Tranopelta gilva Mayr 1866

Natural History:

Tranopelta gilva are pale, subterranean ants that are never seen foraging on the surface. In the field their general habitus is very similar to the formicine genus Acropyga. Very little is known of the biology. Workers are most often found under rocks in clay soil in lowland rainforest. They may also occur in Winkler and Berlese samples of leaf litter from the forest floor. In Costa Rica I have collected T. gilva at four sites: La Selva Biological Station, 500m elevation on the Barva Transect above La Selva, Hitoy Cerere Biological Reserve, and near Ciudad Neily in the southern Pacific lowlands. At La Selva I once observed a populous colony under the loose bark of a rotten log in primary forest. Knots of workers and uniformly-sized brood were in scattered piles, distributed across at least 2m of the log length.

Queens are very large, dramatically larger than the workers. Most queens are collected at lights.

Costa Rica to Brazil.

Tranopelta gilva Mayr, 1866a PDF: 514 (q.m.) VENEZUELA. Neotropic. AntCat AntWiki HOL

Taxonomic history

Wheeler, 1922g PDF: 6 (w.); Wheeler & Wheeler, 1955c PDF: 131 (l.).Status as species: Emery, 1890c PDF: 53; Dalla Torre, 1893 PDF: 74; Emery, 1894l PDF: 57; Forel, 1899b PDF: 79; Forel, 1912h PDF: 3; Mann, 1916 PDF: 446; Wheeler, 1916f PDF: 324; Emery, 1919b PDF: 61; Wheeler, 1922e PDF: 8; Emery, 1922c PDF: 193; Wheeler, 1922g PDF: 6; Wheeler, 1925e PDF: 178; Borgmeier, 1927c PDF: 100; Borgmeier, 1934 PDF: 102; Ettershank, 1966 PDF: 109; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 255; Bolton, 1995b: 421; Fernández, 2003h: 647 (redescription); Wild, 2007b PDF: 38; Branstetter & Sáenz, 2012 PDF: 262; Bezděčková et al., 2015 PDF: 122; Fernández & Serna, 2019 PDF: 879.Senior synonym of Tranopelta gilva albida: Emery, 1919b PDF: 61; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 255; Fernández, 2003h: 647.Senior synonym of Tranopelta amblyops: Fernández, 2003h: 647.Senior synonym of Tranopelta gilva brunnea: Fernández, 2003h: 647.Senior synonym of Tranopelta gilva columbica: Emery, 1919b PDF: 61; Kempf, 1972b PDF: 255; Fernández, 2003h: 647.Senior synonym of Tranopelta heyeri: Fernández, 2003h: 647.

Alto Paraguay, Cordillera, “Paraguay” (s. loc.) (ALWC, INBP, MCZC, MHNG, NHMB, NHMW). Literature records: Cordillera, “Paraguay” (s. loc.) (Emery 1919, Fernández 2003b, Forel 1909 [as “ amblyops ”]).

Femina: Long. 8 - 10.5 mm. Nitida, ochraceoflava, mandibulis, capitis et thoracis parte superiore rufescentibus, alis subhyalinis, costis ochraceis, pterostigmate fusco; corporis pars superior copiose pilis adpressis flavis pubescens, caput et thorax sparse, abdomen pedesque copiose pilis abstantibus flavis pilosa; mandibulae laevigatae, praesertim ante apicem punctis fortibus impressis; clypeus nitidus antice subtiliter rugulosus et disperse punctulatus postice laevis; area frontalis nitidissima aut subtilissime longitudinaliter striolata aut laevis; frons, vertex et capitis latera punctulata; thorax punctulatus, mesonoti disco plus minusve laevigato; abdomen punctulatum et tenuissime rugulosum.

Mas: Long. 7 - 8 mm Pallide testaceo-flavus, vertice flavescente, mesonoto rufescente, alls subhyalinis, costis ochraceis; punctulatus, pilosus, sericeo-pubescens et parum nitens, abdomine nitido.

Aus Venezuela in meiner Sammlung von Herrn C. A. Dohrn, aus Brasilien im zoologischen Hofcabinete und ein Maennchen mit der Bezeichnung: " Myrmica gilva Klug, Columbien ", ebendaselbst.