Cyphomyrmex
Cyphomyrmex Temporal range: 20.43–0 Ma Miocene – Recent | |
---|---|
Cyphomyrmex minutus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Attini |
Genus: | Cyphomyrmex Mayr, 1862 |
Type species | |
Cyphomyrmex minutus | |
Diversity | |
23 species 2 fossil species (Species Checklist, Species by Country) | |
Synonyms | |
|
A genus of fungus growing ants.
At a Glance | • Fungus Grower |
Photo Gallery
Identification
Schultz et al (2002), Mackay and Serna (2010) - Cyphomyrmex workers and females are easily recognized, as the frontal carinae form a shield on the dorsum of the head, which covers most of the head. The mesosoma has a series of pairs of blunt tubercles in nearly all species. The first opisthogastral tergum lacks tubercles. Most surfaces are dull and without sculpture; the hairs are mostly limited to appressed, often scale-like setae that are nearly always restricted to the gaster and the head.
The genus is divided into two species complexes, the strigatus complex (Kempf 1964) and the rimosus complex (Kempf 1965; Snelling and Longino 1992). Workers of the strigatus complex can be recognized by the closed antennal scrobe (sometimes with poorly defined margins), mandibles with six or more teeth, and with a single medial pronotal tubercle (apparently a fusion of two tubercles). The species group is confined to South America. The workers of the rimosus complex have an open antennal scrobe (anteriorly), with the preocular carina curved mesially in front of the eye, and not directed to the posterior corner of the head, the mandibles have five teeth, and the pronotum lacks medial tubercles, or has a pair of tubercles. Species in the rimosus group range from the United States to South American.
Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, Cyphomyrmex costatus and Cyphomyrmex wheeleri are considered to be part of the rimosus group but share some morphological features with the strigatus complex.
See images of species within this genus |
Keys including this Genus
Keys to Species in this Genus
Distribution
Mackay and Serna (2010) - Cyphomyrmex has two centers of species richness: the rimosus group at about 10° north (Mayhe-Nunes and Jaffe 1998), whereas the majority of the species of the strigatus group is restricted to 20° and 30° south (Sanhudo et al. 2007). The strigatus group lacks species with wide distributions (Mayhe-Nunes and Jaffe 1998) as is found in the rimosus complex.
Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps
Species by Region
Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.
Afrotropical Region | Australasian Region | Indo-Australian Region | Malagasy Region | Nearctic Region | Neotropical Region | Oriental Region | Palaearctic Region | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Species | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 0 |
Total Species | 2841 | 1736 | 3045 | 932 | 835 | 4379 | 1741 | 2862 |
Fossils
Fossils are known from: Dominican amber, Dominican Republic (Burdigalian, Early Miocene), Mexican amber, Chiapas, Mexico (Middle Miocene).
Biology
Schultz et al (2002), Mackay and Serna (2010) - Most species nest in the soil, in rotten logs and stumps, or in hollow dead twigs. This genus also nests under bark, under moss, and within epiphytic pseudobulbs (Snelling and Longino 1992). Colonies are small, probably not exceeding 500 workers (Snelling and Longino 1992). All Cyphomyrmex species cultivate badisiomycete fungi in the tribe Leucocoprineae. In the rimosus group, most species grow fungi in a yeast form (small masses of unicellular fungal cells) rather than in the multicellular mycelial form typical for all other attine ant gardens (Schultz et a1. 2002; Schultz and Brady 2008). Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, Cyphomyrmex costatus and Cyphomyrmex wheeleri are considered to be part of the rimosus group but share some morphological features with the strigatus complex. They are also the only species in the rimosus group that are known to cultivate mycelium gardens, whereas, so far as is known, all other rimosus group species cultivate yeast gardens.
Longino (1986) reports an unidentified species of Cyphomyrmex living in ant gardens. However, it is likely a secondary resident or opportunistic species rather than a true ant-garden taxon.
Association with Other Organisms
- Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Species Uncertain
An unknown species of Cyphomyrmex is a host for the diapriid wasp Acanthopria sp. (www.diapriid.org) (potential host).
All Associate Records for Genus
Taxon | Relationship | Associate Type | Associate Taxon | Associate Relationship | Locality | Source | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cyphomyrmex | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. | parasite | www.diapriid.org | potential host | |
Cyphomyrmex cornutus | host | ant | Megalomyrmex mondabora | xenobiont | Costa Rica | Adams et al., 2015 | |
Cyphomyrmex costatus | host | ant | Megalomyrmex mondaboroides | xenobiont | Panama | Adams et al., 2015 | |
Cyphomyrmex costatus | host | ant | Megalomyrmex silvestrii | xenobiont | Panama | Adams et al., 2015 | |
Cyphomyrmex minutus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 1 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex minutus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 5 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex minutus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria spp. | parasite | Puerto Rico | Fernández-Marín et al., 2006 | |
Cyphomyrmex rimosus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 1 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex rimosus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria spp. | parasite | Panama | Fernández-Marín et al., 2006 | at least 4 species of ''Acanthopria'' involved |
Cyphomyrmex rimosus | host | diapriid wasp | Mimopriella sp. | parasite | Panama | Fernández-Marín et al., 2006 | |
Cyphomyrmex salvini | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 1 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 2 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 3 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 4 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 5 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 6 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 7 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | host | diapriid wasp | Acanthopria sp. 8 | parasitoid | Quevillon, 2018 | encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest |
Flight Period
All Flight Records for Genus
- Explore: Show all Flight Month data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Taxon | Month | Source | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Cyphomyrmex costatus | Feb • Mar • Apr • Sep • Dec | Kaspari et al., 2001 | |
Cyphomyrmex minutus | May | antkeeping.info |
Life History Traits
- Mean colony size: <500, usually far fewer (Greer et al., 2021)
- Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
- Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
- Diet class: herbivore (Greer et al., 2021)
- Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter (Greer et al., 2021)
- Foraging behaviour: solitary (Greer et al., 2021)
Castes
Morphology
Worker Morphology
- Explore: Show all Worker Morphology data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
• Eyes: 11-100 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: absent; dentiform • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: absent • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: absent
Karyotype
All Karyotype Records for Genus
- See additional details at the Ant Chromosome Database.
- Explore: Show all Karyotype data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
Taxon | Haploid | Diploid | Karyotype | Locality | Source | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cyphomyrmex cornutus | 22 | 10M+12SM | French Guiana | Mariano et al., 2011 | ||
Cyphomyrmex costatus | 20 | 20M | Panama | Murakami et al., 1998 | ||
Cyphomyrmex transversus | 12 | 24 | 14M+6SM+4A | French Guiana | Aguiar et al., 2020 | |
Cyphomyrmex transversus | 21 | 42 | 28M+14SM | Brazil | Cardoso & Cristiano, 2021 |
Phylogeny
Myrmicinae |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See Phylogeny of Myrmicinae for details.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- CYPHOMYRMEX [Myrmicinae: Attini]
- Cyphomyrmex Mayr, 1862: 690. Type-species: Cyphomyrmex minutus, by monotypy.
- [Type-species not Cryptocerus rimosus, unjustified subsequent designation by Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 161. Type-species not Meranoplus difformis, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1924d: 340.]
- Cyphomyrmex junior synonym of Cataulacus: Roger, 1863b: 39.
- Cyphomyrmex revived from synonymy: Mayr, 1863: 406.
- Cyphomyrmex subgenus of Atta: Forel, 1912e: 188.
- Cyphomyrmex revived status as genus: Emery, 1913b: 251.
- Cyphomyrmex senior synonym of Cyphomannia: Kempf, 1962b: 29; Kempf, 1972a: 92.
References
- Ashmead, W. H. 1905c. A skeleton of a new arrangement of the families, subfamilies, tribes and genera of the ants, or the superfamily Formicoidea. Can. Entomol. 37: 381-384 (page 384, Cyphomyrmex in Cryptoceridae, Dacetonini)
- Barden, P. 2017. Fossil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): ancient diversity and the rise of modern lineages. Myrmecological News 24: 1-30.
- Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 198, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini [Type-species not Cyphomyrmex difformis, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1924d: 340.] )
- Boudinot, B.E. 2019. Hormigas de Colombia. Cap. 15. Clave para las subfamilias y generos basada en machos. Pp. 487-499 in: Fernández, F., Guerrero, R.J., Delsinne, T. (eds.) 2019d. Hormigas de Colombia. Bogotá: Universidad Nacional de Colombia, 1198 pp.
- Bruch, C. 1914. Catálogo sistemático de los formícidos argentinos. Rev. Mus. La Plata 19: 211-234 (page 217, Cyphomyrmex as genus)
- Burchill, A.T., Moreau, C.S. 2016. Colony size evolution in ants: macroevolutionary trends. Insectes Sociaux 63, 291–298 (doi:10.1007/s00040-016-0465-3).
- Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
- Cantone, S., Von Zuben, C.J. 2019. The hindwings of ants: A phylogenetic analysis. Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2019, 1–11 (doi:10.1155/2019/7929717).
- Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 149, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae)
- Emery, C. 1877b. Saggio di un ordinamento naturale dei Mirmicidei, e considerazioni sulla filogenesi delle formiche. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 9: 67-83 (page 81, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicidae, Cryptoceridae)
- Emery, C. 1895l. Die Gattung Dorylus Fab. und die systematische Eintheilung der Formiciden. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 685-778 (page 770, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Emery, C. 1913c. Études sur les Myrmicinae. [V-VII.]. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 57: 250-262 (page 251, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini; Cyphomyrmex as genus)
- Emery, C. 1914e. Intorno alla classificazione dei Myrmicinae. Rend. Sess. R. Accad. Sci. Ist. Bologna Cl. Sci. Fis. (n.s.) 18: 29-42 (page 42, Cyphomyrmex revived status as genus; Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Emery, C. 1924f [1922]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [concl.]. Genera Insectorum 174C: 207-397 (page 339, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini; Cyphomyrmex as genus)
- Fernandez, F., Guerrero, R.J., Sánchez-Restrepo, A.F. 2021. Sistemática y diversidad de las hormigas neotropicales. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 47, 1–20 (doi:10.25100/socolen.v47i1.11082).
- Forel, A. 1893b. Sur la classification de la famille des Formicides, avec remarques synonymiques. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 37: 161-167 (page 164, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Forel, A. 1899d. Formicidae. [part]. Biol. Cent.-Am. Hym. 3: 25-56 (page 40, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Forel, A. 1912f. Formicides néotropiques. Part II. 3me sous-famille Myrmicinae Lep. (Attini, Dacetii, Cryptocerini). Mém. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 19: 179-209 (page 188, Cyphomyrmex as subgenus of Atta)
- Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 247, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Hanisch, P.E., Sosa-Calvo, J., Schultz, T.R. 2022. The last piece of the puzzle? Phylogenetic position and natural history of the monotypic fungus-farming ant genus Paramycetophylax (Formicidae: Attini). Insect Systematics and Diversity 6 (1): 11:1-17 (doi:10.1093/isd/ixab029).
- Jansen, G., Savolainen, R. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the ant tribe Myrmicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160(3), 482–495 (doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00604.x).
- Kempf, W. W. 1962a. Retoques à classificaça~o das formigas neotropicais do gênero Heteroponera Mayr (Hym., Formicidae). Pap. Avulsos Zool. (Sa~o Paulo) 15: 29-47 (page 29, Cyphomyrmex senior synonym of Cyphomannia)
- Kempf, W. W. 1964d. A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part I: Group of strigatus Mayr (Hym., Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 7: 1-44 (page 1, Revision of genus)
- Kempf, W. W. 1966 [1965]. A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part II: Group of rimosus (Spinola) (Hym., Formicidae). Stud. Entomol. 8: 161-200 (page 161, Revision of genus)
- Kempf, W. W. 1972b. Catálogo abreviado das formigas da regia~o Neotropical. Stud. Entomol. 15: 3-344 (page 92, Cyphomyrmex senior synonym of Cyphomannia)
- Mackay, W. P. and F. Serna. 2010. Two new species of the strigatus species complex of the ant genus Cyphomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Costa Rica and Panamá. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 19:44-50.
- Mayr, G. 1862. Myrmecologische Studien. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 12: 649-776 (page 651, 690, Cyphomyrmex as genus in Formicidae [Formicidae])
- Mayr, G. 1863a. Formicidarum index synonymicus. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 13: 385-460 (page 406, Cyphomyrmex as genus)
- Mayr, G. 1865. Formicidae. In: Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte "Novara" um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859. Zoologischer Theil. Bd. II. Abt. 1. Wien: K. Gerold's Sohn, 119 pp. (page 25, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae [Myrmicidae])
- Menegatti, C., Fukuda, T.T.H., Pupo, M.T. 2020. Chemical ecology in insect-microbe interactions in the Neotropics. Planta Medica, a-1229–9435. (doi:10.1055/a-1229-9435).
- Longino, J. 1986. Ants provide substrae for epiphytes. Selbyana 9: 100-103.
- Roger, J. 1863b. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(B Beilage: 1-65 (page 39, Cyphomyrmex as junior synonym of Cataulacus)
- Snelling, R. R.; Longino, J. T. 1992. Revisionary notes on the fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex, rimosus group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini). Pp. 479-494 in: Quintero, D., Aiello, A. (eds.) Insects of Panama and Mesoamerica: selected stu (page 479, Revision of genus)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1907d. The fungus-growing ants of North America. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 23: 669-807 (page 670, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1910b. Ants: their structure, development and behavior. New York: Columbia University Press, xxv + 663 pp. (page 141, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 669, Cyphomyrmex in Myrmicinae, Attini; Cyphomyrmex as genus)
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- Articles using diversity taxobox
- Fungus Grower
- Photo Gallery
- Dominican amber fossil
- Miocene
- Mexican amber fossil
- Diapriid wasp Associate
- Host of Acanthopria sp.
- Genus with Associate
- Genus with Flight Month
- Genus with Karyotype
- Genus
- Extant genus
- Formicidae
- Myrmicinae
- Attini
- Cyphomyrmex
- Myrmicinae genera
- Attini genera
- Need Overview
- Need Body Text