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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Pseudomyrmecinae » Pseudomyrmex » Graceful Twig Ant (Pseudomyrmex gracilis)

Species Pseudomyrmex gracilis - Graceful Twig Ant

ant - Pseudomyrmex gracilis Pseudomyrmex - Pseudomyrmex gracilis - male Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) - Pseudomyrmex gracilis - female Ant or wasp? - Pseudomyrmex gracilis Pseudomyrmex gracilis - female Florida Methoca? - Pseudomyrmex gracilis - female Elongate Twig Ant - Pseudomyrmex gracilis Ant - Pseudomyrmex gracilis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
Superfamily Formicoidea (Ants)
Family Formicidae (Ants)
Subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae
Genus Pseudomyrmex
Species gracilis (Graceful Twig Ant)
Other Common Names
Mexican Twig Ant, Slender Twig Ant
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius)
Orig. Comb: Formica gracilis Fabricius, 1804
Explanation of Names
gracilis (L). 'slender' (1)
Size
8-10 mm (2)
Identification
A long, solitary, wasp-like ant. Large eyes, two segmented petiole, well developed sting. Color varies with geographic distribution, and can range from dark brown-black, to orange-brown, or a mixture of orange and brown [bicolored]. The variation found in Florida is mostly described as bicolored with a black head, black abdomen, and an orange middle region. (2)

Det. M. A. Quinn, 2010
Range
se US (TX-FL-SC) / Mex. to S. Amer. (2)(AntWeb)(BG data)
Habitat
Arboreal ant (2)
Season
yr round (BG data)
Food
Feeds on live insects (especially lepidopteran larvae), fungus spores, and tends aphids for honeydew (Whitcomb et al. 1972, Ferster et al. 2000). (2)
Life Cycle
Small nests. Leave pheromone trails. Unlike other members of this genus they are not associated with Acacia trees.
Remarks
possesses a somewhat painful sting, perhaps approximate in intensity to the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, but rarely uses it. (Graham Montgomery, pers. obs.)
Print References
Beardsley, J.W. 1979. Notes on Pseudomyrmex gracilis mexicanus (Roger). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 23: 23.
Wetterer, J.K. 2010. Worldwide spread of the graceful twig ant, Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 93: 535-540.
Internet References
Featured Creatures - Patricia L. Toth, University of Florida
AntWeb
Ants (Formicidae) of the se US - Joe A. MacGown, Mississippi State University
Works Cited
1.Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms
Donald J. Borror. 1960. Mayfield Publishing Company.
2.University of Florida: Featured Creatures Series
Contributed by Brad Barnd on 15 January, 2008 - 11:41am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Graham M, Ron M., Robert Lord Zimlich, v belov
Last updated 15 January, 2017 - 7:43pm

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