Procryptocerus is a Neotropical genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on.
Procryptocerus inhabits rainforests from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico to northern Argentina. Due to their cryptic habits, living inside twigs, these ants are rarely collected. At present, most species are known from Central America, Colombia and Brazil.[3]
The genus was created by Emery (1887) to include species of Neotropical ants that were considered similar to those of the Paleotropical genus Cataulacus.[3]
Procryptocerus has been the object of two revisionary studies. Kempf (1951) revised the entire genus and Longino and Snelling (2002) the Central American species. Kempf (1951) recognized 28 species, and 8 subspecies, while for Central America Longino and Snelling (2002) recognized 14 species, described four new species, synonymized two species, and elevated two subspecies to species level.[3] Currently, 45 species are included in the genus.[2]
The genus is characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located right posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed posteriorly in most species.[4] Procryptocerus ants possess notoriously variable morphology. Different characters, such as propodeal spine length, form of the clypeus, type of sculpture, and other such characters vary remarkably, sometimes even within the same species. Knowledge of morphology and anatomy is incomplete for all species.[3]
Adult workers are mostly black in color, body variously sculptured and monomorphic, ranging from 3.5–8.5 mm. Although similar to workers, gyne are larger (3.7–9.5 mm) with thoracic sclerites corresponding to alates in other apocritans.[5][6] Males are longer and more slender than gynes, ranging from 4.8 mm to 9.9 mm in length.[7]
This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Serna, F.; Mackay, W. (2010). "A descriptive morphology of the ant genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". Journal of Insect Science. 10 (111): 111. doi:10.1673/031.010.11101. PMC 3016927. PMID 20874568. Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.Procryptocerus is a Neotropical genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on.
Procryptocerus é um gênero de insetos, pertencente a família Formicidae.[1]
Procryptocerus é um gênero de insetos, pertencente a família Formicidae.
Procryptocerus là một chi kiến trong phân họ Myrmicinae, chúng có khả năng "nhảy dù" bằng cách láy cơ thể khi chúng rơi từ trên cây.
Procryptocerus là một chi kiến trong phân họ Myrmicinae, chúng có khả năng "nhảy dù" bằng cách láy cơ thể khi chúng rơi từ trên cây.
