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Issue: Vol. 2075 No. 1: 17 Apr. 2009
Type: Article
Published: 2009-04-17
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.2075.1.3
Page range: 45–54
Abstract views: 39
PDF downloaded: 3

Crematogaster pygmaea (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), a highly polygynous and polydomous Crematogaster from northeastern Brazil

Laboratório de Entomologia, Instituto Superior de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, 60740-000 Fortaleza, Brazil
Servide d'Eco-Ethologie Evolutive CP 160/12, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR-CNRS 5174, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
Servide d'Eco-Ethologie Evolutive CP 160/12, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
The Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington 98505, USA
Hymenoptera Brazil Ceará Formicidae Myrmicinae Crematogaster polygyny polydomy

Abstract

Crematogaster pygmaea is revived from synonymy under C. abstinens and newly characterized as a ground-nesting ant from northeastern Brazil. It is a habitat specialist in coastal and tabuleiro zones, where it forms extensive polydomous and polygynous colonies that nest in the soil. Workers forage extensively on honeydew and extrafloral nectar, and foraging continues day and night, although it is depressed at ground temperatures above 32°C. Gyne production occurs at the beginning of the rainy season, while male production starts in the dry season, some months before gyne production.

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