Species Cyphomyrmex rimosus

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · Range · Habitat · Food · Print References · Internet References

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 Myrmicinae

Tribe Attini

Subtribe Attina (Fungus Growing Ants)

Genus Cyphomyrmex

Species rimosus (Cyphomyrmex rimosus)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola)

Orig. Comb: Cryptocerus rimosus Spinola, 1851

Identification

Similar to Cyphomyrmex minutus but larger and more widespread, with a deep hairless furrow on the dorsum of the postpetiole extending well into the first gastric tergite.

C. minutusC. rimosus

Please note that this trait apparently only works reliably in Florida and east of the Mississippi. There are a large amount of intergrades in this group from ~central Texas south to Brazil that have not been sorted out yet. - U. Mueller pers. comm.

Range

TX-FL-NC (native to the Neotropics, adventive in the se US.)

Habitat

Leaf litter and other detritus, most often in disturbed areas/human habitat.

Food

A fungus grower, raises its yeast-like mutualist fungus on scraps of dead insects and frass.

Print References

Murakami, T. and S. Higashi. 1997. Social organization in two primitive attine ants, Cyphomyrmex rimosus and Myrmicocrypta ednaella, with reference to their fungus substrates and food sources. J. Ethol., 15: 17-25.

Kempf, W.W. (1966 (1965)) A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part II: Group ofrimosus (Spinola) (Hym., Formicidae). Stud. Entomol., 8: 161-200.

Internet References

Ants of se US - Joe MacGown, 2013

AntWeb

Contributed by James C. Trager on 1 August, 2012 - 11:06am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Steven Wang
Last updated 26 May, 2021 - 1:02pm

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