activity varied significantly among sites. Raid activity per kilometre of trail walks was over four times higher at the most active site (Sta. Maria, Venezuela) than at the least active site (Barro Colorado Island, Panama). Furthermore, each site showed a different diel pattern of activity. For example, raid activity was higher during daylight hours in Costa Rica, and higher at night in Venezuela. Raid activity relationships with ambient temperature also varied significantly among sites. 4. The overall rate of army ant raids passing through 1 m(2) plots was 0.73 raids per day, but varied among sites, from 0 raids per day (Panama) to 1.2 raids per day (Venezuela). 5. Primarily subterranean species were significantly more abundant in Venezuela, and above-ground foragers that form large swarm fronts were least abundant in Panama. The site heterogeneity in species abundance and diel activity patterns has implications for army ant symbionts, including ant-following birds, and for the animals hunted by these top predators.

The army ant Eciton burchellii is one of the most conspicuous ant species in New World tropical forests, but studies of colony life histories have been hampered by the nomadic lifestyle of these ants, which alternate between a nomadic phase when the colony relocates frequently, and a statary phase when the colony remains at a fixed site. Here we report on a colony from Venezuela that we studied continuously for six weeks, from the time that the queen produced a reproductive brood until the adult reproductives emerged and the colony entered the next cycle. Our findings support the contention that reproductive larvae develop faster than worker larvae, and that the nomadic phases of colonies with reproductive broods are significantly shorter than those of colonies with worker broods. This strongly suggests that the onset of pupation is linked to the onset of the statary phase. We used microsatellite genotyping to accurately identify male and queen larvae and we describe how they can be distinguished morphologically. Using the same genetic markers, we determined the parentage of 81 males produced by this colony. Only one of the males had a genotype that could not be directly derived from the observed queen genotype, but this mismatch is most probably due to a single mutation at one of the microsatellite loci, rather than this male being a worker son. We therefore conclude that this colony provides no evidence that workers lay eggs that develop into adult males in the presence of the queen, confirming the results of an earlier study on male parentage in an Old World army ant.

Two new species from the myrmicine ant genus Strumigenys found in cloud forests above 2000 m in southern Ecuador are described and illustrated. S. lojanensis n. sp. is a member of the gundlachi complex described from 8 workers and 2 queens. S. madrigalae n. sp. is a member of the schulzi group described from 1 worker and 1 queen. Characters that permit separation from closely appearing species are presented. The gundlachi group of Strumigenys now has at least 5 species known from andean cloud forests above 2000 m in northern South America.

Many studies have focused on the impacts of climate change on biological assemblages, yet little is known about howclimate interacts with other major anthropogenic influences on biodiversity, such as habitat disturbance. Using a unique global database of 1128 local ant assemblages, we examined whether climate mediates the effects of habitat disturbance on assemblage structure at a global scale. Species richness and evenness were associated positively with temperature, and negatively with disturbance. However, the interaction among temperature, precipitation and disturbance shaped species richness and evenness. The effectwas manifested through a failure of species richness to increase substantially with temperature in transformed habitats at low precipitation. At low precipitation levels, evenness increased with temperature in undisturbed sites, peaked at medium temperatures in disturbed sites and remained low in transformed sites. In warmer climates with lower rainfall, the effects of increasing disturbance on species richness and evenness were akin to decreases in temperature of up to 98C. Anthropogenic disturbance and ongoing climate change may interact in complicated ways to shape the structure of assemblages, with hot, arid environments likely to be at greatest risk. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Workers of the genus Cheliomyrmex are unique among the New world army ants (subfamily Ecitoninae) in that their mandibles are armed with elongate, spine-like teeth. We present the first prey records for this genus. Cheliomyrmex andicola prey on large-bodied ground dwelling invertebrates and, possibly, on vertebrates. Unlike other army ants, C. andicola workers use their sting during prey capture. The workers’ unusual mandibles and potent stings may be adapted for piercing and gripping the integument of nonarthropod prey animals, and for rapidly subduing large-bodied prey, respectively. The genus Cheliomyrmex may be the sister taxon to other Neotropical army ants (Ecitoninae), and Cheliomyrmex shares features of mandibular morphology and prey selection with Old World driver ants in the genus Dorylus. Mass cooperative foraging, an important element of army ant behavior, may have arisen in part as an adaptation for exploiting large-bodied prey.

The distribution range of ants of the genus Gnamptogenys is analysed, with special reference to the Old World species, and two closely related genera: Rhytidoponera and Ectatomma. The study is based upon a cladistic biogeographic analysis, recognizing the following areas of endemism: Central America, South America, Philippine Islands, New Guinea, Australia, Solomons/Fiji and South-East Asia. These results are followed by a consensus of different information sources (phylogenetic, natural history, past and present distribution, palaeogeographical and palaeoclimatological) for explaining the present and past distribution of Gnamptogenys and related genera. The area cladogram shows repeated instances of sister relations between Old World and New World taxa at different depths within the tree. Subtree analysis further suggests a common sister relation between Gondwanan landmasses. The distribution of the Gnamptogenys is interpreted as a product of vicariance, starting with the separation of Gondwana, and subs...

The male of the endangered ant Dinoponera lucida Emery is described, providing morphometric measurements, high-resolution images, and a distribution map of the species. This ant inhabits the Brazilian Atlantic forest, an ecosystem strongly impacted by fragmentation. The males show clear morphological differences from the known males of other species of Dinoponera. We briefly discuss the relevance of the male description for the conservation strategies of this ant.

The new genus Kempfidris gen. nov. is described based on the workers of a single species, K. inusualis comb. nov., from Brazil, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Kempfidris inusualis comb. nov. was originally described by Fernández (2007) and provisionally placed in Monomorium awaiting a better understanding of the internal relationships in Myrmicinae. Kempfidris gen. nov. has a series of distinctive morphological characters including the mandibular configuration, vestibulate propodeal spiracle, propodeal carinae, and cylindrical micro-pegs on the posteromedian portion of abdominal tergum VI and anteromedian portion of abdominal tergum VII. This last trait appears to be autapomorphic for the genus.

Apterostigma megacephala, a new species of attine ant, is described from Peru and Colombia. It is diagnosed by the following combination of worker characters: flattened compound eyes partially wrapped around conical tubercles, mesonotal denticles and erect rigid pilosity on the head, mesosoma and gaster. It is thought to be a basal species in relation to the rest of Apterostigma. Phylogenetic relationships among basal genera of the tribe Attini are discussed.

There are incomplete data about ant taxonomy and diversity in the Caribbean islands of Venezuela. In order to broaden myrmecological information in the Peri-Caribbean arid belt, ground-dwelling ant assemblage of the Macanao semi-arid peninsula (Margarita Island) was sampled with a Rapid Assessment Program (RAP). Two study sites on the northern slope of the peninsula were chosen, La Chica (LC) at 70 m of altitude and Cerro Macanao (CM) at 598 m of altitude. Sixty pitfall traps (30 per site) and 96 man-hours of manual collecting (48 man-hours per site) were employed. Overall, 40 species and 32 genera from eight subfamilies were recorded, twice the number of species previously reported for Margarita Island. Differences in ant species richness and structure were detected between both sites, with 31 species in CM and 25 species in LC. Such variations indicate that microclimatic conditions are more favorable in uplands than lowlands in Macanao. This situation may be attributed to the moisture gradient effect upon vegetation, and microclimatic conditions influenced by peninsular orography. Our findings corroborate that the pattern of higher diversity with higher altitude in arid zones also holds for the tropics, and suggest a continental origin for the Lesser Antilles ant fauna.

The phylogenetic relationships between the genera of ants considered until now as ectatommines are investigated using cladistic methods. They are found polyphyletic and a new arrangement is proposed. Paraponerini is reinstated for Paraponera; Proceratiini is reinstated for Proceratium and Discothyrea. The tribe Ectatommini is reduced to the following genera: Ectatomma, Rhytidoponera, Gnamptogenys, Heteroponera and Acanthoponera. Aulacoponeis placed in an informal genus group. Most fossils though to be ectatommines can not be reliably determined as such and probably belong to other formicid groups. Palaeogeography coupled with the present distribution of the taxa supports an origin of Ectatommini sometime about the early Oligocene.

Trichoscapa inusitata n. sp. is described from southern Venezuela. It is unlike any other Neotropical member of short-mandibulate Dacetini, bearing closer resemblance to some species from SE Asia. Its relationship with other dacetines can not be determined until a generic revision of these ants is carried out.