''Dinoponera mutica'' is a queenless

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

ant Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...

s in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Ponerinae Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the fun ...

Description

''Dinoponera mutica'' workers can be identified by their smooth and shiny integument with a bluish luster, a rounded pronotal corner lacking a tooth-like process, gular striations on the ventral surface of the head, long and flagellate pubescence, scape length longer than head width and petiole with even dorsal corners. Males are unknown.

Distribution

''Dinoponera mutica'' is found in central

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

in the Brazilian states of

Rondônia Rondônia () is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the northern subdivision of the country (central-western part). To the west is a short border with the state of Acre, to the north is the state of Amazonas, in the east is Mato Grosso, ...

Mato Grosso Mato Grosso ( – lit. "Thick Bush") is one of the states of Brazil, the third largest by area, located in the Central-West region. The state has 1.66% of the Brazilian population and is responsible for 1.9% of the Brazilian GDP. Neighboring ...

, Goias and

Mato Grosso do Sul Mato Grosso do Sul () is one of the Midwestern states of Brazil. Neighboring Brazilian states are (from north clockwise) Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Paraná. It also borders the countries of Paraguay, to the southwest, and ...

, in eastern

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and northwest

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Taxonomy

Dinoponera quadriceps ''Dinoponera quadriceps'' is a queenless species of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The species, known from Brazil, is similar to ''Dinoponera mutica'' and uses venom for subduing large live prey and defense. Its venom could be of use to the ph ...

'' is the species closest to ''Dinoponera mutica'' in terms of morphological characters. ''Dinoponera quadriceps'' has a finely micro-sculptured integument which is not shiny, lacks gular striations and has a petiole which bulges on the dorso-anterior edge. ''

Dinoponera longipes ''Dinoponera longipes'' is a queenless species of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. Distribution ''Dinoponera longipe''s have been collected in eastern Peru in the departments of Loreto, Amazonas, Huánuco, San Martín and Pasco, as well as E ...

'' and ''

Dinoponera hispida ''Dinoponera hispida'' (''hispida'', from the Latin ''hispidus'': bristle, referring to the conspicuous bristle-like setae covering the body) is a queenless species of ants in the subfamily Ponerinae. The species is known only from the type lo ...

'' may also be confused with ''Dinoponera mutica'' but this species lacks the dense golden pubescence of the former, or the short, stiff

setae In biology, setae (singular seta ; from the Latin word for "bristle") are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Annelid setae are stiff bristles present on the body. Th ...

and forward bulging petiole of the latter.

References

* * Ponerinae Insects described in 1901 Hymenoptera of South America {{Ponerinae-stub