| Megalomyrmex wettereri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Genus: | Megalomyrmex |
| Species: | M. wettereri |
| Binomial name | |
| Megalomyrmex wettereri Brandão, 2003 | |
Megalomyrmex wettereri is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex wettereri is known from two lowland rainforest sites: Barro Colorado Island in Panama and La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. [1]
Observations from Barro Colorado were the subject of Adams et al. (2000). Colonies of M. wettereri were found occupying abandoned nests of Cyphomyrmex longiscapus . The fungus gardens of the Cyphomyrmex were intact and the Megalomyrmex workers were observed feeding on the fungal symbiont. When lab colonies of M. wettereri were placed in contact with colonies of Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, the M. wettereri aggressively attacked, killing the adult workers. When presented with Cyphomyrmex larvae, they stripped them of their fungal coating and fed them to their own larvae. Adams et al. (2000) concluded that M. wettereri was an "agro-predator," raiding Cyphomyrmex colonies en masse, displacing the Cyphomyrmex workers, and feeding on the remaining brood and fungi. [1]
Adetomyrma is a genus of ants endemic to Madagascar. Workers of this genus are blind. The type species Adetomyrma venatrix was described in 1994, with the genus being an atypical member of its tribe, the Amblyoponini. This tribe includes the Dracula ants, members of which can feed on the hemolymph of larvae and pupae.
Megalomyrmex symmetochus is a species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is native to Panama.
Megalomyrmex is a genus of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known only from the Neotropics, where some of the species are specialized parasites or predators of Attini.
Sericomyrmex is a genus of fungus-growing ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Aenictus is a large army ant genus distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. It contains about 181 species, making it one of the larger ant genera of the world.
Procryptocerus is a Neotropical genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they're on.
Azteca is a strictly Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae. The genus is very diverse and contains around 84 extant species and two fossil species. They are essentially arboreal and many species have mutualistic associations with particular plant species, where the genus Cecropia presents the most conspicuous association. In the Brazilian Amazonia, Azteca species are associated with species of Codonanthopsis.
Myrmelachista is a Neotropical genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae. The genus is found exclusively in the Neotropical realm. Little is known regarding their biology.
Megalomyrmex mondabora is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Known from Costa Rica. In Costa Rica this species occurs in wet forest habitats, typically in mature rainforest. Collections are from sea level to 800 m elevation on the Atlantic slope of the Cordillera Volcanica Central, Cordillera de Talamanca, and Cordillera de Guanacaste. It is a specialized nest parasite of attines and is found most often in nests of Cyphomyrmex cornutus. It cohabits with C. cornutus in their nests, feeding on both host brood and the host's fungal symbiont.
Megalomyrmex mondaboroides is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex mondaboroides occurs in lowland wet forest habitats in Panama and Costa Rica. Colonies have been collected in the nests of small attines, primarily Cyphomyrmex costatus and Apterostigma goniodes. In Costa Rica a worker was collected in a Winkler sample of sifted leaf litter.
Megalomyrmex wallacei is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex wallacei can be found in Brazil, Guyana, Colombia, Costa Rica. This species occurs in mature wet forest, usually low-elevation rainforest. Brandão (2003) reports the species nesting under leaves on the forest floor, in colonies of up to 300 workers.
Megalomyrmex reina is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2010, this species is known only from queens from Costa Rica. The fact that it is known only from queens is reflected in the name.
Megalomyrmex modestus is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Known from Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela.
Megalomyrmex drifti is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The species is widespread in tropical South America, north through Central America to southern Mexico.
Megalomyrmex foreli is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.
Megalomyrmex adamsae is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex adamsae, known from Panama, is very similar to M. symmetochus, known from Costa Rica to Panama.
Megalomyrmex incisus is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The species is known from southern Mexico south to central Brazil and Peru.
Megalomyrmex miri is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Known from Costa Rica. This species is known only from the type specimens and has no biological data. It is extremely similar to M. wettereri in color, size, shape, measurements, and pilosity. It differs in having a complete foraminal carina and some transverse rugosities on the anteroventral petiolar process.
Megalomyrmex silvestrii is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex silvestrii is widespread in the mainland Neotropics from Mexico to northern Argentina. This species occurs in moist to wet forest habitats, from sea level to 1100 m elevation. It nests in small chambers in rotten wood or opportunistically in other small cavities in the soil. Colonies have been found in small attine nests and alone, suggesting it is a facultative predator of small Attini.
Megalomyrmex nocarina is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex nocarina occurs in mature wet forest habitats of the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica. It occurs from near sea level to 1110 m elevation. It is known exclusively as isolated workers in Winkler samples of forest floor litter.
This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Longino, John T. (2010), "A taxonomic review of the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Central America" (PDF), Zootaxa , 2720: 35–58 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.