Ochetomyrmex

Biological information is limited to habitat (cerrado, wet forest, rainforest) and collection information (found in leaf litter, from pitfalls and at bait) taken from specimen labels of these rarely collected ants. There are only two known species of Ochetomyrmex.

Identification
Fernández (2003) - The following combination of characters, unique among myrmicine ants, allows the separation of Ochetomyrmex from all other genera: Antennae with 11 segments and a 3 -segmented club, mandibles with 4 to 5 teeth, propodeum with spines, petiole with ventrally bifurcated carinae and postpetiole with ventrally posterior process.

Ochetomyrmex closely resembles Wasmannia. Wasmannia presents a roughly striated promesonotum, inconspicuous metanotal groove, elongated propodeal spines, inconspicuous bulla of the metapleural gland and a petiole lacking bifurcated carinae.

Distribution
Ochetomyrmex is restricted to South America, ranging in lowland tropical forests east of the Andes and nesting in leaf- litter.

Nomenclature

 *  OCHETOMYRMEX [Myrmicinae: Formicoxenini]
 * Ochetomyrmex Mayr, 1878: 871. Type-species: Ochetomyrmex semipolitus, by monotypy.
 * Ochetomyrmex senior synonym of Brownidris: Kempf, 1975c: 355.
 * BROWNIDRIS [junior synonym of Ochetomyrmex]
 * Brownidris Kusnezov, 1956: 25 (diagnosis in key). Type-species: Brownidris argentinus, by original designation.
 * [Brownidris also described as new by Kusnezov, 1957a: 275.]
 * Brownidris junior synonym of Ochetomyrmex: Kempf, 1975c: 355; Bolton, 1994: 106.
 * [Brownidris retained as genus: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1985: 257 (anachronism); Dlussky & Fedoseeva, 1988: 80 (anachronism)].

Description
Fernández (2003):

Worker
Monomorphic. Mandibles with four to five teeth. Palpal formula 3.2. Median portion of clypeus gently convex. Antennae 11-segmented with 3-segmented club. Compound eyes well developed, multifaceted, with angular inferior orbits, situated slightly behind the mid-length of head. Head without antennal scrobes. Mesosoma with promesonotum and propodeum separated by the metanotal groove in lateral view. Propodeum with spines. Propodeal spiracles round, large, conspicuous. Bulla of metapleural gland large and bulging, with dorsal margin approaching propodeal spiracle. Petiole with differentiated peduncle and node. Petiolar spiracle situated at midway between propodeal lobes and node. Petiole with dentiform ventral process. Petiole ventrally with median carina that diverges posteriorly. Workers smooth to finely sculptured, sparsely to moderately hairy.

Queen
Larger than worker, length around 8 mm. Masticatory border of mandible with a well-developed apical and subapical tooth only. Basal tooth inconspicuous. Palpal formula 4,3. Median portion of clypeus anteriorly subtruncated with a denticle in each corner. Front wing with open marginal cell. Petiolar spiracle situated in front of the mid-length of the peduncle. Postpetiole broadly attached to the gaster. Dorsal pilosity short and dense.

Male
Size: Total length about 7 mm. Mandibles with 3 to 4 teeth. Clypeus strongly bulging medially. Mandibles subtriangular with four teeth, apices slightly overlapping when closed. Petiole lacking both subpetiolar process and a ventrally bifurcated carina.