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.

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



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."