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Type: Article
Published: 2007-12-17
Page range: 1–53
Abstract views: 133
PDF downloaded: 3

A review of the North American species of the fungus-gardening ant genus Trachymyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX 78712-0253
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2902
School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501
Section of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas, 1 University Station C0930, Austin, TX 78712-0253
Hymenoptera Attini Formicidae phylogeny and species boundaries taxonomy Trachymyrmex United States

Abstract

We revise and key Trachymyrmex ants occurring in North America north of Mexico. We recognize nine species, including one new species from southern Arizona: T. arizonensis (Wheeler), T. carinatus Mackay & Mackay, T. desertorum (Wheeler), T. jamaicensis (André), T. nogalensis Byars, T. pomonae Rabeling & Cover sp. nov., T. septentrionalis (McCook), T. smithi Buren, and T. turrifex (Wheeler). Two infraspecific taxa are synonymized: T. smithi neomexicanus Cole syn. nov. (= T. smithi) and T. turrifex caroli Wheeler syn. nov. (= T. turrifex). We briefly characterize the previously undescribed queens of T. desertorum and T. nogalensis, and the males of T. desertorum and T. turrifex. We include keys for the identification of workers, queens and males, along with distribution maps for all species. A phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence information for parts of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase I and the first intron of the F1copy of the nuclear protein-coding gene Elongation Factor 1-α is used to characterize the intraversus inter-specific genetic variation of several populations per species. The molecular phylogenetic analysis supports our taxonomic conclusions concerning the North American Trachymyrmex species.

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