Adelomyrmex myops

Most records reveal A. myops to be a lowland species but with less habitat specificity than other Adelomyrmex. It occurs in mature forest of varying seasonality, from aseasonal wet forest to strongly seasonal dry forest. It also has been collected in disturbed habitats, including a cacao plantation in Honduras. There is a record from the Galapagos Islands, where it is probably introduced (Herrera & Longino 2008). It can be locally abundant, occurring in up to 20% of quantitative miniWinkler samples. The great majority of records are from 600 m elevation or lower, but an anomalous site is Cerro Musún in Nicaragua. Adelomyrmex myops occurred in Winkler samples from 1000–1100 m, but not in quantitative Winkler sampling around 700 m. (Longino 2012)

Identification
Longino (2012) - In some cases, the dorsal promesonotal rugae of workers are somewhat longitudinally oriented, blurring the distinction between A. myops, Adelomyrmex tristani, and Adelomyrmex paratristani. The dorsal rugae are never strongly linear, like most collections of A. tristani and A. paratristani. Nearly all A. tristani have strongly linear dorsal rugae, but there is more variation in A. paratristani, where some workers have strongly vermiculate rugae, approaching the condition of some A. myops workers. In other words, A. myops occupies the range of variation from completely reticulate rugose to strongly vermiculate rugose with some longitudinal orientation, while A. paratristani ranges from the latter condition to having completely linear, parallel, longitudinal rugae. Adelomyrmex myops has dorsal pilosity more like A. tristani than A. paratristani. This is most evident on the gaster, where A. paratristani usually has sparse, long, erect setae, with very reduced presence of more decumbent setae beneath them, while A. myops has a denser brush of erect and subdecumbent setae.

Queens of A. myops have an abrupt transition from longitudinal rugae on the mesonotum to coarse, reticulate rugosity on the scutellum. In A. tristani and A. paratristani, the scutellum has longitudinal, subparallel rugae.

Key to Adelomyrmex of the New World mainland

Distribution
Guatemala to Panama, Ecuador (Galapagos).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru.

Castes
Males have yet to be collected.

Nomenclature

 *  myops. Apsychomyrmex myops Wheeler, W.M. 1910a: 261, fig. 2 (w.) GUATEMALA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1955b: 29 (l.); Fernández, 2003b: 25 (q.). Combination in Adelomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 18.

Worker
Holotype (other, n=9). HL 0.75 (0.57–0.70) HW 0.66 (0.53–0.66) SL 0.46 (0.38–0.41) EL 0.07 (0.05–0.07) WL 0.76 (0.56–0.70) GL 0.87 (0.68–0.87) TL 3.00 (2.31–3.00) CI 88 (90–100) SI 70 (66–73).

Mandibles with 5 to 7 teeth decreasing in size from apical teeth. Eyes small, with approximately 10–12 ommatidia. Hypostomal tooth small, sharp pointed. Promesonotum evenly convex, dorsal face of propodeum very short. Metanotal groove deep, distinct. Propodeal spines higher than wide. Node with anterior and posterior faces more or less parallel, dorsal face nearly straight. Postpetiole lower than petiole, sub-quadrate, ventral carina well developed. Head, pronotum and mesonotum coarsely reticulate-rugose, with longitudinal rugulae at anterior part of head and more or less on the sides of mesosoma. Transverse rugae between propodeal spines and sides of petiole and postpetiole. Declivous face of propodeum ranges from smooth to covered with transverse rugae. Mandibles smooth or with longitudinal rugae feebly marked on outer half. Mandibles, legs and gaster usually smooth and shining. Hairs yellowish, long and flexuous on the body, more short and appressed on antennae and legs. Body black to dark brown, antennae and legs lighter, brown to yellowish.

Queen
HW 0.65 HL 0.75 SL 0.44 EL 0.14 WL 0.83 GL 0.96 TL 3.12 CI 87 SI 68.

As worker with the typical modifications of myrmicine queen. Central anterior portion of promesonotum smooth and shining, posterior area with longitudinal rugulae. Metanotum coarsely rugo-reticulate. Pronotum rugo-reticulate. Sides of mesosoma with striation more or less longitudinal, most of katepisternum smooth and shining.