Brachymyrmex

Ortiz and Fernández (2014) - Brachymyrmex is a genus of minute ants that at first glance exhibit little morphological variation. Currently only the 9-segmented antennae and lack of antennal club have been proposed to diagnose workers of the genus (Bolton 2003). The combination of small size, soft metasoma, and the simple morphology makes observations and interpretation of morphological characters difficult. These difficulties impede taxonomic revisions and even led Creighton (1950) to call Brachymyrmex a “miserable little genus”. Nevertheless, described species and subspecies are currently assigned to Brachymyrmex (Bolton, 2013). The genus has a mainly Neotropical distribution, ranging from the United States to Argentina and Chile, including the Caribbean islands (Kempf 1972, Brandão 1991, Bolton 1995, 2003), but some species have been introduced to Japan (M. Yoshimura, pers. comm.), and Madagascar (Dejean et al. 2010).

Identification
Small workers with a 9-segmented antennae that lacks an antennal club.

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Castes
Most species monomorphic, with two dimorphic species Brachymyrmex pilipes and Brachymyrmex micromegas.

Nomenclature

 *  BRACHYMYRMEX [Formicinae: Plagiolepidini]
 * Brachymyrmex Mayr, 1868b: 163. Type-species: Brachymyrmex patagonicus, by monotypy.
 * Brachymyrmex senior synonym of Bryscha: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1424.
 * BRACHYPONERA [junior synonym of Pachycondyla]
 * Brachyponera Emery, 1900c: 315 [as subgenus of Euponera]. Type-species: Euponera (Brachyponera) croceicornis, by monotypy.
 * [Brachyponera also described as new by Emery, 1901a: 43. Type-species not Ponera sennaarensis, unjustified subsequent designation by Emery, 1901a: 43, repeated in Wheeler, W.M. 1911f: 160, Emery, 1911d: 84, Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 777, Donisthorpe, 1943g: 628, Wilson, 1958d: 346; Bolton, 1973a: 335 and Taylor & Brown, D.R. 1985: 23.]
 * Brachyponera as subgenus of Euponera: Emery, 1911d: 83; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 649.
 * Brachyponera raised to genus: Bingham, 1903: 101; Wilson, 1958d: 346.
 * Brachyponera junior synonym of Pachycondyla: Brown, in Bolton, 1994: 164.
 * BRYSCHA [junior synonym of Brachymyrmex]
 * Bryscha Santschi, 1923b: 652 [as subgenus of Brachymyrmex]. Type-species: Brachymyrmex pilipes, by original designation.
 * Bryscha junior synonym of Brachymyrmex: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1424.
 * Bryscha junior synonym of Brachymyrmex: Smith, D.R. 1979: 1424.