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Issue: Vol. 5569 No. 1: 13 Jan. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-01-13
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5569.1.3
Page range: 93-118
Abstract views: 151
PDF downloaded: 5

Taxonomic contributions to Mycetomoellerius Solomon et al., 2019 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae): description of two new species and a key for the genus

Pós-Graduação em Entomologia; Departamento de Entomologia; Universidade Federal de Viçosa; Brazil
Pós-Graduação em Ecologia; Departamento de Biologia Geral; Universidade Federal de Viçosa; Brazil
Departamento de Biologia Geral; Universidade Federal de Viçosa; Brazil
Hymenoptera Attini Neotropics Fungus-farming ants Identification key

Abstract

Fungus-farming ants (Myrmicinae: Attini: Attina) form mutualistic associations with Agaricales fungi. The group is divided in lower and higher attine ants. Genera Trachymyrmex, Mycetomoellerius, and Paratrachymyrmex are part of higher attine ants, the latter two recently erected and composed of species that were all formerly within Trachymyrmex. Morphological characters to distinguish the three genera are scarce. This study describes two new species of Mycetomoellerius, provides a multi-entry key for the species of Mycetomoellerius, and complements the genus-level diagnosis of Mycetomoellerius, Paratrachymyrmex, and Trachymyrmex. The two new species, Mycetomoellerius janildae sp. nov. and Mycetomoellerius mesopleuralis sp. nov., increase to 32 the total number of extant species of the genus. Male genitalia traits were relevant in the delimitation of the new species. Our taxonomic results represent a step towards the understanding of Mycetomoellerius diversity, one of the most speciose genera among the fungus-farming ants.

 

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