Brachymyrmex degener

Nothing is known about the biology of .

Identification
Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Brachymyrmex degener morphologically resembles Brachymyrmex coactus as both species have scapes that surpass the posterior margin of the head, they have faint sculpture on the mesosoma, a mesonotum that is inflated and that bulges dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view, a wide metanotal groove, metathoracic spiracles that are slightly protruding dorsally, and their gasters have sparse pubescence. However, B. degener has a uniformly brownish body, whereas the gaster is conspicuously darker than the rest of the body in B. coactus.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia , French Guiana, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago.

Nomenclature

 * . Brachymyrmex coactus subsp. degener Emery, 1906c: 177 (w.) BRAZIL (Mato Grosso).
 * Status as species: Santschi, 1923b: 670; Emery, 1925b: 42; Borgmeier, 1927c: 141; Kempf, 1972a: 38; Bolton, 1995b: 82; Fernández & Ortiz-Sepúlveda, 2019: 728; Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of incisus: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.
 * Senior synonym of luederwaldti: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.
 * Senior synonym of niger: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.
 * incisus. Brachymyrmex incisus Forel, 1912i: 63 (w.m.) COLOMBIA, BRAZIL (Bahia).
 * Status as species: Santschi, 1923b: 672; Emery, 1925b: 42; Borgmeier, 1927c: 141; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82.
 * Junior synonym of degener: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.
 * luederwaldti. Brachymyrmex luederwaldti Santschi, 1923b: 672, figs. 36, 66 (w.) BRAZIL (São Paulo).
 * [Misspelled as leuderwaldti by Wild, 2007b: 27.]
 * Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 43; Borgmeier, 1927c: 142; Kempf, 1972a: 40; Bolton, 1995b: 82; Wild, 2007b: 27.
 * Junior synonym of degener: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.
 * niger. Brachymyrmex admotus r. niger Forel, 1912i: 62 (w.) BRAZIL (Ceará).
 * [Brachymyrmex admotus r. niger Forel, 1908e: 63. Nomen nudum.]
 * Subspecies of degener: Santschi, 1923b: 671; Emery, 1925b: 42; Borgmeier, 1927c: 141; Kempf, 1972a: 38; Bolton, 1995b: 82.
 * Junior synonym of degener: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 488.

Worker
Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype and paralectotypes (n = 3). HL1 0.51–0.55; HL2 0.35–0.41; HL3 0.16; HW 0.49–0.55; SL 0.37–0.53; EL 0.12–0.14; WL 0.55–0.68; PnL 0.16–0.20; PnW 0.31–0.37; ML 0.12–0.16; MW 0.20–0.23; Indices CI 96.15–100.00; SI1 76.00–96.43; SI2 105.56–135.00; OI1 21.43–25.93; OI2 28.57–30.77. Additional material (n = 24). HL1 0.53–0.70; HL2 0.29–0.49; HL3 0.12–0.20; HW 0.51–0.73; SL 0.55–0.68; EL 0.12–0.20; WL 0.60–0.79; PnL 0.14–0.23; PnW 0.33–0.50; ML 0.12–0.21; MW 0.20– 0.31; Indices CI 87.50–112.50; SI182.22–117.86; SI2137.04– 233.33; OI1 20.00–30.30; OI2 22.22–33.33.

Head. Slightly longer than wide in full face view; posterior cephalic margin slightly concave. Dorsum of the head has scattered appressed hairs. Clypeus with a rounded anterior margin and five long, erect hairs of which a single, usually conspicuous hair is near the anterior margin, two hairs are in mediolateral position, and two more near the toruli; other hairs on the clypeus are markedly shorter and appressed or decumbent. Toruli surpassing the posterior clypeal margin in oblique anterodorsal view. The scapes surpass the posterior cephalic margin by a length smaller or equal to the maximal diameter of the eye, and they bear appressed and decumbent hairs. Three ocelli are present. The eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline and have 8–14 ommatidia along their maximal diameter.

Mesosoma. Typically with two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum; sometimes with additional suberect hairs, mainly on the pronotum. The mesonotum is inflated and bulges dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. Metanotal groove wider than the diameter of the metathoracic spiracles. Metathoracic spiracles in dorsolateral position, slightly protruding, and not touching any sutures. Dorsum of the propodeum strongly convex and shorter than the posterior slope. Propodeal spiracles conspicuous and circular, positioned on the propodeal margin or just dorsal of it, at the anterior margin of the propodeal slope. Legs with appressed hairs. Petiole short and inclined forward.

Gaster. With scattered pubescence and several scattered long erect hairs.

Color and sculpture. Body shiny and uniformly brownish in color. Head and gaster smooth whereas the dorsum of the mesosoma usually bears imbricate sculpture.

Type Material
Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype worker (: USNMENT00757208) and paralectotype workers (: USNMENT 00757207, : M.C.Z. Cotype 01435; here designated): four workers [examined]. BRAZIL: Matto Grosso: Cuiaba.

The lectotype of B. degener is the top specimen on pin USNMENT00758155, whereas the others on that pin are paralectotypes.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Boscardin J., E. C. Costa, J. H. C. Delabie. 2014. Relation between ant communities and environmental quality in Eucalyptus grandis submitted to different weedy species control in the south of Brazil. Entomotropica29(3): 173-182.
 * Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
 * Delsinne T., Y. Roisin, and M. Leponce. 2007. Spatial and temporal foraging overlaps in a Chacoan ground-foraging ant assemblage. Journal of Arid Environments 71: 2944.
 * Emery C. 1906. Studi sulle formiche della fauna neotropica. XXVI. Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 37: 107-194.
 * Fernandes T. T., R. Rosa da Silva, D. Rodrigues de Souza, N. Araujo, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. 2012. Undecomposed Twigs in the Leaf Litter as Nest-Building Resources for Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Areas of the Atlantic Forest in the Southeastern Region of Brazil. Psyche doi:10.1155/2012/896473
 * Fernández F., E. E. Palacio, W. P. Mackay, and E. S. MacKay. 1996. Introducción al estudio de las hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) de Colombia. Pp. 349-412 in: Andrade M. G., G. Amat García, and F. Fernández. (eds.) 1996. Insectos de Colombia. Estudios escogidos. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 541 pp
 * Forel A. 1908. Catálogo systemático da collecção de formigas do Ceará. Boletim do Museu Rocha 1(1): 62-69.
 * Forel A. 1912. Formicides néotropiques. Part VI. 5me sous-famille Camponotinae Forel. Mémoires de la Société Entomologique de Belgique. 20: 59-92.
 * Kempf W. W. 1978. A preliminary zoogeographical analysis of a regional ant fauna in Latin America. 114. Studia Entomologica 20: 43-62.
 * Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
 * Lachaud J. P., and G. Perez-Lachaud. 2013. Revisión preliminar de las hormigas de Campeche y Quintana Roo, México, con base en la colección de Arthropoda del Colegio de la Frontera Sur. In Formicidae de Mexico (eds. M. Vasquez-Bolanos, G. Castano-Meneses, A. Cisneros-Caballero, G. A. Quiroz-Rocha, and J. L. Navarrete-Heredia) p21-32.
 * Mentone T. O., E. A. Diniz, C. B. Munhae, O. C. Bueno, and M. S. C. Morini. 2011. Composition of ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at litter in areas of semi-deciduous forest and Eucalyptus spp., in Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 11(2): http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v11n2/en/abstract?inventory+bn00511022011.
 * Mentone T.O., M. S. C. Morini, L. Souza, and S. M. P. Braga. 2009. Hymenoptera communities in an agroecosyste using direct seedling in Southeastern Brazil. Sociobiology 53(2B): 473-486.
 * Munhae C. B., Z. A. F. N. Bueno, M. S. C. Morini, and R. R. Silva. 2009. Composition of the Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Public Squares in Southern Brazil. Sociobiology 53(2B): 455-472.
 * Oliveira Mentone T. de, E. A. Diniz, C. de Bortoli Munhae, O. Correa Bueno and M. S. de Castro Morini. 2012. Composition of ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) at litter in areas of semi-deciduous forest and Eucalyptus spp., in Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotrop 11(2): 237-246.
 * Oliveira R. F., L. C. de Almeida, D. R. de Suza, C. Bortoli Munhae, O. C. Bueno, and M. S. de Castro Morini. 2012. Ant diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and predation by ants on the different stages of the sugarcane borer life cycle Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Eur. J. Entomol. 109: 381387.
 * Ortiz-Sepuvelda C. M., B. Van Bocxlaer, A. D. Meneses, and F. Fernandez. 2019. Molecular and morphological recognition of species boundaries in the neglected ant genus Brachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): toward a taxonomic revision. Organisms Diversity & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-019-00406-2
 * Pacheco, R., R.R. Silva, M.S. de C. Morini, C.R.F. Brandao. 2009. A Comparison of the Leaf-Litter Ant Fauna in a Secondary Atlantic Forest with an Adjacent Pine Plantation in Southeastern Brazil. Neotropical Entomology 38(1):055-065
 * Rodrigues de Souza D., E. Stingel, L. C. de Almeida, M. A. Lazarini, C. de Bortoli Munhae, A. J. Mayhe-Nunes, O. Correa Bueno, and M. Santina de C. Morini. 2010. Ant Diversity in a Sugarcane Culture without the Use of Straw Burning in Southeast, São Paulo, Brazil. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences 5 (2): 183-188.
 * Rodrigues de Souza D., E. Stingel, L. C. de Almeida, M. A. Lazarini, C. de Bortoli Munhae, O. Correa Bueno, C. R. Archangelo, and M. Santina de C. Morini. 2010. Field methods for the study of ants in sugarcane plantations in Southeastern Brazil. Sci. Agric. (Piracicaba, Braz.) 67(6): 651-657.
 * Santschi F. 1923. Revue des fourmis du genre Brachymyrmex Mayr. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires 31: 650-678.
 * Souza D. R. de., T. T. Fernandes, J. R. de Oloveira Nascimento, S. S. Suguituru, and M. S. de C. Morini. 2012. Characterization of ant communities (Hymenoptera Formicidae) in twigs in the leaf litter of the Atlantic rainforest and Eucalyptus trees in the southeast region of Brazil. Psyche 2012(532768): 1-12
 * Suguituru S. S., D. R. de Souza, C. de Bortoli Munhae, R. Pacheco, and M. S. de Castro Morini. 2011. Diversidade e riqueza de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em remanescentes de Mata Atlântica na Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Tietê, SP. Biota Neotrop. 13(2): 141-152.
 * Suguituru S. S., R. Rosa Silva, D. R. de Souza, C. de Bortoli Munhae, and M. Santina de Castro Morini. Ant community richness and composition across a gradient from Eucalyptus plantations to secondary Atlantic Forest. Biota Neotrop. 11(1): 369-376.
 * Vasquez-Bolanos M. 2015. Taxonomia de Formicidae (Hymenoptera) para Mexico. Métodos en Ecología y Sistemática 10(1): 1. 53 pages.
 * Wild, A. L. "A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Zootaxa 1622 (2007): 1-55.
 * da Silva T. F., D. Russ Solis, T. de Carvalho Moretti, A. Calazans da Silva, M. E. Din Mostafa Habib. 2009. House-infesting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a municipality of southeastern Brazil. Sociobiology 54(1): 153-159.
 * de Souza D. R., S. G. dos Santos, C. de B. Munhae, and M. S. de C. Morini. 2012. Diversity of Epigeal Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Urban Areas of Alto Tietê. Sociobiology 59(3): 703-117.