Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Photos of insects and people from the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2024

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Ants (Formicoidea) » Ants (Formicidae) » Formicinae » Myrmelachistini » Rover ants (Brachymyrmex)

Genus Brachymyrmex - Rover ants

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References
WORKER Size Comparison - Brachymyrmex depilis Unknown Bark Louse - Brachymyrmex depilis Ant - Brachymyrmex patagonicus Brachymyrmex patagonicus Mayr - Brachymyrmex patagonicus Brachymyrmex depilis - female tiny, tiny...dolichoderine? - Brachymyrmex depilis Brachymyrmex? - Brachymyrmex patagonicus Hairless Rover Ants - Brachymyrmex depilis - Brachymyrmex depilis - male - female
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 Formicinae
Tribe Myrmelachistini
Genus Brachymyrmex (Rover ants)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
This group badly needs taxonomic revision, but there is hope, as Chris Wilson in Texas has decided to revise them for a graduate search project!
(Chris id'ed this image https://bugguide.net/node/view/390087
Explanation of Names
brachy - short or small, -myrmex - ant
Numbers
9-segmented antennae
Size
Total worker length 2mm or less
Identification
Minute (2mm or less) formicine ants (have acidopore, venom with formic acid), unique among North American species of this subfamily for its 9-segmented antennae.
Range
Probably all 48 US states and bordering Canadian provinces, though not well documented in the northern central portion of this area.
Habitat
B. depilis is subterranean in mesic, wooded microhabitats. Introduced species live in leaf litter and even under trash or rotten wood, typically in disturbed and at least partly wooded sites.
Season
Mating flights of B. depilis on August or September. Introduced species may fly any time of year in warm, humid weather, often stimulated by recent rain.
Food
B. depilis apparently feeds largely on honeydew from subterranean, sap-feeding hemipterans. Introduced species forage on leaf litter and on low vegetation for honeydew, fresh bird droppings, dead insects, etc.
Life Cycle
See typical life cycle of Formicidae.
Remarks
Brachymyrmex depilis (possibly a species complex) is the widely distributed, sole native North American member of this genus. Several South American Brachymyrmex species have become well established in Florida and other Sun Belt states, especially in urban areas, parks, etc.
Internet References
Brachymyrmex at Ant Web
Contributed by john and jane balaban on 21 October, 2009 - 8:25pm
Additional contributions by ceiseman, James C. Trager
Last updated 13 August, 2016 - 2:33pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact