Myrmecina americana

This species nests under stones, in the soil and in acorns on the ground. Workers are predaceous and are not known to tend Homoptera.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Biology
This is a common species in deciduous forests of southern New England. Sifting litter and soil in such forests, it is not difficult to find individuals of Myrmecina americana. What is difficult is finding more than one or two individuals at once. Nests are hard to find and generally these ants are rarely seen since their foragers do not venture out into exposed areas of the forest floor.

Headley (1943) reported finding nests of Myrmecina americana in Oak acorns.

Nomenclature

 *  americana. Myrmecina latreillei subsp. americana Emery, 1895c: 271 (w.) U.S.A. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1954c: 130 (l.). Subspecies of graminicola: Wheeler, W.M. 1904e: 300; Wheeler, W.M. 1906b: 1. Raised to species: Brown, 1949a: 44; Creighton, 1950a: 248. Senior synonym of brevispinosa: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1399; of quadrispina: Brown, 1949a: 44; of texana: Brown, 1951: 103; Brown, 1967c: 236; of californica: Brown, 1967c: 236. See also: Snelling, R.R. 1965b: 101.
 * texana. Myrmecina graminicola subsp. texana Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 422 (w.) U.S.A. Subspecies of americana: Creighton, 1950a: 250. Junior synonym of americana: Brown, 1967c: 236.
 * quadrispina. Myrmecina graminicola subsp. quadrispina Enzmann, J. 1946a: 13, figs. 1, 2 (w.) U.S.A. Junior synonym of americana: Brown, 1949a: 44.
 * californica. Myrmecina californica Smith, M.R. 1948: 239 (w.) U.S.A. Subspecies of americana: Snelling, R.R. 1965b: 104. Junior synonym of americana: Brown, 1967c: 236.
 * brevispinosa. Myrmecina americana subsp. brevispinosa Creighton, 1950a: 249 (w.q.m.) U.S.A. [First available use of Myrmecina latreillei subsp. americana var. brevispinosa Emery, 1895c: 271; unavailable name.] Subspecies of americana: Snelling, R.R. 1965b: 105. Junior synonym of americana: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1399.