Brachymyrmex fiebrigi

Brachymyrmex fiebrigi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Myrmelachistini
Genus:	Brachymyrmex
Species:	B. fiebrigi
Binomial name
	Brachymyrmex fiebrigi; Forel, 1908 Specimen labels
Subspecies
	Brachymyrmex fiebrigi fumida Santschi, 1923; Brachymyrmex fiebrigi funicularis Santschi, 1922;

Specimens have been collected from below stones (Philip S. Ward Collection: USNMENT00757549); Forel (1908) suggested that this species nests in dry branches of bushes.

Identification

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Brachymyrmex fiebrigi morphologically resembles Brachymyrmex depilis, because they both have short scapes that do not or just reach the posterior margin of the head, a gaster with dense pubescence, a yellowish body, and eyes that are positioned on the cephalic midline. Brachymyrmex fiebrigi differs from B. depilis by its mesosoma, which usually bears several erect hairs, two on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum and by its geographic distribution, which ranges from the South of Mexico until Paraguay, including Cuba.

Keys including this Species

Identification key to Brachymyrmex species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 21.21667° to -38.15°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina (type locality), Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay (type locality), Suriname.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Castes

Queen

Images from AntWeb


Male (alate). Specimen code casent0173477. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ALWC, Alex L. Wild Collection.

Nomenclature

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

fiebrigi. Brachymyrmex fiebrigi Forel, 1908c: 400 (w.) PARAGUAY.
- Santschi, 1922d: 260 (q.m.).
- Status as species: Santschi, 1922d: 260; Santschi, 1923b: 661; Emery, 1925b: 42; Santschi, 1933e: 122; Kempf, 1961b: 522; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82; Wild, 2007b: 27; Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 496.
- Senior syonym of fumidus: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 496.
- Senior synonym of funicularis: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 496.
fumidus. Brachymyrmex fiebrigi var. fumida Santschi, 1923b: 661 (w.) ARGENTINA (Buenos Aires, Córdoba).
- Subspecies of fiebrigi: Emery, 1925b: 42; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82.
- Junior synonym of fiebrigi: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 496.
funicularis. Brachymyrmex fiebrigi var. funicularis Santschi, 1922d: 260 (w.) ARGENTINA (Córdoba).
- Subspecies of fiebrigi: Emery, 1925b: 42; Kempf, 1972a: 39; Bolton, 1995b: 82.
- Junior synonym of fiebrigi: Ortiz-Sepúlveda, et al. 2019: 496.

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

Description

Worker

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype and paralectotypes (n = 3). HL1 0.35–0.37; HL2 0.23; HL3 0.08–0.10; HW 0.31; SL 0.25–0.29; EL 0.08–0.10; WL 0.27–0.31; PnL 0.12; PnW 0.20–0.25; ML 0.06; MW 0.16–0.20; Indices CI 87.21– 88.89; SI1 81.25–93.75; SI2 108.33–125.00; OI1 25.00– 31.25; OI2 21.05–27.78. Additional material (n = 12). HL1 0.32–0.46; HL2 0.22–0.34; HL3 0.07–0.13; HW 0.27–0.41; SL 0.22–0.36; EL 0.08–0.10; WL 0.26–0.40; PnL 0.09–0.14; PnW 0.20–0.28; M 0.06–0.11; MW 0.15–0.20; Indices CI 75.71–88.46; SI1 80.00–93.75; SI2 96.77– 115.38; OI1 21.74–33.33; OI2 20.00–28.85.

Head. Slightly longer than wide in full face view; posterior cephalic margin flat. Dorsum of the head with 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 are short, usually approximately reaching the posterior margin of the head, and they bear appressed and decumbent hairs. Ocelli apparently absent. Eyes are positioned on the cephalic midline and have 6–9 ommatidia along their maximal diameter.

Mesosoma. Typically with two erect hairs on the pronotum and two on the mesonotum. The mesonotum is not inflated and does not bulge dorsally above the pronotum in lateral view. Metanotal groove absent or narrower than the diameter of the metathoracic spiracles. Metathoracic spiracles dorsolateral in position, not protruding, and touching the propodeal suture. Dorsum of the propodeum flat and much shorter than the posterior slope. Propodeal spiracles circular, small and inconspicuous, positioned on the posterior propodeal margin slightly posterior of the middle of the propodeal slope. Legs with appressed hairs. Petiole short and inclined forward.

Gaster. With dense pubescence and scattered suberect hairs at the eges of the segments.

Color and sculpture. Body usually smooth, shiny and yellowish.

Type Material

Ortiz-Sepulveda et al. (2019) - Lectotype worker (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: USNMENT00757164) and paralectotype workers (MHNG: USNMENT00757164–00757165; here designated): four workers [examined]. PARAGUAY: San Bernandino, Fiebrig leg.

The lectotype is the second ant from the top on pin USNMENT00757164, whereas the other specimens on that pin are paralectotypes.

References

Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 82, catalogue)
Forel, A. 1908h. Ameisen aus Sao Paulo (Brasilien), Paraguay etc. gesammelt von Prof. Herm. v. Ihering, Dr. Lutz, Dr. Fiebrig, etc. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 58: 340-418 (page 400, worker described)
Ortiz-Sepulveda, C.M., Van Bocxlaer, B., Meneses, A.D., Fernández, F. 2019. Molecular and morphological recognition of species boundaries in the neglected ant genus Brachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): toward a taxonomic revision. Organisms Diversity & Evolution (DOI 10.1007/s13127-019-00406-2).
Santschi, F. 1922e. Description de nouvelles fourmis de l'Argentine et pays limitrophes. An. Soc. Cient. Argent. 94: 241-262 (page 260, queen, male described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Forel A. 1908. Ameisen aus Sao Paulo (Brasilien), Paraguay etc. gesammelt von Prof. Herm. v. Ihering, Dr. Lutz, Dr. Fiebrig, etc. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 58: 340-418.
Kempf W. W. 1961. A survey of the ants of the soil fauna in Surinam (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 4: 481-524.
Kempf, W.W. 1972. Catalago abreviado das formigas da regiao Neotropical (Hym. Formicidae) Studia Entomologica 15(1-4).
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
Santschi F. 1923. Revue des fourmis du genre Brachymyrmex Mayr. Anales del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Buenos Aires 31: 650-678.
Santschi F. 1933. Fourmis de la République Argentine en particulier du territoire de Misiones. Anales de la Sociedad Cientifica Argentina. 116: 105-124.