Valid Names Results

Ripersiella telalia Schneider, 2022 (Rhizoecidae: Ripersiella)

Nomenclatural History

• Ripersiella telalia Schneider 2022: 22. Type data: PERU: Madre de Dios, Manu National Park, Cocha Cashu Biological Station, trail intersection of 1:306 and 5A; (-11.8833, -71.4000); 6/10/2019; from large Acropyga (possibly) decedens nest, by JS LaPolla, SA Schneider. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Notes: Paratypes. Peru • 3 adult ♀♀; same data as holotype; USNM (nest PER24-01: preps S0425A,C,F), 1 adult ♀; same data as holotype; UNAB Illustr.
• Ripersiella near andensis (ii) Schneider et al. 2022. unavailable name that is placed

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Associates:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• SchneiLa2022: pp.25-26 ( Adult (F) ) [Neotropical Ripersiella lacking bitubular cerores]

Remarks

• Systematics: https://zoobank.org/9BF4827C-F919-49E2-8BBC-B76E3B87B0EA

  Ripersiella telalia is similar to R. pediandensis in possessing oral collar tubular ducts, but the distribution of ducts differs between species. In R. telalia these ducts are restricted to the margins of abdominal segments with only 1–4 present per segment, whereas in R. pediandensis they are present in ventral bands often exceeding four per segment. The anterior pair of dorsal ostioles are large and more obviously developed in R. telalia relative to the other species discussed in this work. (Schneider & LaPolla, 2022)

• Structure: In life, body bright white to cream colored and visibly coated in powdery white wax. Slide mounted body broadly oval and membranous, 0.85–1.07 (0.95) mm long, widest near abdominal segment III, 0.55–0.72 (0.65) mm wide. Abdomen smoothly tapering toward posterior end; abdominal segment VIII about 250 μm wide at base. Anal lobes poorly developed with several stout flagellate setae on venter and dorsum, Microtrichia present; rounded dermal micro-bumps apparently absent. Eyes absent. (Schneider & LaPolla, 2022)
• Biology: Ripersiella telalia was discovered from quite a large nest of Acropyga (probably) decedens. Schneider & LaPolla (2022) estimated in the field that the nest comprised thousands of individual ants and scales. Their direct association was confirmed through observation of the colony using a nest-box, as described by Schneider et al. (2022). After specimens were collected into a nest-box, worker ants gathered trophobionts into a protective cluster and were actively engaged in attending to them.
• General Remarks: Detailed description, photograph and illustration in Schneider & LaPolla, 2022.

Illustrations

Citations