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Formica dolosa Trager, MacGown & Trager, 2007, stat. nov.
No full textFormica dolosa Buren, 1944 stat. nov. Figures 1, 4 e, 5 e, 6 e Formica pallidefulva subsp. schaufussi var. meridionalis Wheeler, W. M. 1904: 370 [Unavailable name.] Formica pallidefulva subsp. schaufussi var. dolosa Wheeler, W. M. 1912: 90 [Unnecessary replacement name for meridionalis; also unavailable.] Formica pallidefulva subsp. schaufussi: Wheeler, W. M. 1913 b: 552 (in part) [Misidentification.] Formica pallidefulva subsp. schaufussi var. dolosa: Wheeler, W. M. 1913 b: 554 Formica (Neoformica) schaufussi subsp. dolosa Buren, 1944: 309. [First available use of dolosa.] Syntype workers, Bull Creek, Travis Co., Texas (W. M. Wheeler) (MCZ) [Examined. Three workers on one pin, labeled true types of dolosa by S. Cover, and two gynes on one pin labeled syntypes by S. Cover] Formica pallidefulva subsp. schaufussi: Emery, 1893: 654 [Misidentification.] Formica schaufussi: Creighton, 1950: 551 [Misidentification.] Formica schaufussi subsp. dolosa: Creighton, 1950: 551 Formica schaufussi: Robson & Traniello, 1998: (in part) [Vouchers examined.] NOTE: We have selected a specimen in the Mayr collection (NMW) labeled Nord Amerika / Schaufuss as lectotype of Formica schaufussi Mayr, as this corresponds to the locality and collector information in Mayr s (1866) description. This sample clearly belongs to the much less pilose Formica pallidefulva. Thus, the name Formica schaufussi Mayr falls to the synonymy of Formica pallidefulva, below. DIAGNOSIS Worker The largest, most pilose, most densely pubescent and least shiny of reddishyellow members of the pallidefulva group (F. archboldi is duller, but always much darker and averages smaller). Weakly bicolored; head, mesosoma and legs light coppery red (south) to yellowish or reddish brown (north); gaster a little darker than head and mesosoma. Dorsal sclerites of mesosoma with abundant erect pilosity (Fig. 6 e); erect macrochaetae on gaster abundant and long (longest macrochaetae 0.16 - 0.30 mm), straight to slightly curved. Mesosoma, especially propodeal dorsum, pubescent; gaster dulled by long, dense, pale grayish, appressed microchaetae (Fig. 4 e). Gaster with small shallow foveolae in some samples, these nearly lacking in others. The propodeal crest is nearly always rounded in F. dolosa. The larger workers of this species are the largest eastern US Formica, matched within the genus only by the allopatric and otherwise quite different F. ravida Creighton. Queen Color, gastral pubescence, abundant pilosity and lack of shininess like the workers, with the usual differences in size. Sculpture a little more accented with notable fine tessellation of entire head, mesosoma and gastral dorsum; wings, when present, clear brownish to dark smoky gray. Three mesoscutal spots present as in F. incerta, but these pale and diffuse. Male Pubescence dense and pilosity abundant; surface sculpture punctate; head and gaster dark brown, mesosoma reddish brown to dark reddish brown with legs the same color; wings dark smoky gray. Larger than the nearly similar F. incerta, in which the mesosoma is normally about the same color as the head and gaster. DISTINGUISHING FEATURES The propodeal crest of F. dolosa is nearly always rounded in profile, and is typically sharp or even carinulate in the other species. This large, hairy, densely pubescent and faintly bicolored ant is most likely to be confused with F. biophilica. Compared to F. biophilica, F. dolosa has conspicuous appressed pubescence on the mesosoma, has more abundant, but slightly shorter gastral pilosity (longest macrochaetae up to 0.30 mm), has longer, denser pubescence on the gaster (compare Fig. 4 b and 4 e), and averages larger and heavier-bodied. The number of macrochaetae on the pronotum usually exceeds that on the propodeum of F. dolosa, (46 of 54 specimens) whereas the number on the propodeum more often exceeds that on the pronotum of F. biophilica (20 of 32 specimens). F. dolosa usually has relatively smaller eyes compared to F. biophilica (Table 1). In the field, F. dolosa occupies the drier end of the habitat spectrum, the two overlapping mainly in pine-oak woodlands of the Southeastern U. S., and in dry-mesic prairies further north. In the Northeastern U. S., larger, more pilose workers of F. incerta are often misidentified as F. dolosa, but F. dolosa averages larger and more pilose, has mesosomal pubescence and denser gastral pubescence, has longer scapes and legs; is generally lighter, more yellowish or reddish in color, and is more strictly associated with highly drained soils. ETYMOLOGY This name comes from the Latin adjective dolosus, meaning cunning or sly. Perhaps Wheeler was referring to the fleetness of its escape when alarmed, as this species is very shy and an excellent escape artist. RANGE AND HABITAT Widely distributed from New England across the Great Lakes region, west to Wisconsin and Iowa and south to northern Florida, the Gulf Coast states and Texas. Records of this ant in Colorado by Gregg are all misidentified F. incerta (L. Rericha, personal communication). F. dolosa is decidedly most abundant on acid-soil sites. These include a variety of droughty or well-drained habitats such as barrens, glades, prairies or open oak or pine woodlands on silicaceous or loessic soils. Though reported (as schaufussi) from plowed fields and pastures in the Northeast, F. dolosa is not usually common in such communities. J. Trager found F. dolosa in calcareous glades in Alabama and Missouri, but it is not abundant in these sites. In stark contrast to F. incerta and F. biophilica, F. dolosa does not nest in mesic habitats or in moist, fertile soils. SPECIMENS EXAMINED ALABAMA: Lawrence; ARKANSAS: Logan; FLORIDA: Alachua; Bay; Columbia; Escambia; Gilchrist; Jackson; Jefferson; Lake; Leon; Liberty; Okaloosa; Santa Rosa; Suwannee; Walton; GEORGIA: Clarke; Lumpkin; ILLINOIS: Mason; MARYLAND: Allegany; Dorchester; MASSACHUSETTS: Plymouth; Worchester MISSISSIPPI: Chickasaw; Choctaw; Lafayette; Lee; Lowndes; Noxubee; Oktibbeha; Pontotoc; Scott; Tishomingo; Winston; MISSOURI: Franklin; Johnson; Lincoln; Washington; NEW JERSEY: Ocean; NEW YORK: Nassau; Suffolk; NORTH CAROLINA: Nash OHIO: Adams; SOUTH CAROLINA: Aiken; Barnwell; McCormick; Oconee; TEXAS: Travis; WISCONSIN: Adams; Crawford; Dane; Grant; Iowa; Marshall; Sauk; Walworth; Waukesha. NATURAL HISTORY Nests may be hidden beneath a rock or piece of wood, but most nest entrances are at the base of a grass clump or other herbaceous plant. Some open onto bare ground, the entrance surrounded by a crater of excavated soil adorned with plant fragments, charcoal bits or fine gravel. J. MacGown collected F. dolosa in nests at the bases of large trees on relatively drier and more open ridges in mixed forests in northern Mississippi, and from an infrequently mowed area under loblolly pines near his house in Oktibbeha Co. Mississippi. The nest at the latter site was a low mound about 45 cm across and about 15 cm high at the midpoint. Part of the mound was inhabited by Camponotus castaneus Latreille. In the East and Gulf Coast United States, F. dolosa is host to the slavemaker Polyergus lucidus longicornis M. R. Smith. J. Trager's collection contains samples of this slavemaker with F. dolosa slaves from Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina and Mississippi. In Missouri, F. dolosa is occasionally among the many hosts of F. pergandei, but we have only observed them in combination with other host species (see Natural History of F. biophilica for a case in point). In Florida, J. Trager observed F. dolosa and F. archboldi competing for domination of colonies of Toumeyella scales on long-leaf pine grass-stage seedlings. Occasionally, fights would arise in which the larger F. dolosa threw or chased F. archboldi workers to the ground. Winged sexuals were collected in nests in mid-June in Florida and Georgia, and one male was found in a nest in western Missouri in August. Both worker and sexual pupae are always enclosed in a cocoon.Published as part of Trager, J. C., MacGown, J. A. & Trager, M. D., 2007, Revision of the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group., pp. 610-636 in Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80 on pages 619-62
Polyergus ruber Trager, 2013, new species
No full textPolyergus ruber new species Figures 39, 40, 41 Polyergus lucidus longicornis: Vargo and Gibbs 1987 (misidentification). Holotype worker: USA, GEORGIA Clark Co. Athens. 165 Doe Run. [CAS, CASENT0281055] Paratypes: 4 workers, 3 gynes, 3 males: Same data as holotype [MCZ, CAS]. Holotype measurements HL 1.90, HW 1.80, SL 1.79, ½ VeM 9, ½ PnM 3, WL 2.86, GL 2.60, HFL 2.44, CI 95, SI 99, HFI 136, FSI 136, LI 4.76, TL 7.36. Paratype measurements (N= 5) [MCZ, CAS, FSCA] HL 1.60–1.90 (1.75), HW 1.52–1.80 (1.64), SL 1.68–1.79 (1.71), ½ VeM 3–9 (6.8), ½ PnM 1–4 (2.2), WL 2.52–2.86 (2.66), GL 2.04–2.60 (2.34), HFL 2.09–2.44 (2.26), CI 93–95 (94), SI 99–113 (105), HFI 134–146 (138), FSI 124–136 (132), LI 4.12–4.76 (4.41), TL 6.16–7.36 (6.75). Measurements (N= 26) HL 1.52–1.90 (1.65), HW 1.42–1.80 (1.64), SL 1.68–1.79 (1.71), ½ VeM 3–9 (6.8), ½ PnM 1–4 (2.2), WL 2.52–2.86 (2.66), GL 2.04–2.60 (2.34), HFL 2.09–2.44 (2.26), CI 93–95 (94), SI 99–113 (105), HFI 124–136 (132), FSI 124–136 (132), LI 4.12–4.76 (4.41), TL 6.16–7.36 (6.75). Worker description. This species is most similar to longicornis, but is shinier and has less pilosity. Head rectangular to weakly hexagonal, HL greater than HW; with conspicuous vertex pilosity consisting of (5) 8–20 erect macrosetae; scapes at least reaching, normally surpassing vertex corners, gradually thickening in distal half; pronotum with 0–6 dorsal erect setae; mesonotal profile weakly convex for most of its length; propodeal profile variable ranging from evenly rounded to a weakly obtuse, rounded angle; petiole narrow, sides convex and converging dorsad, petiolar dorsum rounded or with median portion flat, less often feebly concave; first tergite lacking pubescence; first tergite pilosity sparse, weakly flexuous or straight. Head matte to very faintly shining; mesosoma matte dorsally but shining laterally; gaster weakly shining to shiny. Discussion. This is among the three largest species of the lucidus group, almost in the same size range as longicornis, but characterized by a shinier head and mesosoma, especially the pronotum, and less abundant pilosity, especially on the vertex. Color is clear red with at most slight infuscation of the extremities. P. r u b e r appears intermediate between longicornis and lucidus in its proportions, pilosity, and shininess. The sheen and lesser vertex pilosity distinguishes ruber from the more matte longicornis (ruber ½ VeM 13) while the longer appendages distinguish it from lucidus (ruber SI> 92 + vs. lucidus <91). Etymology. With the name ruber, Latin for red or ruddy, I refer to the brighter, all-red color of this ant species, in comparison to other southeastern species, especially the somewhat similar, but dark-legged longicornis. Natural history. Polyergus ruber tracks its host, F. biophilica, in distribution, namely, a U-shaped range south from Maryland to Georgia, west to Louisiana, then north to eastern Missouri. It would be unsurprising if this ant showed up from collecting in at least southern Illinois. Polyergus ruber was studied by Vargo and Gibbs (1987, reported as lucidus longicornis) in Athens, GA. Aside from its unique host association, ruber seems much like its relatives in the lucidus group in most respects. Raids were observed from early June to mid-August, and may have continued after these observations ended, as the activity was still vigorous, so perhaps starting just a few weeks earlier and persisting perhaps a bit longer than in other species of the group. I observed parts of a raid, and a mating flight that occurred several hours before the raid, in Georgia, and two raids of these ants in Missouri, all in July, and they are much like those of the other species. At both locations, pre-raiding milling was initiated around 1700 hr. The size of raiding parties in the Georgia colonies was estimated between 500 and 1000, quite large compared to other known lucidus group species. Colonies and raiding parties were somewhat smaller in Missouri. Vargo and Gibbs observed dealate gynes near the outskirts of nests before raids in late July, and saw one of these follow a raid and enter the raided nest. Habitats of this species included a variety of upland, grassy and open woodland types, with acid soils. Distribution of studied specimens. GEORGIA Clarke Co. Athens. 165 Doe Run. Flight at noon. Raid at 1930 hr. 10 July 1986 J. C. Trager (JCT) GEORGIA Clarke Co. Athens USA UGA Riverbend Lab. 3–11 July 1986 E. Vargo, JC Trager (JCTC); LOUISIANA St. Tammany Par. Lake Ramsey WMA SC 3 - 3 Longleaf pine savanna. Pitfall trap. D Colby (multiple collections July–October 1997, LSU); MARYLAND Prince Georges Co. Berwyn [Heights] 6-25 - 1940 AB Gahas. W S Ross Coll. (FMNH); MISSISSIPPI Chickasaw Co. Tombigbee Nat’l Forest 33 o 55 ’ 39 ”N / 88 o 50 ’ 57 ”W 20-27 -June 2003 J. G. Hill (MEM); MISSOURI Lincoln Co. Cuivre River St. Pk. Sac Prairie 20 Apr. 1989 J.C. Trager (JCTC); NORTH CAROLINA Canover 1 -VIII- 32 Vanderford (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Burke Co. Morganton On ground 10 -VI- 1989 H. Barron (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Raleigh Raiding Nest 7 -VII- 1987 DL Stephan (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Granville Co. Oxford 1 -VII- 1977 F. Sutherland (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Durham Co. Durham K. Hedlund (no date) (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Wake Co. Cary June 10, 1984 DL Stephan (NCSU); NORTH CAROLINA Gaston Co. NE Cherryville Sept. 6, 1983 PJ Devine (NCSU).Published as part of Trager, James C., 2013, Global revision of the dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Formicinae, Formicini), pp. 501-548 in Zootaxa 3722 (4) on pages 528-529, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/24914
Formica biophilica Trager, MacGown & Trager, 2007, new species
No full text<p>Formica biophilica James C. Trager new species</p> <p>Figures 4 b, 5 b, 6 b</p> <p>Formica pallidefulva: Creighton, 1950, in part [Misidentification]</p> <p>Formica schaufussi subsp. dolosa: Creighton, 1950, in part [Misidentification]</p> <p>TYPE DATA</p> <p>HL 1.43; HW 1.15; EL 0.42; SL 1.70; WL 2.34; PnW 0.95; PnM 6; PpM 14; TM 30</p> <p>Type specimen label: ALABAMA, Chilton Co., Interstate- 65 rest area 3 mi. E of Thorsby. 1 - X- 1983. M. B., J. R., B. R. DuBois. (JCT). Holotype and three paratypes on two pins. The holotype and one paratype will be deposited at MCZ and the other two specimens will be added to the excellent material of this species collected in Alabama and elsewhere by W. S. Creighton, now housed at LACM.</p> <p>DIAGNOSIS</p> <p>Worker Gracile, shiny, and the brightest yellow member of the group. Head, mesosoma and legs light reddish- to pale brownish yellow; head and mesosoma not at all or only a little lighter than gaster. Dorsal sclerites of mesosoma and especially the gaster with long, usually curved, erect macrochaetae. Number of macrochaetae on propodeum usually exceeds the number on the pronotum (20 of 32 specimens examined). Sheen of gaster readily visible through pubescence composed of pale, slender, grayish hairs of medium density (Fig. 4 b). Erect macrochaetae on gaster long, commonly 0.25 - 0.30 mm, tapering to a point and curved (Fig. 6 b).</p> <p>Queen Color, gastral pubescence and shininess like the workers, with the usual differences in size; with faint tessellation of upper portion of head, pronotum, sides of mesothorax, propodeum and gastral dorsum; wings, when present, clear to light brownish.</p> <p>Male Pubescence and pilosity abundant; mesosomal dorsum dull-punctate; head and gaster very dark brown, appearing black; mesosoma dusky yellowish brown, legs reddish brown; wings clear to light brownish. A little brighter in color, especially mesosoma, less pilose, pilosity also finer, and less pubescent than dolosa.</p> <p>DISTINGUISHING FEATURES</p> <p>F. biophilica and F. incerta are sympatric in the southern part of the latter's range. In the field, F. biophilica appears more brightly and uniformly reddish-yellow in color, and (if several workers of a colony are present) weakly polymorphic, whereas F. incerta is more brownish yellow, smaller overall, and usually (though not invariably) more monomorphic within colonies. Metrically, F. biophilica is more slender, has a proportionally longer mesosoma and narrower head than F. incerta (compare SI, TWI and CI values, Table 1). F. biophilica usually has more macrochaetae on the propodeum than on the pronotum (20 of 32 specimens), whereas F. incerta usually has more macrochaetae on the pronotum than on the propodeum (22 of 31 specimens).</p> <p>F. biophilica is also somewhat more brightly and uniformly colored, shinier and overall less hairy, and has a sharper petiolar crest in profile than F. dolosa. The F. biophilica specimens examined in this study also had a significantly higher CTI and OI (were more slender and had relatively larger eyes) than F. dolosa (Table 1). In the South, the less pilose minor workers and nanitics of F. biophilica are difficult to differentiate from F. pallidefulva. Often a rather squarer propodeal profile and more uniform bright reddish yellow color indicate F. biophilica. Additionally, on average the TWI of F. pallidefulva is larger than that of F. biophilica (Table 1). Ecologically, specimens from fens, bogs, swamps and fresh or salt marshes are most likely to be F. biophilica. In the northern part of the range of F. biophilica, its bright color will always distinguish it from the at least partially brown F. incerta and F. pallidefulva.</p> <p>ETYMOLOGY</p> <p>The name biophilica is given in allusion to E. O. Wilson's popularly inspirational coining biophilia, meaning the love of other species as a part of human nature. Specimens from Alabama, Dr. Wilson's home state, were chosen as the type series to further honor his contributions to myrmecology, conservation and behavioral biology.</p> <p>RANGE AND HABITAT</p> <p>Found in mesic to hydric open habitats, including fields, prairies, lawns, fens, bogs, marshes and open woodlands, from the Carolinas to Missouri, south to northern Florida and central Texas. Northward, its occurrence is more sporadic, especially in formerly glaciated regions, where F. biophilica shifts to drier (thus warmer) loess and sandy grassland locations. It reaches central Illinois in the Illinois River outwash sand prairies and reaches southeastern New York in the sandy plains along the East Coast and on Long Island. The habitat overlaps that of F. incerta in unglaciated prairies and eastern meadows, and overlaps that of F. dolosa in southern pine woodland and savanna. F. biophilica is absent from the most xeric and infertile sites occupied by F. dolosa. In the Ozarks and other southern U. S. hills, F. biophilica occurs in groundwater fens, bogs, marshes and flatwoods. This is the only southern Formica that occurs in these wetland habitats, where it nests in the elevated hummocks of organic matter formed by grass or sedge tussocks. It is less common than F. pallidefulva in human habitats, but occasionally shows up in lawns, parks and campuses, especially in parts of the South where fire ants are less abundant.</p> <p>SPECIMENS EXAMINED</p> <p>ARKANSAS: Logan; ALABAMA: Butler; Chilton; DeKalb; Lawrence; Mobile; Morgan; St. Clair; Tuscaloosa; DELAWARE: Sussex; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washington; FLORIDA: Alachua; Columbia; Gadsden; Okaloosa; Polk; Walton; GEORGIA: Clarke; Habersham; Lumpkin; Rabun; ILLINOIS: Mason; LOUISIANA: Natchitoches; Tammany; Washington; MISSISSIPPI: Alcorn; Bolivar; Chickasaw; Lafayette; Lee; Monroe; Oktibbeha; Panola; Pontotoc; Tippah; MISSOURI: Franklin; Lincoln; Reynolds; Washington; NEW YORK: Rockland; SOUTH CAROLINA: Pickens; TENNESSEE: Davidson; Monroe; Sevier; TEXAS: Cass; Collin; Potter.</p> <p>NATURAL HISTORY</p> <p>Nests of F. biophilica have simple, cryptic openings in wetlands, grasslands or less often, in open woodlands. The entrance is usually hidden amongst grass or sedges. In springtime, colonies of F. biophilica may build a 10 - 25 cm diameter mound of soil and plant fragments nestled against a grass or sedge clump, this collapsing in disuse during the hot, dry weather of summer. In fens, bogs and wet meadows, when ground at the base is permanently or seasonally saturated, F. biophilica nests in the upper parts of graminoid tussocks. One colony under a strip of bark in unmowed grass in eastern Missouri contained four larvae of myrmecophilous staphylinid beetles, probably Xenodusa cava LeConte (but not collected for determination).</p> <p>This species has been found as host to the slavemaker Polyergus lucidus s. l. in Washington, D. C., northern Georgia and east-central Missouri. The variety of this slavemaker parasitizing F. biophilica has longer scapes and is somewhat less shiny and slightly more pubescent than typical P. lucidus lucidus Mayr, which parasitizes F. incerta. F. biophilica occurs among the many hosts of F. pergandei in the prairies of Missouri, but has only been observed in combination with other host species. At one site, a F. pergandei nest contained a melange of six slave species including (in order of decreasing relative abundance) F. pallidefulva, F subsericea Say, F. biophilica, F. dolosa, F. incerta and F. obscuriventris Mayr, certainly the most species-rich, naturally occurring ant colony on record!</p> <p>Sexuals have been collected in nests in Missouri, Texas and Georgia in mid-June to early July, but no flight or colony-founding activity has been recorded. There is one example of a queen-male bilateral gynandromorph in a Missouri collection. The worker pupae are always enclosed in a pale tan cocoon, and the sexuals in a larger, darker cocoon.</p>Published as part of <i>Trager, J. C., MacGown, J. A. & Trager, M. D., 2007, Revision of the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group., pp. 610-636 in Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80</i> on pages 617-61
Polyergus bicolor Trager, 2013, new status
No full textPolyergus bicolor new status Figures 9, 10, 11 Polyergus rufescens bicolor Wasmann 1901: 639. Syntype workers, gyne, male: USA,WISCONSIN Crawford Co., Prairie du Chien [MCZ, workers, red syntype label 22970] (examined); [LACM, workers, male, host, red “ type series” label] (examined); [USNM, workers, 59719] (images examined). Polyergus rufescens breviceps (part): Emery 1893: 666 (misidentification, mixed syntype series). Polyergus rufescens subsp. breviceps var. fusciventris Wheeler 1917: 555 (part). Unavailable name; following material referred here: CANADA, MANITOBA, South Cypress RM. Treesbank. (Wheeler) [USNM # 59925, USNM ENT 00529453] (image examined). Syntype [LACM, red “ type series” label, top specimen] HL 1.30, HW 1.28, SL 1.04, ½ VeM 0, ½ PnM 0, WL 1.96, GL 1.88, HFL 1.48, CI 98, SI 81, HFI 116, FSI 142, LI 3.26, TL 5.14. Measurements (N= 44) HL 1.24–1.66 (1.40), HW 1.24–1.74 (1.41), SL 0.92–1.16 (105), ½ VeM 0, ½ PnM 0– 2 (0.58), WL 1.88–2.32 (2.08), GL 1.60–2.80 (2.07), HFL 1.40–1.68 (1.55), CI 97–105 (100), SI 64–81 (75), HFI 97–120 (110), FSI 137–158 (147), LI 3.12–3.98 (3.48), TL 4.83–6.58 (5.56). Worker description. Head subquadrate to suborbicular, its length and breadth about equal, sides often quite rounded; vertex concave, the concavity about half the head width in breadth, completely lacking vertex pilosity; scapes short, not reaching vertex corners, notably clavate in the apical third; pronotum lacking pilosity, or rarely with 1–2 dorsal erect setae; mesonotum profile flat or very weakly convex for most of its length; propodeum profile a rounded weakly obtuse angle; petiole with rounded sides, petiolar dorsum rounded, not at all or only feebly emarginate; first tergite moderately pubescent, with pilosity much like that of breviceps, in 4–5 transverse arrays; first tergite pilosity flexuous, subdecumbent. Head matte; mesonotum matte; gaster matte to weakly shining. Color of head, mesonotum and often petiole dull red, gaster very dusky red (nearly black); forelegs often redder than middle and hind legs; pilosity reddish brown, pubescence fine and grayish. Discussion. P. b i c o l o r is usually easily distinguished from other Nearctic species by its distribution, distinctive two-tone coloring and sparse pilosity. Northern (ND to BC, CAN) populations of P. mexicanus may exhibit similar coloration, but mexicanus is always more pilose. Bicoloration and reduced pilosity occur commonly in the small workers from young colonies of mexicanus, causing possible confusion. Nanitics of mexicanus are usually recognizable by their slender heads with a rounded vertex and longish appendages, and at least a pair of erect pronotal setae. Large workers of other breviceps- complex species also may appear somewhat bicolored, but only rarely is the bicoloration so neatly defined by a nearly completely dark gaster as in bicolor, and these others have more pilosity on the head and mesosoma. Etymology. Wasmann coined this name from the Latin nominal adjective “ bicolor ” meaning two-colored. Natural history. This species is apparently endemic to the upper Mississippi Valley, from the western Great Lakes region west to the Dakotas and southern Manitoba. In the past it was found in southern Wisconsin and as far south as Rockford, Illinois, but it has not been seen in this area in recent decades. P. bicolor normally parasitizes F. subaenescens, and normally nests with it in rotten stumps or fallen limbs in forests. Wheeler (1910) described raids occurring in early afternoon in a mature mesic forest in northern Illinois that originated from nests in stumps. Two samples examined in this study had F. neorufibarbis hosts, also a denizen of moist woods, especially tamarack bogs in the eastern part of its range. Through the course of this study I was not able to obtain or study any specimens of bicolor (nor of its host F. subaenescens) collected within about the last 50 years, from bicolor ’s historic range, and I am led to wonder if they have contracted northward due to climatic warming or other causes. Just before submitting this manuscript, in July 2013, I collected a sample in northern Wisconsin. As in the published records, this sample occupied a rotting log with F. subaenescens. The log was about 35 cm in diameter, with bark beginning to loosen and wood in transition from white to red rot. At first glance, the mixed colony bore a striking resemblance to a young colony of the locally common F. aserva. Distribution of studied specimens. ILLINOIS Winnebago Co. Rockford VII- 12 -01 WS Creighton (LACM); IOWA Back Bone State Park June 19,1940 Wm. Buren (LACM); MICHIGAN Cheboygan Co. VII- 21-47 # 13 CH Kennedy (LACM); MICHIGAN Iron Co. Crystal Falls VII- 2-37 & 7 / 21 / 37 & 7 / 21 / 38 (3 coll’s) AC Cole (LACM); MINNESOTA Cook Co. Saganaga Lake, Chik Wauk Lodge 5 -VII- 1943 EV Gregg (FMNH); MINNESOTA Cook Co. Saganaga Lake Aug. 28, 1946 RE Gregg (FMNH); MINNESOTA Crow wing Co. Jenkins 7-10 - 40 WF Buren (LACM); MINNESOTA Hubbard Co. Akeley Aug. 12, 1941 Wm. Buren (LACM); MINNESOTA St, Louis Co. Duluth, 21.vi. 1942, tamarack spruce bog. R. E. Gregg (FMNH); NORTH DAKOTA Bottineau 17 -IX- 38 # 253 Joe Davis (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Cass Co. Fargo 9 -VI- 1927 C. Schoberger (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Cavalier Co. Storlie Twp. 13 / 7 / 54 (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Cavalier Co. Fremont Twp. 7 / 9 / 54 # 130 & # 144 Don Sather (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Cass Co. 10 Harwood Twp. X- 10-36 C. Schonberger (FMNH); NORTH DAKOTA Pembina Co. Pembina VII- 14-1949 EL Krause (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Ramsey Co. Twp. 153 R 65 S. 18 VIII- 1-1951 # 878 PB Kannowski (LACM); SOUTH DAKOTA Pennington Co. (Black Hills) Hill City Sept. 6, 1933 Creighton (LACM); SOUTH DAKOTA Todd Co. Okreak 21 -VII- 1941 HT Dalmat (LACM); WISCONSIN Bayfield Co. Chequamegon N.F. 46.6168 N 91.2122 W Large, rotten jack pine log. 19 July 2013 J.C. Trager; CANADA ONTARIO Renfrew Co. Arnprior 1914 Wasmann (CAS).Published as part of Trager, James C., 2013, Global revision of the dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Formicinae, Formicini), pp. 501-548 in Zootaxa 3722 (4) on page 514, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/24914
Polyergus vinosus Trager, 2013, new species
No full textPolyergus vinosus new species Figures 18, 19, 20 Holotype worker USA, CALIFORNIA Millard Canyon, San Gabriel Mts. [LACM.] Paratypes 2 gynes, 1 male, 4 workers (One of the latter possibly an ergatoid.) [LACM] Holotype HL 1.39, HW 1.34, SL 1.34, ½ VeM 0, ½ PnM 3, WL 2.16, GL 1.93, HFL 1.72, CI 96, SI 100, HFI 128, FSI 128, LI 3.55, TL 5.48. Paratype worker measurements (N= 4) HL 1.39–1.64 (1.51), HW 1.34–1.60 (1.46), SL 1.32–1.40 (1.37), ½ VeM 0, ½ PnM 3–6 (3.80), WL 2.16–2.40 (2.27), GL 1.64–2.44 (2.02), HFL 1.72–1.95 (1.83), CI 95–98 (97), SI 88–100 (94), HFI 122–128 (125), FSI 128–139 (134), LI 3.55–4.04 (3.78), TL 5.48–6.48 (5.81). Measurements (N= 36) HL 1.23–1.67 (1.43), HW 1.20–1.60 (1.40), SL 1.14–1.41 (1.27), ½ VeM 0–2 (0.11), ½ PnM 0–7 (3.43), WL 1.93–2.48 (2.18), GL 1.64–2.82 (2.14), HFL 1.55 –2.00 (1.73), CI 95–103 (98), SI 80–100 (91), HFI 113–133 (124), FSI 128–142 (136), LI 3.23–4.15 (3.60), TL 4.26–6.97 (5.69). Worker description. Head truncate-ovate, its length usually slightly greater than breadth; scapes long for the breviceps species group (SI usually 85–95, never <80), nearly reaching or even surpassing vertex corners, weakly clavate or gradually thickening in the apical third; pronotum with 0–6 (less often, up to 12, especially Santa Cruz Island population) dorsal macrosetae; mesonotum with profile weakly convex for most of its length, notably convex and “bulging” in the largest workers; propodeum subquadrate with a rounded angle; petiole sides rounded and converging dorsad, petiolar dorsum flat or even shallowly concave; first tergite densely pubescent; first tergite pilosity a relatively sparse 6–20 flexuous, mid-anterodorsal, suberect macrosetae and sometimes a few widely spaced ones in the posterior tergal half. Head weakly shining; mesonotum weakly shining beneath fine gray pubescence; gaster weakly shining beneath fine gray pubescence. Color mostly orange-red to wine red with scarcely any infuscation of gaster or appendages. The most significant variation in this species is the greater pronotal pilosity of the Santa Cruz Island population, with ½ PnM 6–12, contrasting with 1–4 (rarely 5 or 6) on the mainland. Workers of Baja California are paler tan-orange in color (as in Fig. 6, possibly faded in preservation), and have a more rounded propodeal profile. Etymology. “ Vinosus ” is Latin for red-wine-colored. Somewhat ironically, much of its habitat may be threatened by the conversion of its southern California oak woodland habitat to vineyards. Natural history. This species is endemic to the Californian vegetation zone of southern CA and northern Baja California, Mexico, and is also found on Santa Cruz Island, CA. Polyergus vinosus is a species of mature chaparral, coast live oak woodland and savanna, rocky wooded canyons and oak-gray pine woodlands of the southern California coast hills. As far as known, its exclusive host species is F. moki, and the nests have the host species’ usual cryptic placement among rocks, often near streams or along wet-weather drainages, and sometimes with a lightly thatched superstructure. Only a few raids have been observed, but from unpublished observations by Les Greenberg (U. C. Riverside, pers. comm.) and Geoff Trager (then a student at UC Santa Barbara, pers. comm.), we know that the raids take place in early to mid summer, in the latter half of the afternoon. The raiding season may begin and end earlier than that of species from colder, summer-rainy climates. Distribution of studied specimens. CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Co. Tanbark Flats. San Gabriel Mts. VI- 21- 1956 GI Stage, coll. (LACM); CALIFORNIA Los Angeles Co. San Gabriel Mts. Millard Canyon. Aug. 1953 R.H. Crandall (also 7-16 - 1955 R.H. Crandall, LACM); CALIFORNIA San Bernardino Co. Lake Arrowhead. 30 -VI-00 L. LaPierre (JCTC); CALIFORNIA Monterey Co. Limekiln Cr. T 215 R 4 E Sec. 34 SW 1070m 11 /Feb/ 1984 J Longino (JTLC); CALIFORNIA San Diego Co. Mr. Laguna SOSU Observatory 9 June 72 JNH 78 r J.H. Hunt (JCTC); CALIFORNIA San Diego Co. Laguna Mtn. 1342 m. under rock, pine meadow 26 -v- 2010 L. Davis (JCTC); CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Co. Figueroa Mtn. under board, open pine woodland. April, 1979 JCT (JCTC); CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Co. T 4 NR 25 W Sec. 16 1500 ’ Chaparral # 303 19 /May/ 1985 J Longino (JTLC); CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Co. Santa Cruz Island 0.5 km W Station 24 June 1984 S. Dinh & J. Nelson (LACM); CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara Co. Santa Cruz Isl. Forager Riparian woodland 23 June 2010 L Greenberg (JCTC); MEXICO, BAJA CALIFORNIA Sierra Juarez 15.8 m. S La Rumorosa 32 ° 19.1 ’N 115 ° 59.5 ’W 4900 ’ 25 - III- 2001 # 2310 RA Johnson (RAJC).Published as part of Trager, James C., 2013, Global revision of the dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Formicinae, Formicini), pp. 501-548 in Zootaxa 3722 (4) on pages 520-521, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/24914
Polyergus mexicanus Trager, 2013, new status
No full textPolyergus mexicanus new status Figures 12, 13, 14 Polyergus rufescens subsp. mexicanus Forel 1899: 129. Syntype workers: MEXICO, locality not specified [MHNG] (examined). New status. Polyergus rufescens subsp. breviceps var. silvestrii Santschi 1911: 7. Unavailable name; CALIFORNIA Yosemite (4 workers, 3 males, presumably in MHNG (not examined). Polyergus rufescens laeviceps Wheeler 1915: 420. Syntype workers: USA, CALIFORNIA Marin Co. Mt. Tamalpais [MCZ, red syntype label 22972] (examined). New Synonymy. Polyergus rufescens umbratus Creighton 1950: 560 (first available use of Polyergus rufescens breviceps var. umbratus Wheeler 1915: 419). Syntype workers: USA, CALIFORNIA, Santa Cruz Co., Brookdale [MCZ, red syntype label 22972; CAS, red MCZ syntype label 22972; USNM, 57659] (MCZ, CAS material examined). Incorrect synonymy under P. breviceps by Wheeler 1968: 163. New Synonymy. Polyergus rufescens subsp. breviceps var. fusciventris Wheeler 1917: 555 (part). Unavailable name; following material referred here: USA, COLORADO, El Paso Co. Pikes Peak [MCZ 21738] (examined). Syntypes (N= 6 on 3 pins) [MHNG] HL 1.52–1.62 (1.57), HW 1.45–1.60 (1.54), SL 1.08–1.13 (1.09), ½ VeM 0–1 (0.33), ½ PnM 5–6 (5.60), WL 2.20–2.40 (2.29), GL 2.04–2.40 (2.26), HFL 1.58–1.66 (1.62), CI 95–99 (98), SI 68–74 (71), HFI 104–112 (106), FSI 143–154 (148), LI 3.70 –4.00 (3.86), TL 5.76–6.34 (6.12). Measurements (N= 122) HL 1.28–1.96 (1.57), HW 1.24–1.92 (1.53), SL 0.94–1.36 (1.11), ½ VeM 0–3 (rarely, 5 +) (1.20), ½ PnM 3–9 (6.77), WL 1.92–2.80 (2.31), GL 1.34–2.68 (2.17), HFL 1.32–1.96 (1.64), CI 91–103 (99), SI 65–81 (73), HFI 95–121 (107), FSI 134–161 (146), LI 3.24–4.76 (3.85), TL 5.01–7.36 (6.02). Worker description. This is the most widely distributed and most variable North American Polyergus, and accounts for most literature records of “ breviceps, ” other than the cited works of Howard Topoff and his students (regarding topoffi). Head variable in shape by region, but locally less so, subquadrate with nearly straight sides curving-convergent toward the vertex, to round-sided and convergent toward the mandibles (pomoid) or occasionally nearly suborbicular in outline, HL usually slightly greater than HW, to HW very slightly broader than HL, the latter corresponding with more rounded sides; vertex pilosity of 0–10 macrosetae (> 5 is uncommon); scapes not reaching vertex corners by about 2 X their maximum width, curved, clavate in the apical third; HFL roughly equal to HL to slightly longer (rarely up to 1.2 X, especially on West Coast); vertex weakly concave in full face view, corners often without erect setae, or each vertex corner may have 1–3 (up to 5) erect setae; pronotum with 4–10 (rarely up to 18) dorsal erect setae; mesonotum with profile flat or at most weakly convex for most of its length, but often convex and bulging in samples from along the West Coast and southwestern Canada (“ umbratus ” form), and occasionally inland samples; propodeum evenly rounded; petiole with sub-parallel, straight to slightly rounded sides; petiole about as broad as propodeum (above metapleura) in postero-dorsal view; petiolar dorsal margin nearly flat, or faintly convex and medially flattened, occasionally shallowly emarginate; first tergite densely pubescent; first tergite pilosity in 3 or 4 transverse arrays but concentrated in the anterior third; first tergite pilosity flexuous, suberect to subdecumbent. Head glossy in many specimens from California, Arizona, and Mexico, decreasingly so eastward and northward, thus over most of the population weakly shining, even becoming matte in Canada and the Dakotas; mesonotum matte dorsally and somewhat to notably shining laterally, rarely entirely matte; gaster somewhat shining beneath pubescence and shinier laterally, where pubescence is dilute. Color mostly red with infuscation of posterior portions of tergites (sometimes entire tergites, especially Canadian provinces and the Dakotas), and with slightly darker legs; pilosity browner than prevailing body color; pubescence gray (never yellowish as in P. breviceps). Discussion. Forel erred when he characterized the types of this species as lacking pilosity. The five specimens of the type series, though their pronota and gastral tergites appear hairless, bear the darkly pigmented impressions of macrosetal bases typical in this genus. These impressions come in an array and in numbers within the range of macrosetal counts of other specimens belonging to this species that are in full possession of their macrosetae. This species, described from an undetermined mountain locality in Mexico, now turns out to be the most widely distributed member of the species group, all called breviceps by Creighton (1950). During my early sorting of specimens (and for a long time thereafter), I tried to associate samples with the types of fusciventris, laeviceps, and umbratus, as well as a fluctuating number of “new species,” but as the study progressed, there was an accumulating residue of samples that seemed transitional, or in which some members of a colony sample appeared to be one “species” and others a different “species,” rendering them non-differentiable. The morphology of this widely distributed species does have some notable geographic trends: - Samples from Mexico, Arizona (typical mexicanus) and the US and Canada west of the Rocky Mountains (mexicanus sensu stricto, “ laeviceps ” and “ umbratus ”) most often have at least moderately shiny heads. Samples with subpolita and neogagates group hosts from southern and central coastal California, described as “ laeviceps ” by Wheeler, average the smallest and have on the average, proportionally the smallest, roundest, shiniest heads. It may be noted here that these and all other samples associated with F. neogagates -group hosts average smaller than the rest of the species’ populations. - Samples from the Santa Cruz Mts. and Sierra Nevada of Central California, to British Columbia, Idaho and western Alberta (“ umbratus “) often have convex (“bulging”) mesonotal profiles. These samples match Wheeler’s (1915) “ umbratus ”, but curiously, just a year after describing this taxon, even Wheeler (1916) failed to recognize it when studying rather typical “ umbratus ” near Lake Tahoe (vouchers examined). An unpublished study (U. C. Berkeley Ph.D. dissertation, Candice W. Torres, personal communication) shows the California populations are distinct genetically from those east of the Sierra Nevada, but I have been unable to find consistent biological or morphological characters to distinguish them. - Samples from north of southern Arizona and from eastern California and the Rocky Mountains eastward most often have less shiny heads. This is especially true of the populations of higher elevations in the Rockies, and those of the northern Great Plains and the Canadian prairie provinces. - Samples from the Dakotas and Canadian prairie provinces are often a bit smaller than average, and bicolored, with orangey foreparts and partially dingy brown gasters, superficially resembling P. bicolor, but always more pilose. Even in this region, many specimens (often nest mates of bicolored individuals) are robust with heads a little narrower than long and nearly all red, like those from farther south and southwest. The bicolored samples from North Dakota led the Wheelers (1963), without the benefit of measurements and pilosity patterns observed in this study, to conclude that bicolor was yet another synonym of the catch-all taxon breviceps, sensu lato, but bicolor from the Dakotas can easily be recognized by pilosity and habitat characteristics (no to sparse pilosity, moist and forested habitat). - Finally, samples from the New Mexico and Colorado Front Range and foothills (“ silvestrii ” Santschi[?], also called “ umbratus ” by Gregg 1963, but differing in their less convex mesonota from Wheeler’s West Coast form) trend a bit larger than samples from elsewhere in the west, and this trend continues eastward, such that those from KS, IA, SD, IL, MO, AR, and western IN are conspicuously larger than western mexicanus or any other breviceps- complex species. These latter are associated with the large host species, F. subsericea. In the upper Mississippi drainage south of MN, P. mexicanus is easily distinguished from P. breviceps by its larger size, silvery gray pubescence, and association with F. subsericea, contrasting with P. breviceps ’ smaller size, greater hairiness, yellowish pubescence and its association with F. montana. The greatest difficulties in recognizing mexicanus arise in the Dakotas, where it is sympatric with both P. bicolor and P. breviceps, and in southern Arizona and Mexico, where it is parapatric (possibly very narrowly sympatric) with P. topoffi. Where P. mexicanus occurs in parapatry with P. topoffi, the two are separated by elevation and host species. Polyergus topoffi has longer appendages and parasitizes F. gnava and other warm-climate Formica species, while P. mexicanus occurs at higher elevation, using montane conifer forest Formica hosts. Though distinct in Arizona and Mexico (character divergence), in the Midwest the proportions of P. mexicanus come very close to those of P. topoffi (character convergence), but P. mexicanus has on average shorter appendages throughout its range, pointing to the value of measuring several specimens from good samples. Polyergus breviceps averages smaller and consistently more pilose, usually most easily seen by examining the vertex pilosity. Where there is broad distributional overlap of the latter two species in the Rockies and the upper Mississippi Valley, careful study of morphology and metrics of 5 or more individuals per colony will give greater assurance of proper identification. In more open habitats (fields, prairie reconstructions) in eastern Missouri, I have often found colonies of P. mexicanus-F. subsericea interspersed with, and within raiding distance of colonies of P. lucidus-F. incerta, and it is perhaps more often found among F. rubicunda-F. subsericea and/or F. subintegra-subsericea colonies in open woodland habitats. I have directly observed and seen indirect evidence of F. subintegra attacking and even bringing home pupae of P. mexicanus, as follows: One F. subintegra-F. subsericea colony observed in Missouri contained a contingent of a few dozen P. mexicanus workers that raided separately and later in the afternoon than the dulotic Formica whose nest they inhabited. On two occasions in Missouri, I have observed mexicanus raid colonies of F. pallidefulva -group species. In contrast to their typically non-lethal interactions with their normal hosts, many workers and the queen of these nonhost species were killed, and both killed adults and some live brood were carried home. The brood of these nonhost Formica never developed to adulthood in the mexicanus nests. In effect, the usually strictly dulotic Polyergus became predators. Natural history. Forel (1899) described this species from specimens collected in “ Mexico ”. The specimens were collected by Brinkmann, who made other collections in the mountains of Durango that were passed on to Forel (P. S. Ward, pers. comm.), so it seems very likely the series was collected from a montane conifer forest there, similar to the podzolic soil conifer forests it inhabits in western USA. A sample collected by Creighton (at LACM) near el Salto, Durango, Mexico, has workers very similar to the MHNG types, and with F. cf. occulta host workers, as with southern Arizona samples. Southern samples are from relatively high altitude, with Chiricahua Mts. samples all from above 2200 m, a Vergel, Chihuahua, MEX sample came from about 2800 m (in an open conifer forest), and one from Nevada at a surprising 3200 m. To the north, this protean species is found at lower elevations and in various, mesic, open woodland or grassland-woodland mosaic habitats, but not in moist, closed-canopy forest (though it may occur in natural gaps and in clear-cuts within these), and only occasionally in open prairie. This is characteristically a species of woodlands with little or no shrub layer, usually of oak, oak-pine, or pine in the US Midwest, Ozark Hills and West Coast, and of airy conifer woodlands in the western mountains. It is also found in grassland-woodland ecotones, and prairie groves. Some IL and WI samples came from sandy prairie openings among sandy-soil black oak savannas. It occasionally nests in windbreak plantings of trees, and in less tended areas of parks, cemeteries, gardens and tree-studded lawns, where these are not heavily treated with pesticides. Forel reported that the host was unknown, but the samples I have seen reveal that this species has a wide variety of hosts in the F. fusca and neogagates groups. In the southwestern USA and northern Mexico, the host is usually F. cf. occulta, a conifer woodland inhabitant that is larger and darker-colored than typical F. occulta. From elsewhere, I have studied samples with F. argentea, F. podzolica, F. subsericea, F. fusca (marcida & subaenescens), F. accreta, F. microphthalma, true F. occulta, F. neoclara, F. pacifica, F. neorufibarbis, F. hewitti, F. neogagates, F. manni, and F. vinculans. Moffett (2010) vividly describes and illustrates raids of this species (as P. breviceps) on F. argentea in eastern California. Distribution of studied specimens. Types—MEXICO, presumably Durango (no further info); Chihuahua, El Vergel. ARIZONA Apache Co. Hannagan Meadow 33 ° 38.5 ’N 109 ° 19.5 ’W 9080 ’ # 3216 21 -VIII- 2003 RA Johnson (LACM); ARIZONA Cochise Co. Barfoot Tr. 1995 45 / 95 & 47 / 95 Savolainen (JCTC); ARIZONA Cochise Co. Chiricahua Mts. Rustlers Park 11.9km 260 °W Portal. 2519m 31 ° 54.63 ’N 109 ° 16.23 ’W pine-fir-woodland 08.VIII. 2007 # 59 JCT (JCTC); ARIZONA Nevada Co. Indian Pine 2170 m. under rock VIII- 28-64 P Rauch (LACM); ARIZONA Pima Co. Mt. Lemmon Aug. 0 7 J Bono (JCTC); ARIZONA Pima Co. Mt. Lemmon Aug. 0 7 J. Bono (JCTC); CALIFORNIA El Dorado Co. 16 km E Georgetown 38 ° 55 ’N 120 ° 39 ’W 1120 m # 2166 -S 19.Aug. 1988 J. Longino (JTLC); CALIFORNIA El Dorado Co. El Dorado NF Desolation Wilderness 38 ° 49 ’N 120 °07’W 6500 ’ 1800 hr 10.VII. 1999 #AWO 641 A Wild (JCTC); CALIFORNIA Nevada Co. Sagehen Creek 1920m 39 ° 26 ’N 120 ° 14 ’W 13-15 -VII- 2000 # 1168 AL Wild (JCTC); CALIFORNIA Nevada Co. Sagehen Crk. CWT #s 99, 100,103, 104, 105 CW Torres (JCTC); CALIFORNIA (Placer or Butte Co?) Big Bend 159 / 97 Savolainen (JCTC); COLORADO Boulder Co. Boulder Flagstaff Mt. VII- 7- 28 W.S.Creighton (LACM); COLORADO Elbert Co. Cedar Point 1998 Savolainen 90 / 98 (JCTC); COLORADO Teller Co. Florissant 7-29 - 41 Wm. Buren (LACM); COLORADO Weld Co. Pawnee Nat’l Grassland Short grass prairie. 15 Aug. 1982 JC Trager (5); IDAHO Twin Falls Co. Twin Falls 4 / 29 / 1932 ACCole (LACM); IOWA Story Co. Ames Aug. 1, 1939, Aug. 5, 1939, Aug. 9, 1939, Aug. 13, 1939, Aug. 14, 1939, VIII- 12-40 W Buren (LACM); INDIANA Tippecanoe Co. West Lafayette. July, 2008 pitfall trap C. Wang; IOWA Story Co. Ames Aug. 1 -14, 1939 W. Buren (LACM); IOWA Story Co. Ames 8-12 - 40 W.Buren (LACM); KANSAS Jefferson Co. native prairie J Foster 27 July ’ 94 (JCTC); MINNESOTA Crow Wing Co. Jenkins 7-10 - 40 W.F. Buren (LACM); MINNESOTA Traverse Co. Wheaton 7-12 - 40 W.F. Buren (LACM); MISSOURI Franklin Co. Meramec S.P. 416 / 95 1995 Savolainen (JCTC); MISSOURI Franklin Co. Shaw Nature Reserve Mound in pine plantation. (Numerous collections 1989-2011) JC Trager (JCTC); MONTANA: Ravalli Co. Darby Bitterroot N.F. Doug. Fir, ponderosa 20 Sept. 1995 Lubertazzi (JCTC); NEVADA Elko Co. Pole Canyon E. Humbolt Mts. July 38 -31, 1934 WSCreighton (LACM); NEVADA Elko Co. 19 -Aug.- 77 G&J Wheeler (LACM); NEVADA Elko Co. Spruce Mt. Site Burn, Phase 1 40.51 ŗN 114.79 ŗW Ex. Pitfall trap 20 July 2006 (JCTC); NEVADA Elko Co. South Ruby Site Control, Kphase 1 40.07 ŗN 115.65 ŗW Ex. Pitfall trap # 14111 19 July 2006 (JCTC); NEVADA Elko Co. South Ruby Site Control, Kphase 1 40.07 ŗN 115.65 ŗW Ex. Pitfall trap # 14117 19 July 2006 (JCTC); NEVADA Eureka Co. Seven Mile Site Control Phase 1 39.20 ŗN 116.53 ŗW ex. Pitfall trap 19 July 2006 (JCTC); NEVADA Storey Co. 8 mi. NE Virginia City Frog Quarry 30 -VI- 1951 J. LaRivers (LACM); NEVADA Washoe Co. Hwy. 27 Mt. Rose 8000 ’ 15 -VI- 70 # 1086 G&J Wheeler (LACM); NEVADA Washoe Co. Little Valley 30 -VII- 72 # 2499 G.&J. Wheeler (LACM); NEVADA Washoe Co. Mt. Rose 2682 m. elev. RRS 77 - 41 30.VI- 77 RR Snelling, CG&JN Wheeler (LACM); NEVADA: White Pine Co. T 15 NR 622 7500 ‘ 14 -vii- 1970 # 1315 G.&J. Wheeler (LACM); NEVADA: White Pine Co. 7000 ‘ 25 -v- 75 G.&J. Wheeler (LACM); NEW MEXICO Colfax Co. Cimarron, Cimarron Canyon Jul. 26,1952 # 109 A.C. Cole (LACM); NEW MEXICO San Miguel Co. Beulah Sapello Canyon 8000 ’ Jul. 22,1952 H- 50 AC Cole (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Bottineau Co. Pelican Lake. 1997 80 / 97 Savolainen (JCTC); NORTH DAKOTA Emmons Co. T 136 NR 87 W Sec. 28 VI- 16-55 G. & N. Wheeler; NORTH DAKOTA Grand Forks Co. Inkster 1997 Savolainen 73 / 97 (JCTC); NORTH DAKOTA Pembina Co. Glasston VII- 19-1949 # 84 E.L.Krause (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Pembina Co. Neche VII- 2-1949 # 12 & VII- 4-1949 # 18 E.L.Krause (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Pembina Co. Walhalla vii- 22-1949 # 7 E.L.Krause (LACM); NORTH DAKOTA Rolette Co. Dunseith 87 / 1997 Savolainen (JCTC); SOUTH DAKOTA Pennington Co. Black Hills. Hill City Sep. 6,1935 Creighton (LACM); UTAH Cache Co. Logan. 16 Aug, 0 8. ESG Titus (LACM); UTAH Cache Co. Logan. 22.6.0 3. ESG Titus (LACM); UTAH Kane Co. 6 mi. N. Bryce Nat’l Park 2000 G Snelling (JCTC); UTAH Salt Lake Co. Midvale 9 - 9-52. G.F. Knowlton (LACM); UTAH Salt Lake Co. Salt Lake City 1932 GF Knowlton; UTAH Tooele Co.Uinta Mts. Bassets Spring Aug. 23 -26, 1934 WS Creighton (LACM); UTAH Tooele Co. Uinta Mts. Deep Creek (now, =Ibapah) Aug. 27, 1934 WS Creighton (LACM); WASHINGTON Kittitas Co. Snoqualmie Pass E Slope 47 ° 22 ’N 121 ° 22 ’W 2511 ’ Elev 20 /Sep/ 2004 JL Smith & DB Moore (JTLC); WASHINGTON Skamania Co. Mt. St. Helens 1370m 11 /Aug/ 1981 RSugg (JTLC); WASHINGTON Stevens Co. 21km N Colville 890m 48 ° 44 ’N 117 ° 53 ’W # 5590 26 /Jun/ 2005 JLongino (JTLC); WASHINGTON Whatcom Co. White Rock Spring VII- 14-30 WM Mann (LACM); WASHINGTON Whitman Co. Pullman 22 -Mar- 1908 WM Mann (LACM); WASHINGTON Whitman Co. Pullman WM Mann May 19, 1909 (LACM); WASHINGTON Yakima Co. Mt. Rainier Yakima Pass VIII- 23- 34 A.J. Melander (LACM); WASHINGTON Yakima Co. Morse Creek & HWY 410 46 ° 54 ’N 121 ° 25 ’W 1200m # 3916 16 /Aug/ 1998 JLongino (JTLC); WASHINGTON Whitman Co. N end Rock Lake 47 ° 14 ’N 117 ° 35 ’W 600 m. # 4106 10.Aug. 1999 JLongino (JTLC); WASHINGTON Yakima Co. 15km NW Naches, Cleman Mt. 46 ° 49 ’N 120 ° 51 ’W 1500m # 4566 25 /Aug./ 2001 JLongino (JTLC); WASHINGTON Yakima Co. 15km NW Naches Cleman Mt. 46 ° 49 ’N 120 ° 51 ’W 1500m # 4566 25. Aug. 2001 JLongino (JTLC); WASHINGTON Yakima Co. 18.5km E Chinook Pass 46 ° 53 ’N 121 ° 17 ’W 1000m # 6004 11.Jun. 2007 JLongino (JTLC); WYOMING Teton Co. Teton Nat’l Park Aug. 9 -17, 1955 A.C.Cole CANADA ALBERTA Sturgeon Co. Red Water Natural Area. 53 ° 56 ' 27.66 "N 112 ° 57 ' 17.19 "W Jack pine, sand hills. 24 July- 3 Aug. 2010 James Glasier; CANADA BRITISH COLUMBIA: Cortex Is. Channel Rock 50 °06’N 125 °02’W 30m # 5641 19-21 /Aug/ 2005 J Longino (JTLC); CANADA MANITOBA Morden 3 km E, 19 km S. 5 Sept. 1993 WBP-F 205 WB Preston (JCTC); MEXICO CHIHUAHUA Mpio. Belleza 14 Abril, 1981 Wm. & E. Mackay 4772 (JCTC); MEXICO DURANGO 4 m. W of El Salto 20 -Mar- 53 WS Creighton (LACM).Published as part of Trager, James C., 2013, Global revision of the dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae, Formicinae, Formicini), pp. 501-548 in Zootaxa 3722 (4) on pages 515-518, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/24914
Measurement of the ratio of prompt χ c to J / ψ production in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV
Full text linkThe prompt production of charmonium χ c and J / ψ states is studied in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7 TeV at the Large Hadron Collider. The χ c and J / ψ mesons are identified through their decays χ c → J / ψ γ and J / ψ → μ + μ - using 36 pb - 1 of data collected by the LHCb detector in 2010. The ratio of the prompt production cross-sections for χ c and J / ψ, σ (χ c → J / ψ γ) / σ (J / ψ), is determined as a function of the J / ψ transverse momentum in the range 2 < p T J / ψ < 15 GeV / c. The results are in excellent agreement with next-to-leading order non-relativistic expectations and show a significant discrepancy compared with the colour singlet model prediction at leading order, especially in the low p T J / ψ region
Prompt charm production in pp collisions at √<span style="text-decoration:overline">s</span>=7 TeV
Full text linkCharm production at the LHC in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector. The decays D0→K−π+, D+→K−π+π+, D⁎+→D0(K−π+)π+, D+s→ϕ(K−K+)π+, Λ+c→pK−π+, and their charge conjugates are analysed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 15 nb−1. Differential cross-sections dσ/dpT are measured for prompt production of the five charmed hadron species in bins of transverse momentum and rapidity in the region 0<pT<8 GeV/c and 2.0<y<4.5. Theoretical predictions are compared to the measured differential cross-sections. The integrated cross-sections of the charm hadrons are computed in the above pT-y range, and their ratios are reported. A combination of the five integrated cross-section measurements gives
σ(cc¯)pT<8 GeV/c,2.0<y<4.5=1419±12(stat)±116(syst)±65(frag) μb,
where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic, and due to the fragmentation functions
Species of Formica
No full textABSTRACT We revise the Nearctic endemic Formica pallidefulva group based on study of types and other museum specimens and material in J. Trager's collection. The latter material originates from 30 years of accumulated samples, both from free-living colonies of F. pallidefulva group species, and from "slave" populations in colonies of Polyergus lucidus s. l., which have single-species host populations. Among the currently available names for the group, the four valid taxa are F. archboldi, F. dolosa, F. incerta and F. pallidefulva. There is a fifth common, but previously unrecognized new species, described here as Formica biophilica Trager, n. sp. Earlier taxonomies of this group were constrained by typological thinking and inadequate treatment of metric characters. For this study, well preserved individuals, nest series and types of all but one taxon were studied (no types seen for F. pallidefulva). Analysis focused on form, length, abundance and distribution of macrochaetae (pilosity); length and density of microchaetae (pubescence); standard measurements and indices; distinct habitat preferences of the various species; and host selection by Polyergus lucidus, s. l. Our results leave little doubt that F. incerta n. stat., rev. stat. and F. biophilica n. sp. deserve recognition as species, that F. nitidiventris is a synonym of F. pallidefulva and that F. schaufussi is a synonym of F. pallidefulva. Thus, the current concept of schaufussi (incorrect in reference to the lectotype) must give way to the next available name for the same population, dolosa n. stat. In this paper, we provide diagnoses, qualitative morphological characteristics, tabulated quantitative characters, natural history notes for all species and a key to the workers. As occurs in other groups of closely related ant species (e.g
Seed source and region effects on growth rate and survival of blue spruce (Picea pungens) Christmas trees in New Jersey
No full textSeedlings from five different seed sources of blue spruce Christmas trees were planted at five sites throughout New Jersey. Two sites in northern New Jersey and one in central New Jersey had significantly higher survival rates than the two in southern New Jersey. Additionally, the two sites in northern New Jersey had significantly faster growth rates than those in southern and central New Jersey. There were no significant differences in survival rates between seed sources. In terms of growth rates, however, seedlings from seeds obtained in Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico grew significantly faster than seedlings from the other seed sources tested. This forther growth rate is predicted to shorten the time needed to reach marketability size by one to five years
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