Ochetomyrmex

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Biological information is limited to habitat (cerrado, wet forest, rainforest) and collection information (found in leaf litter, from pitfalls and at bait) taken from specimen labels of these rarely collected ants. There are only two known species of Ochetomyrmex.

Identification

Fernández (2003) - The following combination of characters, unique among myrmicine ants, allows the separation of Ochetomyrmex from all other genera: Antennae with 11 segments and a 3 -segmented club, mandibles with 4 to 5 teeth, propodeum with spines, petiole with ventrally bifurcated carinae and postpetiole with ventrally posterior process.

Ochetomyrmex closely resembles Wasmannia. Wasmannia presents a roughly striated promesonotum, inconspicuous metanotal groove, elongated propodeal spines, inconspicuous bulla of the metapleural gland and a petiole lacking bifurcated carinae.

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Keys to Species in this Genus

Distribution

Ochetomyrmex is restricted to South America, ranging in lowland tropical forests east of the Andes and nesting in leaf- litter.

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

Afrotropical Region Australasian Region Indo-Australian Region Malagasy Region Nearctic Region Neotropical Region Oriental Region Palaearctic Region
Species 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
Total Species 2840 1735 3042 932 835 4378 1740 2862

Biology

Life History Traits

  • Mean colony size: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Nest site: hypogaeic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Diet class: herbivore; omnivore (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter; arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)

Castes

Morphology

Worker Morphology

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• Antennal segment count: 11 • Antennal club: 3 • Palp formula: 3,2 • Spur formula: 0, 0 • Eyes: 11-100 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: dentiform • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: absent

Male Morphology

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 • Antennal segment count 13 • Antennal club 0 • Palp formula 3,2 • Total dental count 4 • Spur formula 0, 0

Phylogeny

Myrmicinae
Myrmicini
Pogonomyrmecini
Stenammini
Solenopsidini
Attini

Ochetomyrmex  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Tranopelta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Diaphoromyrma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lachnomyrmex  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Blepharidatta  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Allomerus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Wasmannia  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Pheidole  (1,294 species, 7 fossil species)

Cephalotes  (123 species, 16 fossil species)

Procryptocerus  (44 species, 0 fossil species)

Strumigenys  (879 species, 4 fossil species)

Phalacromyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Pilotrochus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Protalaridris  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Rhopalothrix  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Basiceros  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Octostruma  (35 species, 0 fossil species)

Eurhopalothrix  (55 species, 0 fossil species)

Talaridris  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthognathus  (7 species, 1 fossil species)

Daceton  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Lenomyrmex  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Microdaceton  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Orectognathus  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Colobostruma  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Epopostruma  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

Mesostruma  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Paleoattina

Apterostigma  (44 species, 2 fossil species)

Mycocepurus  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmicocrypta  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Neoattina

Cyatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Kalathomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetarotes  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetosoritis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex  (23 species, 2 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex

Paramycetophylax  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetophylax  (21 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetagroicus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetomoellerius  (31 species, 1 fossil species)

Sericomyrmex  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Xerolitor  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Paratrachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Trachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Amoimyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Atta  (20 species, 1 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex  (56 species, 0 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex

Pseudoatta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogastrini

Rostromyrmex  (1 species, 6 fossil species)

Cardiocondyla  (90 species, 0 fossil species)

Ocymyrmex  (34 species, 0 fossil species)

Nesomyrmex  (84 species, 2 fossil species)

Xenomyrmex  (5 species, 0 fossil species)

Terataner  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Atopomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Cataulacus  (65 species, 3 fossil species)

Carebara  (249 species, 9 fossil species)

Diplomorium  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Melissotarsus  (4 species, 1 fossil species)

Rhopalomastix  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Calyptomyrmex  (38 species, 0 fossil species)

Strongylognathus  (27 species, 0 fossil species), Tetramorium  (598 species, 2 fossil species)

Cyphoidris  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Dicroaspis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Aretidris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Vollenhovia  (83 species, 3 fossil species)

Dacetinops  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Indomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogaster  (782 species, 3 fossil species)

Meranoplus  (91 species, 0 fossil species)

Lophomyrmex  (13 species, 0 fossil species)

Adlerzia  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Recurvidris  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Stereomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Trichomyrmex  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Eutetramorium  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Royidris  (15 species, 0 fossil species)

Malagidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Vitsika  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Huberia  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Podomyrma  (62 species, 1 fossil species)

Liomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Metapone  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Kartidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Mayriella  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Tetheamyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Dacatria  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Proatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Dilobocondyla  (22 species, 0 fossil species)

Secostruma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthomyrmex  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmecina  (106 species, 0 fossil species)

Perissomyrmex  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Pristomyrmex  (61 species, 3 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma  (36 species, 0 fossil species)

Propodilobus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lasiomyrma  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Ancyridris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Paratopula  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Poecilomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Romblonella  (10 species, 0 fossil species)

Rotastruma  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Gauromyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Vombisidris  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Temnothorax  (504 species, 7 fossil species)

Harpagoxenus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Formicoxenus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Leptothorax  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

See Phylogeny of Myrmicinae for details.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • OCHETOMYRMEX [Myrmicinae: Formicoxenini]
    • Ochetomyrmex Mayr, 1878: 871. Type-species: Ochetomyrmex semipolitus, by monotypy.
    • Ochetomyrmex senior synonym of Brownidris: Kempf, 1975c: 355.
  • BROWNIDRIS [junior synonym of Ochetomyrmex]
    • Brownidris Kusnezov, 1956: 25 (diagnosis in key). Type-species: Brownidris argentinus, by original designation.
    • [Brownidris also described as new by Kusnezov, 1957a: 275.]
    • Brownidris junior synonym of Ochetomyrmex: Kempf, 1975c: 355; Bolton, 1994: 106.
    • [Brownidris retained as genus: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1985: 257 (anachronism); Dlussky & Fedoseeva, 1988: 80 (anachronism)].

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Fernández, 2003. Figure 1.

Fernández (2003):

Worker

Monomorphic. Mandibles with four to five teeth. Palpal formula 3.2. Median portion of clypeus gently convex. Antennae 11-segmented with 3-segmented club. Compound eyes well developed, multifaceted, with angular inferior orbits, situated slightly behind the mid-length of head. Head without antennal scrobes. Mesosoma with promesonotum and propodeum separated by the metanotal groove in lateral view. Propodeum with spines. Propodeal spiracles round, large, conspicuous. Bulla of metapleural gland large and bulging, with dorsal margin approaching propodeal spiracle. Petiole with differentiated peduncle and node. Petiolar spiracle situated at midway between propodeal lobes and node. Petiole with dentiform ventral process. Petiole ventrally with median carina that diverges posteriorly. Workers smooth to finely sculptured, sparsely to moderately hairy.

Queen

Larger than worker, length around 8 mm. Masticatory border of mandible with a well-developed apical and subapical tooth only. Basal tooth inconspicuous. Palpal formula 4,3. Median portion of clypeus anteriorly subtruncated with a denticle in each corner. Front wing with open marginal cell. Petiolar spiracle situated in front of the mid-length of the peduncle. Postpetiole broadly attached to the gaster. Dorsal pilosity short and dense.

Male

Size: Total length about 7 mm. Mandibles with 3 to 4 teeth. Clypeus strongly bulging medially. Mandibles subtriangular with four teeth, apices slightly overlapping when closed. Petiole lacking both subpetiolar process and a ventrally bifurcated carina.

References