Subfamilies
Links
Jack Longino's Ants of Costa Rica
American Museum Social Insects website
William and Emma Mackay Ants of North America site
Gordon and Roy Snelling New World Army Ants
sF Myrmicinae Cyphomyrmex
Cyphomyrmex are abundant in the litter of BCNM. However, like many attines, they are an aggravating combination of lots of interesting sculpture combined that often seems to vary continuously among forms. This is my second attempt at making sense of this group, borrowing from Jack Longino's Cyphomyrmex pages. MEK-003-005 appear to represent a continuum within rimosus and salvini.
Species are sorted by the Weber's length (maximum length of the mesonotum from anterior pronotum to the posterior of propedum).Head length (HL, maximum length of head in full face view, excluding mandibles).
smallest Cyphomyrmex with dorsal ridges on mesosoma and pronounced lateral and dorsal ridges on gaster
WWL=0.68 HL=0.30
scape exceeds vertex by no more than 1/2 scape width, no auricular vertices, no tubercles
WWL=0.70 HL=0.62
scape exceeds vertex by no more than 1/2 scape width, no auricular vertices, no turbercles,narrow head width=0.58
WWL=0.70 HL=0.6
MEK-003 Kaspari MS
scapes exceed vertices by > 1 scape width, no auriculate vertices, tuberculate mesosoma, large eyes visible in lateral notch of frontal lobes
WWL=0.85 HL=0.65
Mandibles with 5 teeth; preocular carina curving mesad toward frontal carina; antennal scrobe poorly defined; lateral vertex margins forming acute teeth that project posteriorly; propodeum with distinct spines.
WWL=1.03 HL=0.78
21Dec04 based on Longino's treatment
MEK-002 corresponds to dixus.
Updated 18December2003
This page was built with support from the U. S. National Science Foundation