First North American Records of the Old World Ant Cricket Myrmecophilus americanus (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae)
Keywords:
ant cricket, ant symbiont, Florida, kleptoparasite, Myrmecophilus, Paratrechina longicornis, symbiosisAbstract
The Old World ant cricket Myrmecophilus americanus Saussure (Orthoptera, Myrmecophilidae) inhabits nests of the Old World tramp ant Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Paratrechina longicornis has spread worldwide through human commerce, whereas M. americanus has been reported from sites in Asia, Oceania, South America, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean region. Here, we report the first North American records of M. americanus, all from peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys. In addition to older unpublished records of M. americanus from Archbold Biological Station (N 27.2°) and Gainesville (N 29.7°), we collected M. americanus from 5 of 13 P. longicornis nests surveyed in southernmost Florida (N 24.5-26.0°), but only from 1 of 20 P. longicornis nests surveyed further north (N 26.5-27.3°) in Florida. Although P. longicornis is common throughout most of Florida south of N 30°, its symbiont M. americanus appears to be common only in southernmost Florida. If climate limits populations of M. americanus in northern Florida, then it is likely that the higher latitude records reported as M. americanus from subtropical semi-arid Mediterranean sites (Egypt, Libya, and Israel; N 30-32°) are actually misidentifications of one or more distinct species, possibly Myrmecophilus cottami Chopard and/or Myrmecophilus surcoufi Chopard.
El grillo hormiga del Mundo Antiguo, Myrmecophilus americanus Saussure (Orthoptera, Myrmecophilidae) habita los nidos de la hormiga vaga del Mundo Antiguo, Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Paratrechina longicornis se ha extendido por todo el mundo a través del comercio humano, mientras que M. americanus se ha reportado en los sitios de Asia, Oceanía, América del Sur, las Indias Occidentales y la región Mediterránea. Aquí, se presenta los primeros registros norteamericanos de M. americanus, todos de la península y los Cayos de la Florida. Además de los registros de M. americanus publicados anteriormente de la Estación Biológica Archbold (N 27.2°) y Gainesville (N 29.7°), se recolectó M. americanus de 5 de los 13 nidos de P. longicornis estudiados en el extremo sur de la Florida (N 24.5-26.0°), y en un sólo nido de los 20 nidos de P. longicornis revisados más al norte (N 26.5-27.3°) en la Florida. Aunque P. longicornis es común en la mayor parte de la Florida al sur de 30° N, su simbionte M. americanus parece ser común sólo en el extremo sur de la Florida. Si el clima límite la población de M. americanus en el norte de Florida, es probable que los registros de M. americanus reportados en latitudes más altas de sitios mediterráneos semiáridos subtropicales (Egipto, Libia, y de Israel, N 30-32°) son en realidad errores de identificación de una o más especies distintas, posiblemente Myrmecophilus cottami Chopard, 1922 y/o Myrmecophilus surcoufi Chopard, 1919.
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