Key to US Brachymyrmex species

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Key to workers of Brachymyrmex species known from the United States based on Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019).

1

  • Gaster with sparse pubescence, but with scattered, appressed hairs (Fig. 6 g1) => 5
  • Gaster with dense appressed or decumbent pubescence (Fig. 6 g2) => 2

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al., 2019, Fig. 6 g1, g2.jpg

2

Brachymyrmex depilis casent0005338 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex depilis casent0005338 profile 1.jpg

  • Mesonotum not bulging dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view (Fig. 6 b2) => 3

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al., 2019, Fig. 6 b1, b2.jpg

3

Brachymyrmex termitophilus casent0173481 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex termitophilus casent0173481 profile 1.jpg

  • Body dark brown => 4

4

  • Dorsum of the head and mesosoma with light-colored, dense pubescence; gaster with dense appressed pubescence; eye with on average 11 ommatidia along its maximal diameter, head on average long (head length > 0.5 mm) and wide (head width > 0.4 mm) => Brachymyrmex cordemoyi

Brachymyrmex cordemoyi casent0103230 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex cordemoyi casent0103230 profile 1.jpg

  • Dorsum of the head and mesosoma with less conspicuous dense pubescence; gaster with dense decumbent pubescence; eye with on average nine ommatidia along its maximal diameter, head on average short (head length < 0.5 mm) and narrow (head width < 0.4 mm) => Brachymyrmex obscurior

Brachymyrmex obscurior casent0104889 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex obscurior casent0104889 profile 1.jpg

5

  • Body yellowish, usually with a narrow mesonotum (mesonotum width ~ 0.16) and 8–9 ommatidia along the maximum diameter of the eye => Brachymyrmex aphidicola

Brachymyrmex aphidicola casent0173474 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex aphidicola casent0173474 profile 1.jpg

  • Body brownish or dark brown, usually with a wide mesonotum (mesonotum width ~ 0.20 or more) and 10 or more ommatidia along the maximum diameter of the eye => 6

6

  • Scapes surpassing the posterior margin of the head by a length smaller than the maximal diameter of the eye (Fig. 5 d3: A > B); usually with two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum => Brachymyrmex patagonicus

Brachymyrmex patagonicus casent0173480 head 1.jpg Brachymyrmex patagonicus casent0173480 profile 1.jpg

  • Scapes surpassing the posterior margin of the head by a length approximately equal to the maximal diameter of the eye (Fig. 5 d3: A ≈ B); usually with more than two erect or decumbent hairs on the pronotum and two erect hairs on the mesonotum => Brachymyrmex bruchi

Brachymyrmex bruchi usnment00757159 h 1 high.jpg Brachymyrmex bruchi usnment00757159 p 1 high.jpg

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al., 2019, Fig. 5 d3.jpg

References