Further revisionary studies on the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Solenopsidini)

A preliminary checklist of soil ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Colombian Amazon

“…All samples were identified by using the keys of recent revisions, verifying the species with the diagnosis and in some cases comparing with photos of type material in AntWeb (Brandão 1990, Kugler 1994, De Andrade and Baroni 1999, Palacio 1999, Fernández 2003, Longino and Fernández 2007, Jiménez et al 2008, Mackay and Mackay 2010, Ortiz and Fernández 2011, Pacheco and Mackay 2013, Lenhart et al 2013, Ješovnik and Schultz 2017, AntWeb 2018, LaPolla 2004, Snelling and Longino 1992, Brandão 2003, Longino 2010, Fernández et al 2015, Lattke et al 2007, Lattke 1997, Longino 2013, Sosa-Calvo et al 2018, Longino 2003). Camponotus, Brachymyrmex and Pheidole were identified through the comparison of material identified by specialists and reference collection.…”

Ant species (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from the seasonally dry tropical forest of northeastern Brazil: a compilation from field surveys in Bahia and literature records

“…In areas of arboreal caatinga, this technique has been applied only recently (Silva 2011a;Macêdo 2012). Our Winkler extracted samples in Milagres allowed us to add 23 new records of species for the biome (highlighted in Table I with an asterisk), which means an increase of almost 14% in the number of previously recognized species for the Caatingas, including a recently described species of Oxyepoecus (Myrmicinae, Solenopsidini), O. regularis Ulysséa & Brandão, 2012. It is important to note that updated global and regional catalogues of ant species were published in the last decade (Bolton 2003;Bolton et al 2006;Palácio & Fernández 2003), new mechanisms were made available for online identification (Longino 2005;Sarnat 2008), and tribes as well as widely distributed genera and subfamilies were partially or totally revised: Amblyoponinae (Yoshimura & Fisher 2012 (Lattke et al 2007); Linepithema (Wild 2007); Megalomyrmex (Brandão 1990(Brandão , 2003; Mycetophylax, Paramycetophylax and Kalathomyrmex (Klingenberg & Brandão 2009), Oxyepoecus (Albuquerque & Brandão 2004; Pheidole of the Americas (Wilson 2003); Prenolepis (LaPolla et al 2010), Trachymyrmex species groups (Mayhé- Nunes & Brandão 2002, 2005, 2007 and Wasmannia (Longino & Fernández 2007). These revisions, associated with the direct comparison with specimens deposited in the collection of Hymenoptera in the MZSP, allowed the identification at species-level of most of the analyzed material.…”

Nesting biology of the arboreal fungus-growing ant Cyphomyrmex cornutus and behavioral interactions with the social-parasitic ant Megalomyrmex mondabora

“…Megalomyrmex symmetochus parasitize at least three species (Trachymyrmex cf. zeteki, Sericomyrmex amabilis, and a smaller Sericomyrmex species) (Wheeler, 1925;Brand¼o, 2003) and M. silvestrii parasitizes four species from four genera (Apterostigma sp. 1, C. costatus, Sericomyrmex sp.…”

“…obs.). Finally, M. wettereri parasitize Trachymyrmex bugnioni and are agro-predators of Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, usurping the garden rather than cohabiting with the host (Adams et al, 2000a;Brand¼o, 2003). It would be interesting to know if Megalomyrmex species associating with multiple host species show size variation and/or are genetically isolated.…”

“…Vol. 54, 2007 Research article 137 fungus garden from the attine ants) in the genera Pseudoatta, Acromyrmex, Gnamptogenys, and Megalomyrmex (Brand¼o, 1990(Brand¼o, , 2003Adams et al, 2000a;Bekkevold and Boomsma, 2000;Dijkstra and Boomsma, 2003;Boomsma, 2004). The first two are social parasites derived from ancestral fungus-growing ant lineages within the Attini, whereas both Gnamptogenys and Megalomyrmex originated independently in lineages distantly related to their attine hosts.…”