Pseudomyrmex brunneus

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Pseudomyrmex brunneus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus: Pseudomyrmex
Species: P. brunneus
Binomial name
Pseudomyrmex brunneus
(Smith, F., 1877)

Pseudomyrmex brunneus casent0104806 profile 1.jpg

Pseudomyrmex brunneus casent0104806 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Synonyms

Identification

Ward (1985) - Similar to Pseudomyrmex ejectus.The major differences between the two species are in the shapes of the propodeum, petiole, and postpetiole (note especially the non-overlapping values of PWI and PPWI). In addition, P. brunneus tends to have a more densely sculptured (and opaque) head than P. ejectus and to exhibit less contrasting light and dark brown coloration on the mesosoma, petiole and post petiole.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 21.800206° to -19.6°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Greater Antilles, Mexico (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Ward (1985) - At Cola de Caballo, near Monterrey, I collected workers and larvae of P. brunneus in dead twigs of a small tree, probably Melia azedarach, and in the dead stalk of an unidentified mint. The latter nest contained a single dealate queen, P. ejectus was also found nesting in a dead mint stalk at this locality.

This appears to be an uncommon Mexican species, which occurs sympatrically with P. ejectus.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • brunneus. Pseudomyrma brunnea Smith, F., 1877b: 63 (w.) MEXICO. Emery, 1895c: 270 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1956: 382 (l.). Combination in Leptalea: Smith, M.R. 1951a: 788; in Pseudomyrmex: Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1956: 382. Senior synonym of nigrita: Ward, 1985b: 231.
  • nigrita. Pseudomyrma brunnea var. nigrita Enzmann, E.V. 1944: 82, pl. 2, fig. 12 (w.) MEXICO. Combination in Pseudomyrmex: Kempf, 1972a: 216. Junior synonym of brunneus: Ward, 1985b: 231.

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

Description

Worker

Ward (1985) - Measurements (n = 10): HL 0.77-0.86, HW 0.67-0.72, MFC 0.012-0.024, CI 0.83-0.90. OI 0.57-0.63, REL 0.51-0.56, REL2 0.58-0.64, OOI 0.67-1.20, VI 0.70-0.78, FCI 0.017-0.035, SI 0.43-0.50, SI2 0.69-0.80, FI 0.41-0.45, PDI 0.56-0.75, MPI 0.052-0.075, NI 0.57-0.65, PLI 0.47-0.58, PWI 0.54-0.65, PPWI 1.26-1.54.

Worker Diagnosis. —Small, brown species, with wide head and broadly rounded occiptal margin (HW 0.67-0.72, CI 0.83-0.90). Similar to p. ejectus F. Smith (q.v.) except as follows: basal face of propodeum between one half and three quarters the length of declivitous face (POI 0.56-0.75); petiole shorter and broader than that of p. ejectus (PWI 0.54-0.65); petiolar node somewhat displaced posteriorly; postpetiole short and wide (PPWI 1.26-1.54). Front of head opaque, densely coriarious-imbricate; sculpture becoming weaker towards the vertex, with scattered, fine punctures on a (usually) sublucid, coriarious background; mesosoma subopaque, coriarious to coriarious-imbricate; petiole, postpetiole, and gaster increasingly (in that order) less coriarious and more smooth and shining. Erect pilosity very sparse; appressed pubescence scattered over body; abdominal tergite IV with appressed hairs separated by about their lengths, and not obscuring the shiny integument. Body dark brown, little or no contrast in color between the head, mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole, or gaster; mandibles and apical ends of tarsi luteous.

Type Material

Ward (1985) - Holotype (unique syntype) worker. Mexico (The Natural History Museum) (Examined).

Pseudomyrma brunnea var. nigrita Enzmann. 1945, p, 82, Syntype workers, Mirador, Mexico (E. Skwarra) (Museum of Comparative Zoology) (Examined).

References

  • Davis, T. 2009. The ants of South Carolina (thesis, Clemson University).
  • Emery, C. 1895d. Beiträge zur Kenntniss der nordamerikanischen Ameisenfauna. (Schluss). Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 8: 257-360 (page 270, queen described)
  • Smith, F. 1877b. Descriptions of new species of the genera Pseudomyrma and Tetraponera, belonging to the family Myrmicidae. Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 1877: 57-72 (page 63, worker described)
  • Smith, M. R. 1951c. Family Formicidae. Pp. 778-875 in: Muesebeck, C. F., Krombein, K. V., Townes, H. K. (eds.) Hymenoptera of America north of Mexico. Synoptic catalogue. U. S. Dep. Agric. Agric. Monogr. 2:1-1420. (page 788, Combination in Leptalea)
  • Ward, P. S. 1985b. The Nearctic species of the genus Pseudomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Quaest. Entomol. 21: 209-246 (page 231, Senior synonym of nigrita)
  • Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1956. The ant larvae of the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 49: 374-398 (page 382, Combination in Pseudomyrmex)
  • Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1956. The ant larvae of the subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 49: 374-398 (page 382, larva described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Coronado-Blanco J. M., D. A. Dubovikoff, E. Ruiz-Cancino, M. Vasquez-Bolanos, K. Y. Flores-Maldonado, and J. V. Horta-Vega. 2013. Formicidae (Hymenoptera) del estado de Tamaulipas, Mexico. CienciaUat 25(1): 12-17.
  • Dattilo W. et al. 2019. MEXICO ANTS: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface. Ecology https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2944
  • De la Mora, A., C. J. Murnen, and S. M. Philpott. 2013. Local and landscape drivers of biodiversity of four groups of ants in Neotropical coffee landscapes. Biodiversity and Conservation 22: 871-888.
  • Fernández, F. and S. Sendoya. 2004. Lista de las hormigas neotropicales. Biota Colombiana Volume 5, Number 1.
  • Gove, A. D., J. D. Majer, and V. Rico-Gray. 2009. Ant assemblages in isolated trees are more sensitive to species loss and replacement than their woodland counterparts. Basic and Applied Ecology 10: 187-195.
  • Johnson R. Personnal Database. Accessed on February 5th 2014 at http://www.asu.edu/clas/sirgtools/resources.htm
  • Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
  • Moser J. C. and M. S. Blum. 1960. The Formicidae of Louisiana. Insect Conditions in Louisiana 3: 48-50
  • O'Keefe S. T., J. L. Cook, T. Dudek, D. F. Wunneburger, M. D. Guzman, R. N. Coulson, and S. B. Vinson. 2000. The Distribution of Texas Ants. The Southwestern Entomologist 22: 1-92.
  • Smith M. R. 1924. An annotated list of the ants of Mississippi (Hym.). Entomological News 35: 47-54.
  • Smith M. R. 1930. A list of Florida ants. Florida Entomologist 14: 1-6.
  • Smith M. R. 1934. A list of the ants of South Carolina. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 42: 353-361.
  • Smith M. R. 1934. Dates on which the immature or mature sexual phases of ants have been observed (Hymen.: Formicoidea). Entomological News 45: 247-251.
  • Smith M. R. 1936. A list of the ants of Texas. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 44: 155-170.
  • Tynes J. S., and R. E. Hutchins. 1964. Studies of plant-nesting ants in east central Mississippi. American Midland Naturalist 72(1): 152-156.
  • Van Pelt A. F. 1956. The ecology of the ants of the Welaka Reserve, Florida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). American Midland Naturalist 56: 358-387
  • Vásquez-Bolaños M. 2011. Lista de especies de hormigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para México. Dugesiana 18: 95-133
  • Ward P. S. 1985. The Nearctic species of the genus Pseudomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Quaestiones Entomologicae 21: 209-246
  • Wheeler W. M. 1908. The ants of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. (Part I.). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 24: 399-485.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1913. Ants collected in Georgia by Dr. J. C. Bradley and Mr. W. T. Davis. Psyche (Cambridge) 20: 112-117.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1932. A list of the ants of Florida with descriptions of new forms. J. N. Y. Entomol. Soc. 40: 1-17.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1942. Studies of Neotropical ant-plants and their ants. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 90: 1-262.