Brachymyrmex
Brachymyrmex is one of those genera that is really easy (for me, anyway) to identify to genus, but almost impossible to identify to species. The only species I was able to put a name on was Brachymyrmex cavernicola, a cute little bugger that looks more like a Paratrechina than a Brachymyrmex until you count the antennal segments. The last taxonomic revision was in 1923 (Santschi) so it is definitely due for another one. Luckily, it looks like Vinda Maharajh, a PhD student at the University of Florida, is working on one. I sent him a bunch of my samples last week and wish him luck. If you have any Brachymyrmex specimens lying around, you might consider sending them on over.
are you sure, this is Brachymyrmex? I thought that only Paratrechina has such as distinct hair-less propodeum?!
ReplyDeleteYup, definitely Brachymyrmex. Check out Jack's page on B. cavernicola here:
ReplyDeletehttp://academic.evergreen.edu/projects/ants/genera/brachymyrmex/species/cavernicola/cavernicola.html
Yep, I was temporarily fooled by this species, when Kari sent it to me among a batch of Paratrechina. Furthering the Paratrechina illusion, this is a relatively large species with stout, paired, barbulate macrochaetae. But the mesosomal profile and 9-segmented antennae (not visible here, but clearly so in the head shot at Jack's site) clinch the genus as Brachymyrmex.
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