Megalomyrmex miri Brandao 1990
and
Megalomyrmex new species

This new species is a conditional proposal by C. R. F. Brandao (sensu Article 15 of the 1985 ICZN), and thus not made available here. Its appearance here or in any duplication of this page does not constitute publication (sensu Article 8 of the 1985 ICZN).

Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia

worker lateral view

worker face view

Note: Dr. Brandao informs me that the species figured here is not conspecific with miri. He considers the collection by Wetterer, from La Selva, and another collection by Schultz, from Panama, to be a new species that he will describe. miri is still only known from the types, from Zent. Brandao explains that miri has the epipetiolar carina complete over the foramen, and the subpetiolar process has a transversly sculptured flange. These are characters that differentiate miri from this new species.

Identification (applies to new species)

Mandibles with large apical tooth, smaller subapical tooth, and 5-6 smaller denticles of more or less uniform size; mandibles shiny with large piligerous punctures; clypeus broadly and evenly convex; eyes small, 4-5 facets in maximum diameter; occipital carina not visible in face view; propodeal suture moderately impressed; dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum distinct; propodeum with longitudinal median depression; petiole with anteroventral tooth; postpetiole with small anteroventral tooth; color yellow; HW 0.50; HL 0.60, SL 0.49; WL 0.83 (n=1).

I have not seen the types of miri, but presume it will key to this page, based on Brandao's description.

Range

miri: Costa Rica. Known only from the types from Zent.
new species: Costa Rica, Panama. In Costa Rica, known only from La Selva.

Natural History

miri is known only from the types, which were collected by W. M. Mann in Zent, and had no biological data.

The Costa Rican specimens of the new species were collected by Jim Wetterer. While collecting Attini at La Selva Biological Station, he discovered a colony occupying the fungus garden of a Trachymyrmex nest. Several other species of Megalomyrmex, including mondabora, silvestrii, and symmetochus, appear to be specialized associates of small attines (Wheeler 1925, Kempf and Brown 1968, Brandao 1990).

Literature Cited

Brandao, C. R. F. 1990. Systematic revision of the Neotropical ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae), with the description of thirteen new species. Arquivos de Zoologia (Sao Paulo) 31:411-481.

Kempf, W. W., Brown, W. L., Jr. 1968. Report on some Neotropical ant studies. Papeis Avulsos Zool. 22:89-102.

Wheeler, W. M. 1925. A new guest-ant and other new Formicidae from Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Biol. Bull. Mar. Biol. Lab., Woods Hole 49:150-181.

Page author:

John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu

Date of this version: 15 July 2000
Previous versions of this page: 2 June 1998
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