Acropyga epedana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Acropyga epedana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acropyga epedana worker | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Genus: | Acropyga |
| Species: | A. epedana |
| Binomial name | |
| Acropyga epedana Roger, 1862 | |
Acropyga epedana is an ant in the subfamily Formicinae. It lives permanently underground in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona and forms a mutualistic association with the mealybug Rhizoecus colombiensis.
Acropyga epedana is a tiny pale golden-brown ant with a few erect hairs but many dense appressed hairs. The reproductives have normal compound eyes but the workers have tiny eyes and avoid exposure to light. These ants are very similar in appearance to Acropyga goeldii and Acropyga palaga and may be a northern population of A. goeldi. However, there are differences in the extensions to the penis valves that make it likely that the three are in fact separate species. The head of Acropyga epedana is smaller than that of the other two species. The total length of a worker is 1.75 mm (0.07 in).[1]
Distribution
Acropyga epedana is found in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona at elevations of between 1,050 and 1,700 metres (3,440 and 5,580 ft) and its range probably extends southwards into the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains in Mexico. Because there is no sign of the nest above ground, this ant may be under recorded. It is generally found in woodland of juniper and oak.[1]
