Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 7 No. 5: October 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-10-30
DOI: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.5.11
Page range: 684–692
Abstract views: 153
PDF downloaded: 12

Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov., a new formicine ant from Oligo-Miocene Mexican amber

Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular, Escuela de Estudios Superiores del Jicarero, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, C. P. 62909, Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico
Laboratorio de Sistemática Molecular, Escuela de Estudios Superiores del Jicarero, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, C. P. 62909, Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico
Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, C.P.11340, Mexico City, Mexico
Oligocene Simojovel Formation Formicidae Formicine New taxon

Abstract

A novel ant genus and species, Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. is described from Late Oligocene-Early Miocene Mexican amber. It is placed within the subfamily Formicinae based on the presence of an acidopore. It can be distinguished by its diminutive size, elongated scapes that extend beyond the head’s vertex by approximately double the length of the head, eyes located about 2/3 the distance between the mandible’s base and the head’s vertex. Additional diagnostic features include a distinctive keel-shaped clypeus, a prominently marked promesonotal groove, a discontinuous mesonotum with dorsal and declivitous edges, a curved propodeum lacking differentiated anterior and posterior margins, and a markedly reduced node on a thick petiole. Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. is in syninclusion with deciduous petals and filaments of a flower identified as cf. Hymenaea mexicana, along with elements closely associated with leaf litter and the soil environment. As an extinct taxon endemic to Oligo-Miocene deposits, Elektroformica azquil gen. et sp. nov. enriches the diversity within the subfamily Formicinae and offers valuable insights into the evolutionary history of formicine ants.

References

  1. Allison, R.C. (1967) The Cenozoic stratigraphy of Chiapas, Mexico, with discussions of the classification of the Turritellidae and selected Mexican representatives. [Ph.D. dissertation], University of California, Berkeley, 468 pp.
  2. Barden, P. 2017. Fossil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ancient diversity and the rise of modern lineages. Myrmecological News, 24, 1–30.
  3. Baccaro, F.B., Feitosa, R.M., Fernández, F., Fernandes, I.O., Izzo, T.J., de Souza, J.L. & Solar, R. (2015) Guia para os gêneros de formigas do Brasil. Manaus: Editora INPA, 388 pp.
  4. Blaimer, B.B., Brady, S.G., Schultz, T.R., Lloyd, M.W., Fisher & Ward, P.S. (2015) Phylogenomic methods outperform traditional multi-locus approaches in resolving deep evolutionary history. A case study of formicine ants. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 15:271. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0552-5
  5. Bolton, B. (2003) Synopsis and classification of Formicidae. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 71, 1–370.
  6. Bolton, B. (2024) An online catalog of the ants of the world. https://antcat.org (Accessed on 3 June 2024).
  7. Boudinot, B.E., Borowiec, M.L. & Prebus, M. M. (2022) Phylogeny, evolution and classification of the ant genus Lasius, the tribe Lasiini and the subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology, 47, 113–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12522
  8. Boudinot, B.E., Bock, B.L., Weingardt, M., Tröger, D., Batelka, J., Li, D., Richter, A., Pohl, H., Moosdorf, O.T.D., Jandausch, K., Hammel, J,U. & Beutel, R.G. (2024) Et latet et lucet: Discoveries from the Phyletisches Museum amber and copal collection in Jena, Germany. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 71 (1), 111–176. https://doi.org/10.3897/dez.71.112433
  9. Calvillo-Canadell, L., Cevallos-Ferriz, S.R.S & Rico-Arce, L. (2010) Miocene Hymenaea flowers preserved in amber from Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas, Mexico. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 160 (3–4), 126–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.02.007
  10. Dáttilo, W., Vásquez-Bolaños, M., Ahuatzin, D.A., Antoniazzi, R., Chávez-González, E., Corro, E., Luna, P., Guevara, R., Villalobos, F., Madrigal-Chavero, R., de Faria Falcão, J.C., Bonilla-Ramírez, A., García-Romero, A.R., de la Mora, A., Ramírez-Hernández, A., Escalante-Jiménez, A.L., Martínez-Falcón, A.P., Villarreal, A.I., García-Colón-Sandoval, A., ...MacGregor-Fors, I. (2019) Ants of Mexico: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology 101: e02944. 10.1002/ecy. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
  11. De Andrade, M.L. (1995) The ant genus Aphaenogaster in Dominican and Mexican amber (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IX: Pheidolini). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie), 223, 1–11.
  12. De Andrade, M.L. (1998) First fossil records of the ant genus Discothyrea Dominican and Mexican amber (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Fragmenta Entomologica, 30, 210–214.
  13. De Andrade, M.L. (2003) First descriptions of two new amber species of Cyphomyrmex from Mexico and the Dominican Republic (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Beiträge zur Entomologie, 53 (1), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.21248/contrib.entomol.53.1.131-139
  14. De Andrade, M.L. & Baroni-Urbani, C. (1999) Diversity and adaptation in the ant genus Cephalotes, past and present. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie), 271, 1–889.
  15. Fernández, F. & Ortíz-Sepúlveda, C.M. (2019) Subfamilia Formicinae. En: Fernández, F., Guerrero, R. J. & Delsinne, T. (Eds), Hormigas de Colombia. Bogotá. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, pp. 721–741.
  16. Frost, S.H. & Langenheim, R.L. (1974) Cenozoic reef biofacies, tertiary larger Foraminifera and scleractinian corals from Chiapas, Mexico. De Kalb (IL), Northern Illinois University Press, 388 pp.
  17. González-Alvarado, J. (1963) Exploración geológica del área Tumbalá-Chilón, Chiapas, Coatzacoalcos, Ver. Petróleos Mexicanos, Superintend. Gen. Explor. Zona Sur, Informe Geológico, 490, 21–32.
  18. Graham, A. (1999) Studies in Neotropical Paleobotany—XIII: an Oligo-Miocene palynoflora from Simojovel (Chiapas, Mexico). American Journal of Botany, 86 (1), 17–31. https://doi.org/10.2307/2656951
  19. Grimaldi, D. & Agosti, D. (2000) A formicine in New Jersey Cretaceous amber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and early evolution of the ants. PNAS, 97 (25), 13678–13583. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.240452097
  20. Klotz, J.H., Hansen, L., Pospischil, R. & Rust. M. (2008) Urban ants of North America and Europe: identification, biology, and management. Cornell University Press, 196 pp.
  21. Langenheim, J.H. (1966) Botanical source of amber from Chiapas, Mexico (Fuente botánica del ámbar de Chiapas, México). Ciencia México, 24, 201–210.
  22. Langenheim, J.H. (2003) Plant resins: chemistry, evolution, ecology and ethnobotany. Portland, Timber Press, UK, UK, 612 pp.
  23. LaPolla, J.S. (2005) Ancient trophophoresy: a fossil Acropyga (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Dominican amber. Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 131, 21–28.
  24. LaPolla, J.S. & Dlussky, G.M. (2010) Review of fossil Prenolepis genus-group species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington, 112 (2), 258–273. https://doi.org/10.4289/0013-8797-112.2.258
  25. LaPolla, J.S., Kallal, R.J. & Brady, S.G. (2012) A new ant genus from the Greater Antilles and Central America, Zatania (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), exemplifies the utility of male and molecular character systems. Systematic Entomology, 37, 200–214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00605.x
  26. Legume Phylogeny Working Group (LPWG) (2017) A new subfamily classification of the Leguminosae based on a taxonomically comprehensive phylogeny. Taxon 66, 44–77. https://doi.org/10.12705/661.3
  27. MacKay, W.P. & MacKay, E. (1989) Clave de los géneros de hormigas en México (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). En: Quiroz, L. N. & Garduño, M. P. (Eds), Segundo Simposio Nacional de Insectos Sociales. México: Sociedad Mexicana de Entomología, pp. 1–82.
  28. MacKay, W.P. & MacKay, E. (2019) Género Camponotus. En: Fernández, F., Guerrero, R. J., Delsinne, T. (Eds), Hormigas de Colombia. Bogotá. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, pp. 743–789.
  29. McKellar, R.C., Glasier, J.R. N & Engel, M.S. (2013) New ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) from Canadian Late Cretaceous amber. Bulletin of Geosciences, 88 (3), 583–594. https://doi.org/10.3140/bull.geosci.1425
  30. Moreau, C. & Bell, C.D. (2013) Testing the museum versus cradle tropical biological diversity hypothesis: phylogeny, diversification and ancestral biogeographic range evolution of ants. Evolution, 67 (8), 2240–2257. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12105
  31. Perrilliat M.C., Vega, F.J. & Coutiño, M.A. (2010) Miocene mollusks from the Simojovel area in Chiapas, southwestern Mexico. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 30, 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsames.2010.04.005
  32. Poinar, G. Jr. (1991) Hymenaea protera sp. n. (Leguminoseae, Caesalpininoideae) from Dominican amber has African affinities. Experientia, 47, 1075–1082. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01923347
  33. Poinar, G. Jr. & Brown, A.E. (2002) Hymenaea mexicana sp. nov. (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) from Mexican amber indicates Old World connections. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 139 (2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8339.2002.00053.x
  34. Riquelme, F., Alvarado-Ortega, J., Ramos-Arias, M., Hernández, M., Le Dez, I., Lee-Whiting, T.A. & Ruvalcaba-Sil, L. (2013) A fossil stemmiulid millipede (Diplopoda: Stemmiulida) from the Miocene amber of Simojovel, Chiapas, México. Historical Biology, 26, 415–427. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2013.778843
  35. Riquelme, F., Ruvalcaba-Sil, J.L., Alvarado-Ortega, J., Estrada-Ruiz, E., Galicia-Chávez, M., Porras-Múzquiz, H., Stojanoff, V., Siddons, D. P & Miller, L. (2014) Amber from México: Coahuilite, Simojovelite and Bacalite. MRS Proceedings, 1618, 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2014.466
  36. Riquelme, M., Ortega-Flores, B., Estrada-Ruiz, E. & Córdova-Tabares, V. (2024) Zircon U-Pb Ages of the Chiapas Amber-Lagerstätte (Mexico: Chiapas: Simojovel). SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4778409
  37. Romiguier, J., Borowiec, M.L., Weyna, A., Helleu, Q., Loire, E., La Mendola, C., Rabeling, C., Fisher, B. L., Ward, P.S. & Keller, L. (2022) Ant phylogenomics reveals a natural selection hotspot preceding the origin of complex eusociality. Current Biology, 32, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.05.001
  38. Solórzano-Kraemer, M.M. (2007) Systematic, palaeontology and palaeobiogeography of the insect fauna from Mexican amber. Palaeontographica, Albteilung A, 282, 1–133. https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/282/2007/1
  39. Trager, J.C. (2013) Global revision of the dulotic ant genus Polyergus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae, Formicini). Zootaxa, 3722 (4), 501–548. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3722.4.5
  40. Varela-Hernández, F. & Riquelme, F. (2021) A new ant species of the genus Pheidole Westwood, 1839 from Miocene Mexican amber. Southwestern Entomologist, 46 (1), 75–82. https://doi.org/10.3958/059.046.0107
  41. Varela-Hernández, F., Riquelme, F., Guerrero, R.J. & Vázquez-Franco, C.M. (2022) New ant species Schismiscapus exstinctum gen. et sp. nov. (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) from Miocene Mexican amber. Historical Biology, 35 (7), 1209–1215. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2022.2085568
  42. Varela-Hernández, F., Riquelme, F. & Guerrero, R. J. (2023) A Miocene ant species of the genus Forelius Emery, 1888 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) from Mexico. Palaeontologia Electronica, 26 (3), a36. https://doi.org/10.26879/1294
  43. Varela-Hernández, F. & Flores-Zapoteco, D. (2024) New Miocene Mexican amber ant (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) of the genus Pheidole Westwood, 1839. Historical Biology, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2312403
  44. Varela-Hernández, F., Riquelme, F. & Guerrero, J.R. (2024) New genus and species of ponerine ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Mexican amber. Historical Biology, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2370000
  45. Williams, J.L. & LaPolla, J.S. (2016) Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the ant genus Prenolepis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa, 4200 (2), 201–258. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4200.2.1
  46. Ward, P.W., Blaimer, B.B. & Fisher, B.L. (2016) A revised phylogenetic classification of the ant subfamily Formicinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), with resurrection of the genera Colobopsis and Dinomyrmex. Zootaxa, 4072 (3), 343–357. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4072.3.4