Protomognathus

The lone species of this genus, Protomognathus americanus, is a social parasite of a number of widespread and common Temnothorax species that occur in North America.

Identification
A Myrmicinae differentiated from other genera in the subfamily by a combination of mandibles with four teeth, a median concavity present on the anterior clypeal border and the presence of well-developed antennal scrobes. Most similar to Harpagoxenus but this other genus differs in having smooth mandibles with no teeth.

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



Biology
See Protomognathus americanus

Nomenclature

 *  PROTOMOGNATHUS [Myrmicinae: Formicoxenini]
 * Protomognathus Wheeler, W.M. 1905a: 3 [as subgenus of Tomognathus]. Type-species: Tomognathus americanus, by monotypy.
 * Protomognathus junior synonym of Harpagoxenus: Emery, 1924d: 265.
 * Protomognathus revived from synonymy and raised to genus: Cover, in Hölldobler & Wilson, 1990: 65.

This genus has never been formally diagnosed or described. The name was proposed as a subgenus by Wheeler (1905) in a footnote:

"Since the female T. americanus is so very different from the female of the European species, it may be well to regard the former as belonging to a distinct subgenus, for which I would suggest the name Protomognathus subgen. nov. for the purpose of indicating that the American is less advanced phylogenetically than the European Tomognathus (now = Harpagoxenus)."

After being synonymized by Emery (1924) the name was revived as a generic rank by Cover in a key couplet (Hölldobler and Wilson 1990, page 65):

"Mandibles with strongly convex dorsal surfaces and 4 teeth. Entire anterior clypeal border, not just median area, moderately concave."