J. Longino Costa Rica notes:
Acromyrmex coronatus is a montane species found in cloud forest habitats and not in the lowlands. It is tolerant of cold, wet conditions and colonies can be found in small clearings and gaps in dense cloud forest. On the transect on the north side of Volcan Barva it has been found at 1100m elevation but not at 500m or 2000m. On the Central Valley side it has been collected at 1600m elevation at Zurqui. In the Monteverde area it occurs in the community area, up to the highest ridges at 1700m, and down to 800m in the Penas Blancas Valley.
In Monteverde, it is the main pest in gardens and will come into houses at night to cut bread, cabbage, or fruit that has been left out. The nests are often in or under a piece of dead wood, and often with a superstructure of loose dead leaf fragments. They do not excavate soil very extensively if at all. They may be arboreal at times, nesting in a low branch junctions of epiphyte-laden trees.
Lisa Ellis, an undergraduate student with the University of California Education Abroad Program in the late 1980's, carried out a study of A. coronatus foraging during the transition from dry to wet season in Monteverde. She found that foraging was continuous at night, but diurnal foraging only occurred when there had been recent rain. Following a heavy rain, diurnal foraging would commmence followed by a gradual cessation over a period of a day or two. Periodic rains during the dry season would initiate a short bout of diurnal foraging, but when the rains became more continuous diurnal foraging became continuous. Thus the lack of diurnal foraging during the dry season was a short-term response to immediate environmental conditions and not a long-term change in colony foraging behavior.
Nuptial flights are common in Monteverde and the distinctively-patterned dealate queens are often seen on the roads. On 9 July 1984 I observed a swarm of males in the canopy of an emergent oak on the ridge crest above Monteverde. Hundreds of males were swarming just above the highest branches of the tree. Later in the day I saw many dealate queens on the roads.
I have observed aggregations of founding queens under epiphyte mats in recent treefalls. Several times I have seen dealate queens out cutting leaves, suggesting that queens need to forage to establish a colony.
Southern Mexico to Brazil and Ecuador.
Extant: 5 valid subspecies
Formica coronata Fabricius, 1804 PDF: 413 (q.) SOUTH AMERICA. Neotropic. AntCat AntWiki HOLTaxonomic history
[Misspelled as conorata by Forel, 1893h PDF: 600 (in text).].Forel, 1885a PDF: 356 (w.).Combination in Oecodoma: Smith, 1858a PDF: 184.Combination in Atta: Roger, 1863b PDF: 35.Combination in Atta (Acromyrmex): Forel, 1885a PDF: 355.Combination in Acromyrmex: Bruch, 1914 PDF: 216.Subspecies of Acromyrmex hystrix: Forel, 1885a PDF: 355.Subspecies of Acromyrmex octospinosus: Emery, 1893m PDF: 153 (footnote).Status as species: Smith, 1858a PDF: 186; Roger, 1863b PDF: 35; Mayr, 1863a PDF: 438; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 152, Forel, 1893e: 600 (redescription); Forel, 1895b PDF: 139; Emery, 1896g PDF: 101; Forel, 1899b PDF: 36; Forel, 1901m PDF: 50; Forel, 1904e PDF: 176; Emery, 1905f: 45; Forel, 1905e PDF: 160; Forel, 1907h PDF: 2; Forel, 1908a PDF: 69; Forel, 1911e PDF: 290; Forel, 1912f PDF: 182; Mann, 1916 PDF: 454; Wheeler, 1923a PDF: 4; Emery, 1924f PDF: 348; Santschi, 1925a PDF: 359; Wheeler, 1925a: 37; Santschi, 1925d PDF: 239; Borgmeier, 1927c PDF: 130; Weber, 1937 PDF: 407; Weber, 1938b PDF: 204; Weber, 1946c PDF: 151; Kusnezov, 1956a PDF: 35 (in key); Kempf, 1960e: 397; Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 134; Kempf, 1970c PDF: 337; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Cherrett & Cherrett, 1989 PDF: 50; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Wild, 2007b PDF: 30; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 257; Bezděčková et al., 2015 PDF: 114; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51 (redescription); Fernández & Serna, 2019 PDF: 833.Senior synonym of Acromyrmex moelleri meinerti: Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 135; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51.Senior synonym of Acromyrmex moelleri modesta: Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 135; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51.Senior synonym of Acromyrmex coronatus moelleri: Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 135; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51.Senior synonym of Acromyrmex coronatus ochraceolus: Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 135; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51.Material of the unavailable names Acromyrmex coronatus andicola flavescens, Acromyrmex coronatus andicola medianus, Acromyrmex coronatus moelleri obscurior, Acromyrmex coronatus ochraceolus ornatus referred here by Gonçalves, 1961 PDF: 135; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 11; Bolton, 1995b: 55; Fernández et al., 2015 PDF: 51.Alto Paraná , Canindeyú , Itapúa (ALWC, INBP, LACM, MZSP, USNM). Literature records: Itapúa (Fowler 1985).
Acromyrmex coronatus is a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae found in the wild naturally from Guatemala to Brazil and Ecuador.
A. coronatus can be identified by the presence of median pronotal spines being usually present and distinct, occasionally reduced or absent, the head tapering behind eyes, and head width of less than or equal to 1.7 mm.
This montane species is tolerant of cold, wet conditions, and colonies can be found in small clearings and gaps in dense cloud forest. For example, on the north side of Volcan Barva, it has been found at 1100 m elevation, but not at 500 or 2000 m. On the Central Valley side, it has been collected at 1600 m at Zurqui. In the Monteverde area, it occurs in the community area, up to the highest ridges at 1700 m, and down to 800 m in the Penas Blancas Valley.
In Monteverde, it is the main pest in gardens, and enters houses at night to cut bread, cabbage, or fruit that has been left out. The nests are often in or under a piece of dead wood, and often with a superstructure of loose, dead leaf fragments. They do not excavate soil very extensively, if at all. They may be arboreal at times, nesting in low branch junctions of epiphyte-laden trees.
A. coronatus foraging is continuous at night, but diurnal foraging only occurs after recent rain. Following a heavy rain, diurnal foraging commences, followed by a gradual cessation over a period of a day or two. Periodic rains during the dry season initiate a short bout of diurnal foraging, but when the rains became more continuous, diurnal foraging becomes continuous. Thus, the lack of diurnal foraging during the dry season is a short-term response to immediate environmental conditions and not a long-term change in colony foraging behavior.
Nuptial flights are common in Monteverde, and the distinctively patterned dealate queens are often seen on the roads. Dealate queens have been observed out cutting leaves, suggesting the queens need to forage themselves to establish a colony.
Acromyrmex coronatus is a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae found in the wild naturally from Guatemala to Brazil and Ecuador.
A. coronatus can be identified by the presence of median pronotal spines being usually present and distinct, occasionally reduced or absent, the head tapering behind eyes, and head width of less than or equal to 1.7 mm.
This montane species is tolerant of cold, wet conditions, and colonies can be found in small clearings and gaps in dense cloud forest. For example, on the north side of Volcan Barva, it has been found at 1100 m elevation, but not at 500 or 2000 m. On the Central Valley side, it has been collected at 1600 m at Zurqui. In the Monteverde area, it occurs in the community area, up to the highest ridges at 1700 m, and down to 800 m in the Penas Blancas Valley.
In Monteverde, it is the main pest in gardens, and enters houses at night to cut bread, cabbage, or fruit that has been left out. The nests are often in or under a piece of dead wood, and often with a superstructure of loose, dead leaf fragments. They do not excavate soil very extensively, if at all. They may be arboreal at times, nesting in low branch junctions of epiphyte-laden trees.
A. coronatus foraging is continuous at night, but diurnal foraging only occurs after recent rain. Following a heavy rain, diurnal foraging commences, followed by a gradual cessation over a period of a day or two. Periodic rains during the dry season initiate a short bout of diurnal foraging, but when the rains became more continuous, diurnal foraging becomes continuous. Thus, the lack of diurnal foraging during the dry season is a short-term response to immediate environmental conditions and not a long-term change in colony foraging behavior.
Nuptial flights are common in Monteverde, and the distinctively patterned dealate queens are often seen on the roads. Dealate queens have been observed out cutting leaves, suggesting the queens need to forage themselves to establish a colony.
