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How to tell Atta from Acromyrmex:
How to tell Atta cephalotes from Atta colombica:
a. Side of worker mesosoma with at least small patch smooth and shiny; color red orange; major workers enormous, with tuft of red wooly hair on face: cephalotes
b. Worker surface completely mat, with no shiny spot; color maroon; majors not as large and without wooly hair on face: colombica
Taxonomic notes
There are literature reports of Atta sexdens from Costa Rica. However, I have never seen Atta specimens from Costa Rica that I would identify as sexdens (I have seen sexdens from Panama and further south), and in Borgmeier's taxonomic revision of Atta the material examined list contains only material from Panama and South America. I suspect the reports of sexdens in Costa Rica are due to misidentifications.
The last revision of Atta was by Borgmeier (Borgmeier, T. 1959. Revision der Gattung Atta Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica (n.s.)2:321-390). A modern revision is desperately needed, and it is surprising how little taxonomic work has been done on the genus given its economic importance.
Page author:
John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA.longinoj@evergreen.edu
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