Mycetomoellerius

Mycetomoellerius Temporal range: 20.43–0 Ma K Pa Eo Ol Mi Pl Early Miocene – Recent
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mycetomoellerius Solomon, Rabeling, Sosa-Calvo & Schultz, 2019
Type species
Atta iheringi, now Mycetomoellerius iheringi
Diversity
31 species 1 fossil species (Species Checklist, Species by Country)

Evolutionary Relationships

Neoattina Cyatta (1 species), Kalathomyrmex (1 species) Mycetarotes   (4 species) Mycetosoritis   (2 species) some Cyphomyrmex   (23 species) some Cyphomyrmex   (23 species) Paramycetophylax   (1 species) Mycetophylax   (21 species) Mycetagroicus   (4 species) Mycetomoellerius   (31 species) Sericomyrmex   (11 species) Xerolitor   (1 species) Paratrachymyrmex   (9 species) Trachymyrmex   (9 species) Amoimyrmex   (3 species) Acromyrmex   (55 species) Atta   (20 species)

Based on Ward et al. (2014), Blaimer et al. (2018), Li et al. (2018), Cristiano et al. (2020) and Hanisch et al. (2022).

At a Glance

• Fungus Grower

 

Identification

See images of species within this genus

 

Keys to Species in this Genus

• Key to Trachymyrmex opulentus species group workers
• Key to Trachymyrmex iheringi species group workers

Distribution

Fossils

Fossils are known from: Dominican amber, Dominican Republic (Burdigalian, Early Miocene).

Biology

Association with Other Organisms

All Associate Records for Genus

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Taxon	Relationship	Associate Type	Associate Taxon	Associate Relationship	Locality	Source	Notes
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	ant	Megalomyrmex adamsae	xenobiont
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Acanthopria sp.	parasite	Panama	Pérez-Ortega et al., 2010	ant species as ''Trachymyrmex'' cf. ''zeteki''
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Acanthopria sp.	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Mimopriella sp.	parasite	Panama	Pérez-Ortega et al., 2010	ant species as ''Trachymyrmex'' cf. ''zeteki''
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Mimopriella sp. 1	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Mimopriella sp. 2	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Oxypria sp.	parasite	Panama	Pérez-Ortega et al., 2010	ant species as ''Trachymyrmex'' cf. ''zeteki''
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Oxypria sp.	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Szelenyiopria sp.	parasite	Panama	Pérez-Ortega et al., 2010	ant species as ''Trachymyrmex'' cf. ''zeteki''
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Szelenyiopria sp. 1	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest
Mycetomoellerius zeteki	host	diapriid wasp	Szelenyiopria sp. 2	parasitoid		Quevillon, 2018	encounter mode independent; direct transmission; transmission outside nest

Morphology

Male Morphology

 • Antennal segment count 13 • Antennal club gradual-4 weak • Palp formula 4,2 • Total dental count 3-7 • Spur formula 0,0

Karyotype

Species Uncertain

• Mycetomoellerius: n = 9, 2n = 18, karyotype = 16M+2SM (Brazil) (Barros et al., 2014) (as Trachymyrmex fuscus).

All Karyotype Records for Genus

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Taxon	Haploid	Diploid	Karyotype	Locality	Source	Notes
Mycetomoellerius	9	18	16M+2SM	Brazil	Barros et al., 2014	as ''Trachymyrmex fuscus''
Mycetomoellerius holmgreni	10	20	20M	Brazil	Barros et al., 2018; Cardoso et al., 2018; Micolino et al., 2019; Micolino et al., 2020
Mycetomoellerius iheringi	10	20	18M + 2SM	Brazil	Micolino et al., 2020
Mycetomoellerius relictus	10	20	20M	Brazil	Barros et al., 2013; Micolino et al., 2020
Mycetomoellerius urichii	9	18	16M + 2SM	Brazil	Barros et al., 2013	as ''Mycetomoellerius fuscus''

Genus Uncertain

The following karyotypes were described as belonging to Trachymyrmex but lacked species-level identifications. As a result of the taxonomic changes proposed by Solomon et al. (2019) the generic placement of these specimens becomes uncertain, but they are likely to belong to either Mycetomoellerius or Paratrachymyrmex rather than Trachymyrmex (based on geographic distribution).

• As Trachymyrmex sp.1: n = 6, 2n = 12, karyotype = 12M (Panama) (Murakami et al., 1998).
• As Trachymyrmex sp.2: 2n = 18, karyotype = 18M (Panama) (Murakami et al., 1998).
• As Trachymyrmex: 2n = 22, karyotype = 18M+4SM (Brazil) (Barros et al., 2013).

Nomenclature

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

• MYCETOMOELLERIUS [Myrmicinae: Attini]
  • Mycetomoellerius Solomon, Rabeling, Sosa-Calvo & Schultz, 2019: 950. Type-species: Atta (Acromyrmex) iheringi, by original designation.

References

• Barrera, C.A., Sosa-Calvo, J., Schultz, T.R., Rabeling, C., Bacci, M., Jr 2021. Phylogenomic reconstruction reveals new insights into the evolution and biogeography of Atta leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 47: 13-35 (doi:10.1111/syen.12513).
• Dahan, R.A., Grove, N.K., Bollazzi, M., Gerstner, B.P., Rabeling, C. 2021. Decoupled evolution of mating biology and social structure in Acromyrmex leaf-cutting ants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 76, 7 (doi:10.1007/s00265-021-03113-1).
• 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).
• 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).
• Solomon, S.E., Rabeling, C., Sosa-Calvo, J., Lopes, C.T., Rodrigues, A., Vasconcelos, H.L., Bacci Jr, M., Mueller, U.G., Schultz, T.R. 2019. The molecular phylogenetics of Trachymyrmex Forel ants and their fungal cultivars provide insights into the origin and coevolutionary history of ‘higher-attine’ ant agriculture. Systematic Entomology 44: 939-956 (doi:10.1111/syen.12370).