Myrmelachista amicta

The types were taken by Skwarra "in Tillandsia balbisiana" and from the "hollow stem of composite".

Identification
Worker with nine antennal segments. See Longino's comments regarding Myrmelachista of southern Mexico.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Mexico.

Nomenclature

 *  amicta. Myrmelachista amicta Wheeler, W.M. 1934g: 195 (w.) MEXICO.

Worker
Length 1.5-1.75 mm.

Head moderately large, subrectangular, as broad as long, with straight posterior border and nearly straight sides. Eyes fiat, near the middle of the sides. Mandibles broad, very convex, 5-toothed, the median tooth very small. Clypeus convex, its anterior border with a minute median denticle. Antennae 9-jointed; rather short; scapes extending slightly beyond the posterior orbits; first joint rather narrow, fully twice as long as broad; joints 2-5 small; second joint nearly as long as broad; 3-5 much shorter; two basal joints of the large club distinctly longer than broad, together shorter than the swollen terminal joint. Thorax short but narrower than in skwarrae, with more pronounced mesoepinotal constriction; promesonotum convex, subhemispherical, considerably larger than the epinotum; mesonotum subelliptical, less than one and one-half times as broad as long; epinotum lower than the promesonotum, not longer than broad, subcuboidal, with subequal base and declivity, meeting at a distinct angle, the declivity less sloping than in skwarrae. Petiole short, its scale only slightly inclined forward, decidedly thinner than in skwarrae, subrectangular from behind, with sharp, distinctly emarginate superior border. Gaster ovoidal, its first segment rounded anteriorly, its tip rather long and pointed. Legs rather slender, fore femora somewhat enlarged.

Smooth and shining, with fine, very sparse, piligerous punctures on the body; mandibles and clypeus superficially reticulate-punctate. Hairs glistening white, much sparser and shorter than in skwarrae, numerous but appressed on the scapes and legs, more suberect on the funiculi.

Deep castaneous; mandibles, anterior portion of head and upper surface of pronotum red or yellowish red; femora dark brown except at their bases and tips, which, like the tibiae, tarsi and antennae are yellow; last joint of antennal clubs feebly infuscated.

Type Material
Described from 16 workers (618) taken by Dr. Skwarra at Mirador, Vera Cruz in Tillandsia balbisiana and three (296) from the hollow stem of a composite.

Longino (2006) - Syntypes,  (USNM syntype worker examined).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
 * Wheeler W. M. 1934. Neotropical ants collected by Dr. Elisabeth Skwarra and others. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 77: 157-240.