Mycetarotes

A genus of fungus growing ants. Sanchez et al (2015) - Of the four species in the genus, Mycetarotes parallelus is the most widespread and common of all species of the genus (Mayhé-Nunes & Jaffé, 1998), in contrast to the other species of the genus which are uncommon and whose distributions are restricted to specific conditions (Mayhé-Nunes, 1995; Mayhé-Nunes & Lanziotti, 2004). Unlike other Mycetarotes species M. parallelus commonly lives in open habitats, gallery forest, secondary forest, and disturbed habitats (Solomon et al., 2004).

Identification
Sanchez et al (2015) - The ant genus Mycetarotes is represented by four species, all neotropical: Mycetarotes acutus, Mycetarotes carinatus, Mycetarotes parallelus and Mycetarotes senticosus. The workers are monomorphic and can be distinguished from other members of fungus-growing ants by the presence of tridentate occipital corners (in frontal view the occipital spines project between the outer spines of the occipital margin and supraocular spines), subparallel frontal carinae that terminate near the occipital margin, lateral margins of frontal lobes little expanded laterally and bluntly angular or rounded, and the absences of clearly delimited antennal scrobes. Their mandibles are finely and longitudinally striolate, with 5-6 teeth on the masticatory margin (Kempf, 1960; Mayhé-Nunes & Brandão, 2006).

Nomenclature

 *  MYCETAROTES [Myrmicinae: Attini]
 * Mycetarotes Emery, 1913b: 251 [as subgenus of Cyphomyrmex]. Type-species: Cyphomyrmex parallelus, by original designation.
 * Mycetarotes raised to genus: Borgmeier, 1950b: 384.