Neivamyrmex swainsonii

Due to its large size and relative abundance N. swainsonii is easily one of North America’s most conspicuous army ants.

Identification
Key to the Neivamyrmex species of the United States

Distribution
United States: Kansas, Louisiana and Texas, west to California; Mexico: border states south to Chiapas and Yucatán; south to Argentina.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Nearctic Region: United States. Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

 *  swainsonii. Labidus swainsonii Shuckard, 1840a: 201 (m.) BRAZIL. Combination in Eciton: Forel, 1895b: 121; in E. (Acamatus): Emery, 1900a: 187; in E. (Neivamyrmex): Borgmeier, 1948b: 462; in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 15. Senior synonym of arizonense: Borgmeier, 1955: 454; of fallax, mexicanus: Snelling, G.C. & Snelling, R.R., 2007: 490..
 * mexicanus. Labidus mexicanus Smith, F. 1859b: 7 (m.) MEXICO. Forel, 1899c: 27 (w.); Reichensperger, 1939: 297 (q.). Combination in Eciton: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4; in E. (Labidus): Emery, 1895c: 260; in E. (Acamatus): Emery, 1900a: 187; in E. (Neivamyrmex): Smith, M.R. 1942c: 544; in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 8. Subspecies of pilosus: Borgmeier, 1936: 59. Junior synonym of pilosus: Smith, M.R. 1942c: 544. Revived from synonymy as subspecies of pilosus: Borgmeier, 1953: 14; Borgmeier, 1955: 361. Senior synonym of clavicornis: Mayr, 1886b: 120; of subsulcatum: Dalla Torre, 1893: 4; of aztecum: Borgmeier, 1936: 60; of militarium: Borgmeier, 1953: 14. Junior synonym of swainsonii: Snelling, G.C. & Snelling, R.R., 2007: 490. See also: Borgmeier, 1955: 361.
 * aztecum. Eciton aztecum Forel, 1901h: 49 (m.) GUATEMALA. Subspecies of mexicanus: Emery, 1910b: 26; of pilosus: Wheeler, W.M. 1921d: 314. Junior synonym of mexicanus: Borgmeier, 1936: 60.
 * arizonense. Eciton (Acamatus) arizonense Wheeler, W.M. 1908e: 414, pl. 26, fig. 5 (m.) U.S.A. Combination in E. (Neivamyrmex): Smith, M.R. 1942c: 581; in Neivamyrmex: Borgmeier, 1953: 18. Subspecies of swainsonii: Borgmeier, 1953: 19. Junior synonym of swainsonii: Borgmeier, 1955: 454.
 * fallax. Neivamyrmex fallax Borgmeier, 1953: 48, figs. 31, 33 (w.) U.S.A. See also: Borgmeier, 1955: 425. Junior synonym of swainsonii: Snelling, G.C. & Snelling, 2007: 490.

Snelling and Snelling (2007) - We have determined that N. fallax is the worker of N. swainsonii. The evidence for this association is scanty: it is based on a worker of N. fallax found attached to the leg of a male collected in Arizona. Although throughout the United States and Mexico the ranges of these two taxa overlap nicely, N. fallax is unknown south of Guatemala.

Male
Smith (1942), for arizonense - Length 12-13 mm.

Head approximately twice as broad as long. Eye large, strongly convex, protuberant. Ocelli large, placed on high protuberance above general surface of head; from above, appearing as if on a distinctly elevated, transverse ridge; lateral ocellus less than its greatest diameter from inner margin of eye. Frontal carinae elevated, sharply margined, slightly converging posteriorly, with deep groove between them. Antenna short; scape robust, very noticeably wider than base of funiculus, but slightly shorter than combined length of first 4 funicular segments; funiculus distinctly tapering from base to apex. Clypeus excised. Mandible flattened dorsoventrally, very long, strongly curved, especially toward apex, and tapering to form an extremely acute point. Head, from above, remarkably broad and short, not prolonged behind eyes. Thorax very robust, strongly protrudirrg above dorsal surface of head. Mesonotum with distinct anteromedian and parapsidal lines. Epinotum, in profile, concave. Tarsal claws toothed. Petiole with a protuberance beneath. Apex of seventh gastric sternum with 3 teeth; a short, somewhat blunt, median tooth, and 2 rather acute lateral teeth. Paramere, in profile, abruptly enlarged toward apex, and with a dorsal emargination which varies considerably with regard to depth and breadth.

Head and anterior border of each gastric segment smooth and shining; remainder of body more opaque. In some lights, various parts of the body have a glabrous appearance in spite of the dense hairs covering the surface. Thorax, petiole, and gaster very finely punctulate.

Hairs yellowish, rather dense and somewhat appressed; usually longer on lower surface of body, epinotum, petiole, and tip of gaster.

Yellowish brown to reddish brown, with darker head and seventh gastric sternum. Wings distinctly yellowish, pilose, with light-brown or yellowish-brown veins and stigma.

Type Material
Smith (1942)  arizonense: Nogales, Ariz.; E. J. Oslar. Male cotypes