Azteca jelskii Emery 1893

Azteca jelskii Emery 1893:338. Syntype workers: French Guiana, Cayenne (Jelski) [MCSN] (examined).

Azteca tonduzi var. columbica Forel 1912:51. Syntype workers: Colombia, Ouriheka [=Orihueca] near Rio Frio (Forel) [MHNG] (examined). NEW SYNONYMY

Range. Northern South America to Peru, Bolivia.

Biology. The types of columbica were collected on a live tree that also contained a nest of Dolichoderus decollatus (Forel 1912). Doug Yu's Manu collection was from a carton nest on Inga stipulacea. In Venezuela I collected a nest in a dead vine stem, and a polygynous nest with many dealate queens in a dead Cecropia branch.

Comments. Azteca jelskii is a South American version of A tonduzi. The only difference is that the scape and tibiae of A jelskii lack erect setae. The scape and tibiae of A tonduzi have an inconspicuous but distinct series of short erect setae. There is variation in queen head size in South America. A queen from Venezuela is smaller than queens of A tonduzi (HLA 1.01mm versus 1.10-1.16mm, respectively); two queens, one from Peru and one from Bolivia are similar in size to A. tonduzi queens (HLA 1.16-1.17mm).

Additional material examined. BOLIVIA: Beni: Cavinas, Feb 1922 (M. B. Lopez) - alate queen [USNM]; PERU: Madre de Dios: Manu National Park, 12°S, 71°W, 400m, Sep-Nov 1994 (D. Yu) - alate queen, worker; Cocha Totora, Manu National Park, 25 Oct 1986 (D. W. Davidson) - worker [LACM]; San Martín: La Perla, 21km NNE Tarapoto, 6°19'S, 76°17'W, 220m, 23 Aug 1986 (P. S. Ward) - alate queen [UCDC]; TRINIDAD: no specific locality (Urich) - worker [MCZC]; VENEZUELA: Puerto Cabello (A. Forel) - worker [MHNG]; Barinas: Ticoporo, 8°02'N, 70°46'W, 240m, 28 Aug 1987 (J. Longino) - workers, queens.