Mycetomoellerius urichii

Mycetomoellerius urichii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mycetomoellerius
Species:	M. urichii
Binomial name
Mycetomoellerius urichii (Forel, 1893) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Atta urichi fusca Emery, 1894 Atta urichii marthae Forel, 1912 Trachymyrmex urichi panamensis Wheeler, W.M., 1925 Trachymyrmex urichi radicis Weber, 1938

Santos et al. (2025) note that this species is problematic and in need revision as it probably represents a species complex.

Identification

Santos et al. (2025) provide a multi-entry interactive key based on the xper3 platform which contains 27 characters and, as terminals, 30 species of Mycetomoellerius, representing almost all described species except for Mycetomoellerius echinus, Mycetomoellerius gaigei and Mycetomoellerius guianensis, which are excluded due to lack of clear information or available specimens for study.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 11.25° to -22.41277778°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago (type locality), Venezuela.

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

Explore Fungus Growing  For additional details see Fungus growing ants. A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source. These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius). The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3. Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category): Nest Construction A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests. some Crematogaster some Lasius Lower Agriculture Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae. some Apterostigma Cyatta (1 species) some Cyphomyrmex Kalathomyrmex (1 species) Mycocepurus (6 species) Myrmicocrypta (31 species) Mycetarotes (4 species) Mycetosoritis (2 species) Mycetophylax (21 species) Paramycetophylax (1 species) Xerolitor (1 species) Coral Fungus Agriculture Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae. some Apterostigma Yeast Agriculture Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi. some Cyphomyrmex Generalized Higher Agriculture Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi. Mycetomoellerius (33 species) Paratrachymyrmex (9 species) Sericomyrmex (11 species) Trachymyrmex (9 species) Leaf-Cutter Agriculture A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus. Acromyrmex (51 species) Amoimyrmex (3 species) Atta (20 species) Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

Life History Traits

• Mean colony size: 100 (Jaffe & Villegas, 1985; Beckers et al., 1989)
• Foraging behaviour: mass recruiter (Jaffe & Villegas, 1985; Beckers et al., 1989)

Phylogeny

Mycetomoellerius	Mycetomoellerius urichii Mycetomoellerius papulatus Mycetomoellerius papulatus Mycetomoellerius holmgreni Mycetomoellerius cirratus Mycetomoellerius kempfi Mycetomoellerius iheringi Mycetomoellerius sp. near cirratus
	Mycetomoellerius ruthae Mycetomoellerius jamaicensis Mycetomoellerius atlanticus Mycetomoellerius near haytianus Mycetomoellerius opulentus Mycetomoellerius dichrous Mycetomoellerius relictus Mycetomoellerius turrifex Mycetomoellerius zeteki

Based on Micolino et al., 2020 (selected species only).

Nomenclature

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

• urichii. Atta (Trachymyrmex) urichii Forel, 1893e: 601 (w.m.) TRINIDAD.
  • Emery, 1894c: 222 (q.).
  • Combination in Trachymyrmex: Gallardo, 1916b: 242; Wheeler, W.M. 1916d: 325.
  • Combination in Mycetomoellerius: Solomon et al., 2019: 948.
  • Senior synonym of fusca, marthae, panamensis, radicis: Weber, 1958b: 53.
• fusca. Atta (Trachymyrmex) urichi subsp. fusca Emery, 1894c: 222 (w.) BRAZIL. Junior synonym of urichii: Weber, 1958b: 53.
• marthae. Atta (Trachymyrmex) urichii r. marthae Forel, 1912e: 183 (w.q.) COLOMBIA. Junior synonym of urichii: Weber, 1958b: 53.
• panamensis. Trachymyrmex urichi subsp. panamensis Wheeler, W.M. 1925a: 38 (w.) PANAMA. Junior synonym of urichii: Weber, 1958b: 53.
• radicis. Trachymyrmex urichi subsp. radicis Weber, 1938b: 197 (w.) TRINIDAD. Junior synonym of urichii: Weber, 1958b: 53.

Description

Karyotype

• 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.

• n = 9, 2n = 18, karyotype = 16M + 2SM (Brazil) (Barros et al., 2013) (as Mycetomoellerius fuscus).

References

• Barros, L.A.C., Aguiar, H.J.A.C., Mariano, C.S.F., Delabie, J.H.C., Pompolo, S.G. 2013. Cytogenetic characterization of the ant Trachymyrmex fuscus Emery, 1934 (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini) with the description of a chromosomal polymorphism. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 49: 367–373 (doi:10.1080/00379271.2013.856201).
• Beckers R., Goss, S., Deneubourg, J.L., Pasteels, J.M. 1989. Colony size, communication and ant foraging Strategy. Psyche 96: 239-256 (doi:10.1155/1989/94279).
• Emery, C. 1894d. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. VI-XVI. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Ital. 26: 137-241 (page 222, queen described)
• Forel, A. 1893h. Note sur les Attini. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 37: 586-607 (page 601, worker, male described)
• Gallardo, A. 1916c. Notas acerca de la hormiga Trachymyrmex pruinosus Emery. An. Mus. Nac. Hist. Nat. B. Aires 28: 241-252 (page 242, Combination in Trachymyrmex)
• Mera-Rodríguez, D., Serna, F., Sosa-Calvo, J., Lattke, J., Rabeling, C. 2020. A checklist of the non-leaf-cutting fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Colombia, with new biogeographic records. Check List 16, 1205–1227 (doi:10.15560/16.5.1205).
• Moura, M.N., Cardoso, D.C., Cristiano, M.P. 2020. The tight genome size of ants: diversity and evolution under ancestral state reconstruction and base composition. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlaa135 (doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa135).
• Santos, C.D.A.D., Chaul, J.C.M., Serrao, J.E. 2025. Taxonomic contributions to Mycetomoellerius Solomon et al., 2019 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae): description of two new species and a key for the genus. Zootaxa 5569(1), 93–118 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5569.1.3)
• 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).
• Weber, N. A. 1958b. Nomenclatural changes in Trachymyrmex (Hym.: Formicidae). Entomol. News 69: 49-55 (page 53, senior synonym of fusca, marthae, panamensis and radicis)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1916f. Ants collected in Trinidad by Professor Roland Thaxter, Mr. F. W. Urich, and others. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 60: 323-330 (page 325, Combination in Trachymyrmex)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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• Costa-Milanez C. B., G. Lourenco-Silva, P. T. A. Castro, J. D. Majer, and S. P. Ribeiro. 2014. Are ant assemblages of Brazilian veredas characterised by location or habitat type? Braz. J. Biol. 74(1): 89-99.
• Dias N. S., R. Zanetti, M. S. Santos, J. Louzada, and J. H. C. Delabie. 2008. Interaction between forest fragments and adjacent coffee and pasture agroecosystems: responses of the ant communities (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Iheringia, Sér. Zool., Porto Alegre, 98(1): 136-142.
• Emery C. 1894. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. VI-XVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 26: 137-241.
• Emery C. 1906. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 37: 107-194.
• Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
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