New synonymy, new species, new keys to Neivamyrmex army ants of the United States.
Author
Snelling, G. C.
Author
Snelling, R. R.
text
Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute
Editor
Snelling, R. R.
Editor
Fisher, B. L.
Editor
Ward, P. S.
2007
Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E. O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions.
80
459
550
http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/reference-full.html?id=21290
journal article
21290
Neivamyrmex swainsonii (Shuckard)
Figures 15, 25, 30, 46, 73, 122, 136, 147, 149
Labidus swainsonii Shuckard
, 1840: 201 (m).
BRAZIL
(
BMNH
). Westwood, 1842: 76. F. Smith, 1859: 8 (m).
Labidus mexicanus F. Smith
, 1859: 7 (m).
MEXICO
,
Orizaba
(
BMNH
) (examined). NEW SYNONYMY
.
Eciton (Acamatus) nitens
: Pergande, 1895: 874. Misidentification
Eciton (Acamatus) swainsonii
: Emery, 1900: 515, 525. Emery, 1910: 27. Santschi, 1916: 370. Santschi, 1931: 74. Gallardo, 1920: 379. Borgmeier, 1923: 50.
Eciton (Acamatus) arizonense Wheeler
, 1908 c: 414 (m). U. S. A., Arizona, Nogales. (MCZC). Emery 1910: 25. M. R. Smith, 1942: 581 (m)
Eciton (Acamatus) lieselaei
: Gallardo, 1920: fig. 32. Misidentification
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) swainsoni
: Borgmeier, 1948 b: 462.
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) arizonense
: Creighton, 1950: 69 - 70 (m).
Neivamyrmex swainsoni
: Borgmeier, 1953: 16. Borgmeier, 1955: 454 - 458 (m). Watkins, 1972: 352 (m). Watkins, 1976: 24 (m). Cokendolpher & Francke, 1990: 13.
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) commutatum
: M. R. Smith, 1942: 568 (misidentification).
Neivamyrmex swainsoni arizonensis
: Borgmeier, 1953: 19 (m).
Neivamyrmex fallax Borgmeier
, 1953: 48 (w).
U. S. A.
,
Texas
,
Victoria
(
USNM
). NEW SYNONYMY
DISTRIBUTION (Map 11)
UNITED STATES: Kansas, Louisiana and Texas, west to California; MEXICO: border states south to Chiapas and Yucatan; south to ARGENTINA.
SPECIMENS EXAMINED
We have 123 records for this species in the United States.
DISCUSSION
F. Smith's
Labidus mexicanus
was made a variety of
pilosus
by Borgmeier (1936), a synonym of
pilosus
by M. R. Smith (1942) and, finally, a subspecies of
pilosus
by Borgmeier (1953), where it has remained. We have examined the type of
L. mexicanus
and determined that none of the above decisions was correct.
Labidus mexicanus F. Smith
is, instead, a junior synonym of
N. swainsonii
(New synonymy).
Due to its large size and relative abundance
N. swainsonii
is easily one of North America ’ s most conspicuous army ants. Surprisingly, for many years the worker form of this common and wideranging species was unknown. We have determined that
N. fallax
is the worker of
N. swainsonii
. The evidence for this association is scanty: it is based on a worker of
N. fallax
found attached to the leg of a male collected in Arizona. Although throughout the United States and Mexico the ranges of these two taxa overlap nicely,
N. fallax
is unknown south of Guatemala.
Differences do exist between the North and South American populations; however after having examining the type specimen from Brazil and several other specimens from Central and South America we are forced to conclude that we are dealing with a single wide ranging and slightly variable species.
Automontage images of the male caste may be viewed at antweb. org