I found this worker in my sample bag several days ago, but when I tired to ID it things didn’t make sense. The key I was using relied heavily on measurement data and where it lead me didn’t make sense.
Then I saw the top of its head where three ocelli were. I still haven’t identified it fully yet but I thought I would share this morphological quirk.
Posted by dylanlevar on December 31, 2013
https://leptolatus.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/hypoponera-sp/
Hylomyrma dentiloba. Such a chunky mesosoma.
The mandibles really remind me of the genus Gnamptogenys. Would it be possible to look at census data and do some kind of stat test to look at frequency of co-occurrence between the two genera, to test if they have similar predation? My camera really does not capture the beauty of the rugae.
An odd feature on the gaster where the rugae almost abruptly ends.
Posted by dylanlevar on December 4, 2013
https://leptolatus.wordpress.com/2013/12/04/hylomyrma-and-i-have-a-shitty-camera-2/
Apparently Labidus coecus can come in two different color morphs; a reddish brown type that I only collected once and a black form which was very common. Or, perhaps the lighter worker has simply recently eclosed? I’m sure they are the same species as they both have the same defining feature that the key uses. The lighter morph worker was collected within a raid trail that had other workers of the color but, army ant brood is raised in cycles, so I’m left clueless.
Posted by dylanlevar on September 1, 2013
https://leptolatus.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/labidus-coecus/
