Description of a new genus of primitive ants from Canadian amber, with the study of relationships between stem- and crown-group ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Author
Borysenko, Leonid H.
text
Insecta Mundi
2017
2017-08-11
2017
570
1
57
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5169084
1942-1354
5169084
C6CCDDD5-9D09-4E8B-B056-A8095AA1367D
Tribe
Haidomyrmecini
Bolton, 2003
Diagnosis (workers, gynes).
(1) head capsule specialized: face and genae concave, clypeus modified
(putative apomorphy); (2) mandibles long, scythe or L-shaped (putative apomorphy); (3) anterolateral clypeal margins not produced over mandibular bases in rounded lobes; (4) peg-like setae on anterior clypeal margin absent; (5) ocelli present or not; (6) relative length of antennomeres variable; (7) terminal flagellomere elongated or not; (8) neck long; (9) petiole pedunculate; (10) gastral constriction present or not.
Comment.
Under the PhyloCode, the taxon should be named “
Haidomyrmecini
P
, converted clade name” and defined as “the clade consisting of
Haidomyrmex cerberus
Dlussky, 1996
and all species that share a more recent common ancestor with
Haidomyrmex cerberus
Dlussky, 1996
than with
Sphecomyrma freyi
Wilson and Brown, 1967
or
Zigrasimecia
Barden and Grimaldi, 2013
”.
Composition.
Genera
Haidomyrmex
Dlussky, 1996
(
type
genus),
Haidomyrmodes
Perrichot, Nel, Néraudeau, Lacau, Guyotet, 2008
,
Haidoterminus
McKellar, Glasier and Engel, 2013
,
Ceratomyrmex
Perrichot, Wang and Engel, 2016
.
Discussion.
This group is morphologically compact, and readily distinguishable from the other stem taxa. The unique head and mandibles are the most important morphological features, but some findings from the statistical analysis are also noteworthy. The scape indices as well as the index F1L/ HL occupy an intermediate position between the
Sphecomyrmini
and crown-group ants. This negatively influenced the discrimination between stem- and crown-group ants in the canonical discriminant analysis, as well as limits the potential of antennal metrics for providing a more rigorous diagnosis of
Pan-Formicidae
P
. All the other indices are statistically similar to those of the
Sphecomyrmini
. Unlike the
Sphecomyrmini
, there is no pattern F1L>P<F2L (many exceptions); however, some patterns in a F1-to-F2 ratio can be noted at the generic level:
Haidomyrmex
- F2L>F1L,
Haidomyrmodes
- F2L=F1L,
Haidoterminus
and
Ceratomyrmex
- F1L>F
2L.
The presence of the gastral constriction in the
Haidomyrmecini
is questionable.
Haidomyrmodes
has been described with the gastral constriction, but it may be an artifact of preservation. It is also possible that this character is variable at the generic level, as in the
Sphecomyrmini
.