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A large Atta sexdens worker cuts through a leaf while a smaller worker guards against the overzealous photographer. Captive colony at the University of Texas.
Image © Alex Wild. // Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions (According to curated Geolocale/Taxon lists):
    Americas: Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Venezuela
  Biogeographic regions (According to curated Bioregion/Taxon lists):
    Nearctic, Neotropical
  Native biogeographic regions (according to species list records):
    Nearctic, Neotropical

Identification:

Borgmeier 1959_Revision der gattung Atta_Translated key to males
Interpreted by B.E. Boudinot (University of Utah/University of California, Davis) 7 May 2013

Key to males:

1. Telomere articulated with basimere as if on a hinge. Penisvalvar ventral keel serrated … 2
- Telomere fused with basimere. Penisvalvar ventral keel without teeth … 6
2. Apicodorsal lobes[?] of penisvalva dentate. Penisvalva with a dorsal longitudinal keel and apicodorsal lobate hook; basimere produced dorsomedially … (Atta s.str.; Central and South America) 3
- Apicodorsal lobes[?; direct translation = fascia or strips] of penisvalva edentate. Penisvalva without dorsal longitudinal keel or apicodorsal lobate hook; basimeres dorsomedially fused … (Archeatta Gonçalves; Central and North America, Caribbean) 4
3. Basimere longer than wide in dorsal view (Fig. 10). Penisvalvar apicodorsal lobate hooks long … Atta cephalotes Linn.
- Basimere length subequal to width in dorsal view (Fig. 11). Penisvalvar apicodorsal lobate hooks shorter … Atta colombica Guerin
4. Dorsomedial margins of the penisvalvar notch straight, not bulged (Figure 16) … Atta mexicana Fr Smith
- Dorsomedian margins of the penisvalvar notch concave (Fig. 13) … 5
5. Lateral face of truncated volsellar apex with an anterior- (or basally-) directed carina (Figure 29) … Atta texana Buckley
- Lateral face of truncated volsellar apex without an anterior- (or basally-) directed carina (Figure 27) … Atta insularis Guerin
6. Penisvalva with lateral margins folded dorsomedially; apex narrow, convex … (Neoatta Gonçalves) 7
- Penisvalva without dorsomedially-folded lateral margins; apex broad, convex, and with an apicolateral digitiform process … (Palaeatta Borgm.) 12
7. Penisvalva, in dorsal view separated [unfused?], with vertical sides… Atta sexdens Linn.
- Penisvalva in dorsal view more-or-less spoon-shaped, sides sloping, dorsal margins turned inward … 8
8. Longitudinal furrow of penisvalva only apically covered by folded lateral margins (Fig. 18) … 9
- Longitudinal furrow of penisvalva covered over most of its length by folded lateral margins (Fig. 22) … 10
9. The folded margins the penisvalva short and narrow. Abdominal sternum IX bulging distally … Atta robusta Borgm.
- The folded margins of the penisvalva wider and longer. Abdominal sternum IX truncate distally … Atta laevigata F. Sm
10. Penisvalvae wide in dorsal view, with the base strongly diverging; folded sides of the penisvalvar furrow entire (Fig. 21) … Atta vollenweideri Forel
- Penisvalvae narrower and longer, the base less divergent; folded sides of the penisvalvar furrow emarginate medially … 11
11. Folded penisvalvar margins short and narrow; emargination shallow (Fig. 20) … Atta opaciceps Borgm.
- Folded penisvalvar margins long; emargination strong, pointed (Figure 22) … Atta capiguara Gonçalves
12. Telomere, seen from above, very wide (subapical half as wide as long), apex diagonally truncate (Fig. 15) … Atta goiana Gonçalves
- Telomere narrow, apically pointed ... 13
13 Telomere as long as the volsella; dorsal apicolateral digitate processes of penisvalva short (Fig. 24) … Atta bisphaerica Forel
- Telomere much shorter than the volsella; apicodorsal lateral digitate processes of penisvalva wider and longer (Fig. 26) … Atta saltensis Forel

References:

Borgmeier, T. 1959b. Revision der Gattung Atta Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica (n.s.)2:321-390.

Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)

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