Brachymyrmex termitophilus

Brachymyrmex termitophilus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Myrmelachistini
Genus:	Brachymyrmex
Species:	B. termitophilus
Binomial name
	Brachymyrmex termitophilus; Forel, 1895 Specimen labels

Forel (1895b) stated that this species was collected in association with termites.

At a Glance

• Limited invasive

Identification

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Brachymyrmex termitophilus morphologically resembles Brachymyrmex aphidicola, Brachymyrmex australis, Brachymyrmex cordemoyi, and Brachymyrmex obscurior (B. termitophilus, B. aphidicola and B. australis are possible conspecific; see the nomenclature section below) because these species have scapes that are usually surpassing the posterior cephalic margin, their eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline, they have two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum, and their mesonotum does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. Brachymyrmex termitophilus differs from B. australis and B. aphidicola, however, by having dense pubescence on the gaster, and from B. cordemoyi and B. obscurior by having a yellowish body instead of brownish. Brachymyrmex termitophilus also resembles Brachymyrmex bahamensis somewhat, but B. termitophilus typically bears two erect hairs on the pronotum, whereas Brachymyrmex bahamensis approximately six that are moreover much longer.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 18.15° to -29.76°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: United States.
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (type locality), Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay.

Distribution based on AntMaps

Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.

Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

termitophilus. Brachymyrmex heeri var. termitophilus Forel, 1895j: 179 (w.) BRAZIL (Rio Grande do Sul).
- Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 530), 5 paralectotype workers, 1 paralectotype queen.
- Type-locality: lectotype Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul, San Leopoldo (C. Heyer); paralectotypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: MHNG (lectotype); MHNG, MSNG, NHMB (paralectotypes).
- [Note: the original description says that the type-specimens were received from Wasmann, other original syntypes may therefore be present NHMM.]
- Subspecies of heeri: Forel, 1911e: 285; Santschi, 1923b: 666; Emery, 1925b: 42; Borgmeier, 1927c: 141; Santschi, 1936d: 420; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82.
- Status as species: Wild, 2007b: 27, 44; Fernández & Ortiz-Sepúlveda, 2019: 729; Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 530 (redescription).
- Distribution: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, U.S.A.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - The status of B. termitophilus is unclear: Several of the specimens in the type series of B. termitophilus morphologically resemble Brachymyrmex australis and ’Brachymyrmex aphidicola in having scarce pubescence on the gaster. Additionally, Santschi (1923a) mentioned that B. termitophilus and B. australis are both found in association with termites. As mentioned in the diagnosis (see the identification section above), also the differences with B. cordemoyi and B. obscurior are limited, and B. termitophilus may be conspecific with one or several of these four species mentioned in the diagnosis. We tentatively preserve the current status of B. termitophilus awaiting more material and study.

Description

Worker

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype and paralectotype (n = 2). HL1 0.45; HL2 0.29–0.31; HL3 0.10–0.12; HW 0.39; SL 0.41–0.43; EL 0.10; Pnl 0.12; PnW 0.25–0.27; ML 0.08; MW 0.18; Indices CI 89.96; SI1 105.00–110.00; SI2 131.25– 146.67; OI1 25.00; OI2 21.74–26.09. Additional material examined (n = 2). HL1 0.43–0.44; HL2 0.30; HL3 0.10; HW 0.38–0.39; SL 0.33–0.40; EL 0.10; WL 0.42; PnL 0.12; PnW 0.25–0.27; ML 0.08–0.09; MW 0.16–0.18; Indices CI 89.80–90.00; SI1 85.23–101.11; SI2 110.29–133.82; OI1 25.56–26.14; OI2 22.00–22.45.

Head. Slightly longer than wide in full face view; posterior cephalic margin flat. Dorsum of the head with sparse appressed hairs. Clypeus with a rounded anterior margin and five long, erect hairs of which a single, usually conspicuous hair is near the anterior margin, two hairs are in mediolateral position, and two more near the toruli; other hairs on the clypeus are markedly shorter and appressed or decumbent. Toruli surpassing the posterior clypeal margin in oblique anterodorsal view. The scapes surpass the posterior margin of the head by a length equal to the maximal diameter of the eye or less; they have appressed hairs. Ocelli inconspicuous. Eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline and have 7–9 ommatidia along their maximal diameter.

Mesosoma. Typically with two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum. The mesonotum is not inflated and does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. Metanotal groove absent or narrower than the diameter of the metathoracic spiracles. Metathoracic spiracles in dorsolateral position, not protruding, and usually touching the propodeal sutures. Dorsum of the propodeum is convex and shorter than the propodeal slope. Propodeal spiracles circular, positioned slightly ventral of the posterior propodeal margin, at the middle of the propodeal slope. Legs with appressed and scattered hairs. Petiole short and inclined forward.

Gaster. Usually with dense pubescence, and scattered long erect hairs, among others at the edges of the segments.

Color and sculpture. Body smooth, shiny, and yellowish.

Type Material

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype worker (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: USNMENT00757137) and paralectotype workers, queen (MHNG: USNMENT00757136– 00757138; NHMB: USNMENT00758159; MSNG: USNMENT00757139; here designated): six workers, one queen [examined]. BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul: San Leopoldo, col. Wasmann.

Consists of specimens mounted on three pins of which one (USNMENT00757136) holds an undescribed queen; the second (USNMENT00757137) holds a brownish worker with dense pubescence on the gaster, which is here designated as lectotype, and the gaster of another worker of which the rest of the body is missing; the third pin (USNMENT00757138) holds two workers with yellowish heads and mesosoma, and a darker gaster which bears scarce pubescence.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Cuezzo, F. 1998. Formicidae. Chapter 42 in Morrone J.J., and S. Coscaron (dirs) Biodiversidad de artropodos argentinos: una perspectiva biotaxonomica Ediciones Sur, La Plata. Pages 452-462.
Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
Ortiz-Sepuvelda C. M., B. Van Bocxlaer, A. D. Meneses, and F. Fernandez. 2019. Molecular and morphological recognition of species boundaries in the neglected ant genus Brachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): toward a taxonomic revision. Organisms Diversity & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-019-00406-2