Neoponera antecurvata ( Mackay & Mackay, 2010 )

Pazmiño-Palomino, Alex & Troya, Adrian, 2022, Ants of Ecuador: new species records for a megadiverse country in South America, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20210089) 66 (2), pp. 1-15 : 9

Neoponera antecurvata ( Mackay & Mackay, 2010)

Figs. 16 , 21E

Material examined. Ecuador. Orellana: Parque Nacional Yasuní, 27 Km SSE Limoncocha , 0.62583°S, 76.4953°W, 207m, 1☿, 2008-05- 21, Troya, A., fogging ( MEPN) ; Parque Nacional Yasuní, 28 Km SSE Limoncocha , 0.608279°S, 76.4567°W, 186m, 1☿, 2008-05-24, Troya, A., fogging ( MEPN) ; Parque Nacional Yasuní, 32 Km SSE Limoncocha , Km 39 Pompeya sur, 0.65713°S, 76.453°W, 216m, 1♀, 1995-02-12, Erwin, T. et al., fogging ( MEPN) .

Comments. This uncommonly collected species belongs to the N. crenata group sensu Mackay and Mackay (2010). This species is very similar to N. unidentata Mayr and N. donosoi Mackay & Mackay, but mainly differs from them in the form of the petiolar node in profile, with its posterior face slightly domed (evenly convex in both N. unidentata and N. donosoi); in addition, N. antecurvata usually bears few (ca. four) coarse horizontal striae ventrally on the subpetiolar process (clearly more and less coarse in N. unidentata, and few feeble striations in N. donosoi). Neoponera antecurvata is likely arboreal and apparently prefers well-preserved habitats (see alsoLongino, 2002). Current records were collected with canopy fogging in mature Amazonian lowland wet forests. This species has been previously recorded in Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, and Brazil (Amazonas) ( Mackay and Mackay, 2010).

Figures

Figure 16Neoponera antecurvata (MacKay & MacKay) (worker,MEPN5053):A) profile, B) frontal view, C) dorsal view. Images by Adrian Troya. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 21 Geographic distribution of the species examined in the present study.