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Species: Gnamptogenys simulans   (Emery, 1896) 

Classification:
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Note: Not a Valid Taxon Name


Current Valid Name:

Alfaria simulans

Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2022)

Alfaria simulans Emery, 1896e PDF: 177 (footnote) (w.) COSTA RICA. Neotropic. Primary type information: Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated). Type-locality: Costa Rica: Suerre, nr Jiménez, vi.1895 (A. Alfaro). Type-depository: MSNG. Type notes: Locality data from Emery, 1896g PDF: 42. AntCat AntWiki HOL
// Distribution

Distribution:

  Geographic regions: Not found on any curated Geolocale/Taxon lists.

Distribution Notes:

Costa Rica (Lattke 1995, Brown 1958). Costa Rica: wet forests of both slopes to 1700m.

Biology:

Natural History:

This species inhabits mature wet forest from near sea level to 1700m. Alfaro observed them nesting in the soil, and feigning death when disturbed (Emery 1896). These observations have been confirmed by more recent collections. In one instance, workers have been observed attacking an earthworm on the forest floor.

Selected Costa Rican records:

Heredia: 22km N Volcan Barba, 10¡20'N, 84¡04'W, 500m (J. Longino). Mature wet forest. Night collecting. Group of workers attacking annelid on forest floor. Ants very slow, feigned death when disturbed.

Heredia: La Selva Biological Station, 10¡26'N, 84¡01'W, 50m (collector?).

Heredia: 13km N Vol. Barba, 10¡15'N, 84¡05'W, 1320m (J. Longino). Wet forest; ex Winkler sample, sifted leaf litter from forest floor.

Puntarenas: Monteverde, 10¡18'N, 84¡48'W, 1500m (J. Longino). (1) Mature cloud forest. Teri Matelson was sorting roots from soil samples from the Cloud Forest Reserve, and encountered these ants. The nest was subterranean, in the first soil horizon, 10-20cm deep. (2) Workers also collected from two Winkler samples from cloud forest.

Puntarenas: Estacion Biol. Pittier, 9¡02'N, 82¡58'W, 1670m (INBio Parataxonomist course). Wet forest; ex Winkler sample, sifted leaf litter from forest floor.

Puntarenas: Rancho Quemado, Osa Peninsula, 8¡42'N, 83¡33'W, 200m (J. Longino). Wet forest; ex Winkler sample, sifted leaf litter from forest floor.

References:

Brown, W. L., Jr. 1958. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. II. Tribe Ectatommini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 118:175-362.

Emery, C. 1896. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XVII-XXV. Bolletino della Societa Entomologica Italiana 28:33-107, pl. 1.

Lattke, J. E. 1992. Revision of the minuta group of the genus Gnamptogenys. Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift 39:123-129.

Lattke, J. E. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Gnamptogenys in the New World (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 4:137-193.

Mann, W. M. 1926. Some new neotropical ants. Psyche 33:97-107.



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