Genus Labidus (Subfamily Ecitoninae) - Online Catalog of Ants of North America

Genus Labidus (Ecitoninae)

Labidus Jurine, 1807: 282. Type species: Labidus latreillii Jurine, by monotypy. Labidus junior synonym of Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 1. Revived from synonymy as subgenus of Eciton: Emery, 1910b: 21. Revived status as genus: Borgmeier, 1953: 4. The type species, Labidus latreillii Jurine, is a junior synonym of Labidus coecus (Latreille).
Nycteresia Roger, 1861a: 21 . Type species: Formica coeca Latreille, by monotypy. Nycteresia junior synonym of Eciton: Mayr, 1865: 76. Synonymy: Emery, 1910b: 21.
Pseudodichthadia André, 1885d: 838. Type species: Pseudodichthadia incerta André, by monotypy. Pseudodichthadia junior synonym of Eciton: André, in Forel, 1899i: 160 (footnote). The type species, Pseudodichthadia incerta André, is a junior synonym of Labidus coecus (Latreille). Synonymy: Emery, 1910b: 21.

OVERVIEW. This Neotropical genus has 8 species one of which reaches the United States.
ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS. New World.
RECOGNITION. Scape width near apex less than one-third its entire length; flagellum slender. Propodeum without teeth or spines. Waist 2-segmented. Tarsal claw with median tooth.

Figure of Labidus coecus from Smith, M.R. 1965.

TRIBE. Ecitonini.
REVISIONS. Borgmeier, 1955: 80–134.
TAXONOMY. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1964c: 134 (larva) .— Watkins, 1976: 8–9 (key to New World species) .— Watkins, 1982: 209–210 (key to Mexican species) .— Bolton, 1994: figs. 68–69 (SEM (full face and lateral view) of w.) .—Bolton, 2003: 279.

Labidus coecus (Latreille). The large colonies, usually with many thousands of individuals, are found in more or less temporary nests in decayed logs and stumps or in ground beneath objects. They are subterranean and nocturnal. Food consists of other arthropods, small mammals, birds, and nuts. Workers are highly predaceous and are known to feed on injured insects such as the immature stages of the screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel)) and the secondary screwworm (C. macellaria (F.)). In Austin, Texas, males are commonly collected at lights from late March through late April (Wheeler, W.M. 1908h: 409).

coecus. Formica coeca Latreille, 1802a: 270, pl. 9, fig. 56 (s.) . [Central America; No types in USA.] Roger, 1861a: 22 (w.) . Combination in Labidus: Jurine, 1807: 282; in Nycteresia: Roger, 1861a: 22; in Eciton: Mayr, 1896b: 119; in Eciton (Labidus): Santschi, 1924b: 11; in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
latreillii. Labidus latreillii Jurine, 1807: 283 (m.) . [Surinam] Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Synonymy: Emery, 1895d: 258; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
jurinii. Labidus jurinii Shuckard, 1840a: 198 (m.) . [Guiana] Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Junior synonym of coecus: Mayr, 1886a: 33. Variety of coecus: Emery, 1910b: 22; Forel, 1912d: 43; Gallardo, 1920: 332. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 15; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
servillei. Labidus servillei Westwood, 1842: 75, pl. 20, fig. 2 (m.) . [Brazil] Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Variety of latreillii: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4; of coecus: Forel, 1912d: 43; Santschi, 1920d: 368. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 17.
fulvescens. Mutilla (Labidus) fulvescens Blanchard, 1846: pl. 118, fig. 2 (m.) . [Brazil] Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 2. Note that the correct date of the original citation is '1846' not '1849' as in Smith, D.R. 1979: 1328. Synonymy: Emery, 1910b: 22; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
saji. Labidus saji Haldeman, 1852: 367, pl. 9, figs. 1–3 (m.) . [USA] Combination in Eciton (Labidus): Mayr, 1886d: 440. Variety of servillei: Emery, 1890c: 39; of latreillii: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4. Junior synonym of coecus: Emery, 1895d: 258. Revived from synonymy as variety of coecus: Santschi, 1923g: 1261. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
atriceps. Labidus atriceps Smith, F. 1859b: 5 (m.) . [Brazil] Synonymy: Emery, 1900e: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
pilosus. Labidus pilosus Smith, F. 1859b: 7 (m.) . [Brazil] Synonymy: Santschi, 1913h: 35; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
panzeri. Labidus panzeri Smith, F. 1859b: 71, pl. 2, fig. 2 (m.) . [Colombia] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
vastator. Eciton vastator Smith, F. 1860c: 71 (w.) . [Brazil] Synonymy: Mayr, G. 1865: 78; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
erratica. Eciton erratica Smith, F. 1860c: 71 (w.) . [Brazil] Synonymy: Mayr, G. 1886d: 119 ; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
sayi. Labidus sayi Roger, 1863b: 42. Unjustified emendation of Labidus saji Haldeman. Repeated by many authors. Synonymy: Bolton, 1995b: 220.
rubra. Myrmica rubra Buckley, S.B. 1867: 335 (w.) . [USA] Junior secondary homonym (unresolved) of Myrmica rubra Linnaeus, 1758. Synonymy: Emery, 1895d: 258; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
incerta. Pseudodichthadia incerta André, 1885d: 840, figs. 1–5 (q.) . [Mexico] Synonymy: André, in Forel, 1899i: 160; Emery, 1900e: 186; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
smithii. Eciton smithii Dalla Torre, 1892: 89. Unnecessary replacement name for L. pilosus Smith, 1859. Synonymy: Santschi, 1913h: 35; Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
biloba. Eciton coecum var. biloba Emery, 1901d: 51 (m.) . [Ecuador] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
nigrita. Eciton nigrita Emery, 1901d: 52, fig. 5 (m.) . [Guatemala] Combination in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1953: 6. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
kulowi. Eciton coecum r. kulowi Forel, 1901m: 47 (m.) . [Mexico] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
selysi. Eciton selysi Forel, 1904e: 169 (w.) . [Brazil] Combination in Labidus: Borgmeier, 1953: 8. Subspecies of coecus: Forel, 1905e: 157; Santschi, 1923g: 1260. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.
grassator. Eciton grassator Forel, 1911e: 288 (w.) . [Brazil] Variety of coecus: Forel, 1911f: 396 (footnote); Santschi, 1923g: 1260; Wheeler, W.M. 1925b: 2. Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1923: 41.
hostilis. Eciton (Labidus) coecum st. servillei var. hostilis Santschi, 1920d: 368 (m.) . Unavailable name. [French Guiana] Note that Bolton, 1995b: 220 lists the original form of the name as "Eciton (Labidus) caecum st. servillei var. hostilis". Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 14.
opacifrons. Eciton (Labidus) coecum var. opacifrons Wheeler, W.M. 1921d: 310 (w.) . [Brazil] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 19.
elsbethae. Eciton (Labidus) coecum var. elsbethae Forel, 1922b: 91 (m.) . [Colombia.] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1953: 16.
serpentis. Eciton (Labidus) serpentis Weber, 1938a: 209 (w.) . [Guiana] Synonymy: Borgmeier, 1955: 86.

DISTRIBUTION. Southern Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas south to Argentina.
TAXONOMY. Gallardo, 1920: 326.— Smith, M.R. 1947f: 525, 527, pl. 1, fig. 1 (figure (lateral view) of w.) .— Creighton, 1950a: 62–63 .— Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1964c: 135 (larva) .— Smith, M.R. 1965: 17–18, fig. 2 (diagnosis of w., natural history, figure (lateral view) of w.) .— Watkins, 1976: 8.— Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1984a: 272.— Watkins, 1985: pl. 2, figs. 2–4, 7, pl. 4, fig. 2, pl. 6, fig. 2 (figure (full face, lateral, and top views) of w., figure (full face view) of m., figure (tarsal claw) of w.) .
MISCELLANEOUS. Wheeler, W.M. 1908h: 408–409 (natural history, diet, appearance of males) .— Smith, M.R. 1943e: 290, fig. 5A (figure (wing) of m.) .— Borgmeier, 1957b: 390 (maxillary and labial palps) .— Hess, 1958: 35–37.— Kempf, 1961d: 551–552 (as a cave ant) .— Rettenmeyer, 1963: 418–424.— Smith, M.R. 1965: 17–18 .— Watkins & Cole, 1966: 254–265 (attraction of workers to secretion of queens) .— Watkins, Cole & Baldridge, 1967: 146–151 (trail following and trail preference) .— Gotwald, 1969b: 1–127 (mouthparts) .
ALL REFERENCES

Genus Labidus
URL: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~hedlund/playpen/dev/ants/catalog/
Last updated: Sat May 19 09:29:13 EDT 2007
Copyright 2006, Kye S. Hedlund, University of North Carolina, hedlund@cs.unc.edu