Mycetophylax morschi

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Mycetophylax morschi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Mycetophylax
Species: M. morschi
Binomial name
Mycetophylax morschi
(Emery, 1888)

Mycetophylax morschi casent0904981 p 1 high.jpg

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Specimen Labels

Synonyms

As in Mycetophylax conformis and Mycetophylax simplex, the nests of M. morschi are exclusively found in the sandy soil of the South Atlantic beaches. The nest architecture and colony size are also similar in the three species (average of 120 workers per colony, Klingenberg et al., 2007).

At a Glance • Intertidal zone  

Identification

Mycetophylax morschi is the only species in the genus which bears a lateral depression on the head, similar to an antennal scrobe, a very common character of Cyphomyrmex. However, in M. morschi, the scrobe-like depression shelters only the anterior portion of the antennal scapes, by virtue of its laterally expanded frontal carina. In Cyphomyrmex the scrobe lodges all or most of the scape as the frontal carina is expanded over the whole scrobe. (Klingenberg and Brandao 2009)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 3.133333333° to -31.365°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Neotropical Region: Argentina, Brazil (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

Explore-icon.png Explore Fungus Growing 
For additional details see Fungus growing ants.

A handful of ant species (approx. 275 out of the known 15,000 species) have developed the ability to cultivate fungus within their nests. In most species the fungus is used as the sole food source for the larvae and is an important resource for the adults as well. Additionally, in a limited number of cases, the fungus is used to construct part of the nest structure but is not as a food source.

These fungus-feeding species are limited to North and South America, extending from the pine barrens of New Jersey, United States, in the north (Trachymyrmex septentrionalis) to the cold deserts in Argentina in the south (several species of Acromyrmex). Species that use fungi in nest construction are known from Europe and Africa (a few species in the genera Crematogaster, Lasius).


The details of fungal cultivation are rich and complex. First, a wide variety of materials are used as substrate for fungus cultivating. The so-called lower genera include species that prefer dead vegetation, seeds, flowers, fruits, insect corpses, and feces, which are collected in the vicinity of their nests. The higher genera include non leaf-cutting species that collect mostly fallen leaflets, fruit, and flowers, as well as the leafcutters that collect fresh leaves from shrubs and trees. Second, while the majority of fungi that are farmed by fungus-feeding ants belong to the family Lepiotaceae, mostly the genera Leucoagaricus and Leucocoprinus, other fungi are also involved. Some species utilise fungi in the family Tricholomataceae while a few others cultivate yeast. The fungi used by the higher genera no longer produce spores. Their fungi produce nutritious and swollen hyphal tips (gongylidia) that grow in bundles called staphylae, to specifically feed the ants. Finally, colony size varies tremendously among these ants. Lower taxa mostly live in inconspicuous nests with 100–1000 individuals and relatively small fungus gardens. Higher taxa, in contrast, live in colonies made of 5–10 million ants that live and work within hundreds of interconnected fungus-bearing chambers in huge subterranean nests. Some colonies are so large, they can be seen from satellite photos, measuring up to 600 m3.

Based on these habits, and taking phylogenetic information into consideration, these ants can be divided into six biologically distinct agricultural systems (with a list of genera involved in each category):

Nest Construction

A limited number of species that use fungi in the construction of their nests.

Lower Agriculture

Practiced by species in the majority of fungus-feeding genera, including those thought to retain more primitive features, which cultivate a wide range of fungal species in the tribe Leucocoprineae.

Coral Fungus Agriculture

Practiced by species in the Apterostigma pilosum species-group, which cultivate fungi within the Pterulaceae.

Yeast Agriculture

Practiced by species within the Cyphomyrmex rimosus species-group, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi derived from the lower attine fungi.

Generalized Higher Agriculture

Practiced by species in several genera of non-leaf-cutting "higher attine" ants, which cultivate a distinct clade of leucocoprineaceous fungi separately derived from the lower attine fungi.

Leaf-Cutter Agriculture

A subdivision of higher attine agriculture practiced by species within several ecologically dominant genera, which cultivate a single highly derived species of higher attine fungus.

Note that the farming habits of Mycetagroicus (4 species) are unknown. Also, while species of Pseudoatta (2 species) are closely related to the fungus-feeding genus Acromyrmex, they are social parasites, living in the nests of their hosts and are not actively involved in fungus growing. ‎

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • morschi. Cyphomyrmex morschi Emery, 1888c: 360 (w.) BRAZIL.
    • Klingenberg & Brandão, 2009: 18 (m.).
    • Combination in Mycetophylax: Klingenberg & Brandão, 2009: 17; Sosa-Calvo et al., 2017: 9.
    • Senior synonym of personatus: Kempf, 1964d: 25.
  • personatus. Cyphomyrmex (Mycetoritis [sic]) personatus Santschi, 1923c: 268 (q.) ARGENTINA.
    • See also: Santschi, 1925e: 164.
    • Junior synonym of morschi: Kempf, 1964d: 25; Klingenberg & Brandão, 2009: 17.

Type Material

Klingenberg and Brandao 2009:

(worker) Syntypes, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, São Lourenço (von Ihering), (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, examined)

Cyphomyrmex (Mycetoritis) (sic) personatus (gyne) Argentina: Prov. de Buenos Aires, Monte Hermose, no coll. data (C. Bruch); (type specimens not localized)

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

Description

Klingenberg and Brandao 2009:

Worker

Range of measurements (mm) and indices of examined specimens (N = 10): IOD 0.53-0.67; HL 0.6-0.71; CI 82-97; SL 0.49-0.60; SI 79-98; ML 0.20-0.28; MI 32-42; WL 0.80-1.00; PrW 0.40-0.50; PL 0.10-0.20; PPL 0.20-0.30; GL 0.54-0.70; FL 0.66-0.93; TL 2.54-3.03.

Color brown to light brown. Mandibles, antennae and legs opaque brown to yellowish. Surface of frons with small irregular pores; a single seta coming out of each of them (only visible with higher magnifications). Mandibular disc almost entirely covered by very fine longitudinal rugae. Whole body, legs and antennae covered by bright, short and sparse appressed white hairs; only the area between frontal carinae and preocular carinae hairless. Hairs of masticatory border of mandible somewhat longer than in the other areas. Sculpture areolate. The individual submitted to SEM is covered by a thin layer of "dirt”, detritus adhering at the integument, leaving the sculpture with a punctate appearance.

Head longer than wide, subrectangular; posterior portion slightly wider than anterior one. Compound eyes with eight ommatidia at maximum length and six ommatidia at maximum width. Mandibles with nine triangular teeth, the four most apical larger and the remaining slightly smaller. Anterior margin of clypeus gently rounded and with a short and hardly visible median seta. Frontal lobes maximum expansion less than half the distance between the median line and external border of the head, external margins gently rounded. Frontal and lateral carinae almost reaching the posterolateral lobes, forming a scrobe-like impressed area, where the ants accommodate the antennal scapes. Lateral carinae distinct for half of head length, posterior part of carinae obsolete, faintly developed. Antennal scapes straight, surpassing the posterolateral corners by a distance similar to their diameter, when laid back. Antennae ending in a three-segmented club, last antennal segment as long as the three preceding together. Vertexal margin concave, impressed, posterolateral corners rounded.

Pronotum in lateral view with the dorsum marked by a very low median tubercle, a pair of low posterior tubercles, and short, blunt pronotal inferior spines. Mesonotum with a median rounded tubercle. Metapropodeal impression distinct. Propodeum in lateral view with basal face slightly convex; declivous face almost straight, armed with a pair of small blunt spines, occasionally these spines appearing as protuberances. Peduncle of petiole reduced, node of petiole as long as high, ending in two lateral lobes posteriorly. In dorsal view, posterior portion of postpetiole with a deep impression; posterior margin slightly convex, almost straight.

Queen

Range of measurements (in mm) and indices of examined specimens (N = 13): IOD 0.66-0.72; HL 0.74-0.78; CI 87-92; SL 0.54-0.64; SI 79-94; ML 0.35-0.40; MI 47-52; WL 1.04-1.14; PL 0.20-0.24; PPL 0.26-0.30; GL 0.84-0.98; TL 3.45-3.90.

Color brownish to dark brown. Mandibles, antennae and legs yellowish, according to the age of individuals. Most characters as in conspecific workers. Compound eyes at maximum length with 15 ommatidia and at maximum width eleven ommatidia. In lateral view, scutum flattened, covering more than half of the pronotum. Pronotum with anterior lateral pronotal protuberances, a low median elevation, and distinct blunt inferior pronotal spines. Parapsidial lines indistinct, glabrous and parallel in relation to the main body axis. Notaulices shallowly impressed, scutum-scutellar sulcus distinctly impressed. Scutellum concave at anterior margin in dorsal view and twice the width of the area anteriorly than posteriorly. Posterior margin angled, concave in the middle. Katepisternum subtriangular, anepisternum subrectangular, both divided by a distinct suture. Propodeum declivous and basal face almost straight, with small blunt spines, directed back and upwards.

Male

Range of measurements (in mm) and indices of examined specimens (N = 10): IOD 0.44-0.52; HL 0.52-0.62; CI 79-87; SL 0.54-0.68; SI 113-117 ; ML 0.22-0.28; MI 38-48; WL 0.84-1.04; PL 0.18-0.22; PPL 0.18-0.24; GL 0.70-0.84; TL 2.69-3.15.

Color yellowish to brownish. Mandibles, antennae (base and funiculus) and legs yellowish, lighter in young individuals. Sculpture like in the conspecific workers, but for the gaster, which sculpture is fainter in males.

Head longer than wide, compound eyes occuping a fourth of its lateral margin, in full face view, with 18 ommatidia at maximum length and 16 ommatidia at maximum width. Anterior margin of clypeus almost straight, with one visible median seta twice as long as the mandible hairs. Middle portion of clypeus ending in a straight suture at the level of the antennal insertions, followed by the relatively large, impressed, frontal area. Mandibles with three apical teeth followed by a diastema and two to three smaller teeth; last tooth as a denticle. Frontal lobes covering half of the antennal insertions in full face view. Antennae 13-segmented. Antennal scapes slightly curved, flattened at base, rounded and thicker apically. Apical segment of funiculus as long as the two anterior segments together. Frontal carinae extending back up to the level of the median ocellus, disappearing near the vertexal margin. Lateral carinae following the internal margin of the compound eyes anteriorly, ending little after the level of the posterior margin of the compound eyes; both carinae converging but not touching posteriorly. Area between frontal and lateral carinae impressed and free of hairs. Vertex flattened, slightly and evenly concave, laterally marked by defined angles produced as blunt denticles.

In lateral view scutum covering half of the pronotum. Pronotum with small, acute, triangular, inferior spines and a pair of well developed, acute, lateral spines. Notaulices, in dorsal view, as wide impressed sutures with slightly transverse rugae at its posterior portion. Parapsidial lines very close to the lateral margins, gently rounded, diverging anteriorly. Prescutellum relatively wide. Scutum-scutellar sulcus deeply impressed with transversal rugae. Anterior margin of scutellum rounded; in dorsal view. Katepisternum and anepisternum divided by a suture with transverse rugae. Katepisternum subquadrate, antero-inferior margin rounded; anepisternum subtriangular, with anterior vertex rounded. Mesocoxa occupying only the posterior third of katepisternum inferior margin. Propodeum dorsal and declivous faces almost vertical, with short, backwards directed, spines.

Karyotype

  • n = 13, 2n = 26, karyotype = 18M+10SM+2A (Brazil) (Cardoso et al., 2012a; Cardoso et al., 2014; Moura et al., 2020).
  • 2n = 28 (Brazil) (Moura et al., 2020).
  • n = 15, 2n = 30, karyotype = 18M+6SM+2A (Brazil) (Cardoso et al., 2012a; Cardoso et al., 2014; Moura et al., 2020).
  • 2n = 26, karyotype = 9M + 3SM + 1A (Brazil) (Micolino et al., 2019).
  • 2n = 28, karyotype = 9M + 5SM (Brazil) (Micolino et al., 2019).
  • 2n = 30, karyotype = 9M + 5SM + 1A (Brazil) (Micolino et al., 2019).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Amat-G G., M. G. Andrade-C. and F. Fernández. (eds.) 1999. Insectos de Colombia. Volumen II. Bogotá: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 433 pp. 131975
  • Araujo M. S., A. J. Mayhé-Nunes, J. M. Queiroz. 2007. Diversity of ants from Rio de Janeiro State (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biológico, São Paulo, 69(2): 285-287.
  • Cardoso, D.C., T.G. Sobrinho and J.H. Schoereder. 2010. Ant community composition and its relationship with phytophysiognomies in a Brazilian Restinga. Insectes Sociaux 57:293-301
  • Clemes Cardoso D., M. Passos Cristiano, J. Heinze, and M. G. Tavares. 2014. A nuclear DNA based phylogeny of endemic sand dune ants of the genus Mycetophylax (Emery, 1913): How morphology is reflected in molecular data. Molecular phylogenetics and Evolution 70: 378–382.
  • Clemes Cardoso D., and J. H. Schoereder. 2014. Biotic and abiotic factors shaping ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblages in Brazilian coastal sand dunes: the case of restinga in Santa Catarina. Florida Entomologist 97(4): 1443-1450.
  • Clemes Cardoso D., and M. Passos Cristiano. 2010. Myrmecofauna of the Southern Catarinense Restinga sandy coastal plain: new records of species occurrence for the state of Santa Catarina and Brazil. Sociobiology 55(1b): 229-239.
  • Franco W., N. Ladino, J. H. C. Delabie, A. Dejean, J. Orivel, M. Fichaux, S. Groc, M. Leponce, and R. M. Feitosa. 2019. First checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of French Guiana. Zootaxa 4674(5): 509-543.
  • Kempf W. W. 1962. Miscellaneous studies on neotropical ants. II. (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 5: 1-38.
  • Kempf W. W. 1964. A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part I: Group of strigatus Mayr (Hym., Formicidae). Studia Entomologica 7: 1-44.
  • 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).
  • Klingenberg C. and Brandão, C. R. F. 2009. Revision of the fungus-growing ant genera Mycetophylax Emery and Paramycetophylax Kusnezov rev. stat., and description of Kalathomyrmex n. gen. (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini). Zootaxa 2052: 1-31
  • Klingenberg C., C. R. F. Brandão, and W. Engels. 2007. Primitive nest architecture and small monogynous colonies in basal Attini inhabiting sandy beaches of southern Brazil. Studies on the Neotropical Fauna and Environment 42: 121-126.
  • Rosa da Silva R. 1999. Formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) do oeste de Santa Catarina: historico das coletas e lista atualizada das especies do Estado de Santa Catarina. Biotemas 12(2): 75-100.