Myrmecina

The members of this genus are small, cryptobiotic ants that live in soil, leaf litter and rotten logs. Studies of two Asian species suggest that these ants are specialized as mite predators(Masuko 1995). California has a single species, M. americana Emery , that is known from scattered low-elevation sites throughout the state. It was previously considered to represent a distinct, endemic taxon ( M californica M. R. Smith ). The California populations exhibit considerable variation in color and sculpture, however, making it difficult to establish a clear distinction between them and other western populations of M. americana . References: Brown (1967c), Buschinger (2003), Buschinger and Schreiber (2002), Masuko (1995), Murakami et al. (2002), Smith (1948), Snelling (1965b), Ward (1988).

Myrmecina Curtis 1829: 265. Type species: Formica graminicola Latreille 1802, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. The sides of the head behind the eyes with an elongate ridge or groove on each side which starts at the mandibles, runs the length of the head and ends near the upper corners. In side view, the petiole is low, rounded and barrel-shaped and lacks a distinct node. The propodeum is armed with long spines near the angle as well as short spines or angles near the metanotal groove. The distinctive ridge on the sides of the head behind the eyes combined with the low, rounded petiole will separate these ants from all others in Australia.

List of Australian species

alpinasp. n.

australis Wheeler and Wheeler

difficultasp. n.

erugasp. n.

inaequalasp. n.

pumilasp. n.

rugosa Forel

silvalaevasp. n.

silvamplasp. n.

silvangulasp. n.

silvarugosasp. n.

silvatransversasp. n.

wesselensissp. n.

Key to Australian Myrmecina based on workers

1. First segment of funiculus expanded laterally, with strongly convex sides and appearing essentially spherical........... ......................................................................................................................................................................... australis

-. First segment of funiculus narrower, with nearly straight sides and essentially cone-shaped ................................... 2

2. Sculpturing on pronotum forming continuous transverse carinae which form shallow arches to deep "V"s............. 3

-. Sculpturing on pronotum running longitudinally and generally with the central carina (or carinae) running nearly the length of the mesosoma, or occasionally sculpturing ill-defined and irregular...........................................................7

3. Sides of head behind compound eyes with 2-3 longitudinal carinae running the length of the head........ silvarugosa

-. Sides of head behind compound eyes smooth............................................................................................................4

4. Dorsal surface of pronotum immediately behind the collar with at most very weak sculpturing (sometimes nearly smooth) ......................................................................................................................................................... silvalaeva

-. Dorsal surface of pronotum continuously sculptured, the area immediately behind the collar not differing significantly from more posterior regions .............................................................................................................................. 5

5. Antennal scapes smooth; body larger (HW> 0.8mm).................................................................................. silvampla

-. Antennal scapes with low longitudinal ridges; body smaller (HW <0.7mm) ........................................................... 6

6. Majority of carinae on pronotum and mesonotum gently curved across width of mesosoma ............. silvatransversa

-. Majority of carinae on pronotum and mesonotum "V"-shaped.................................................................... silvangula

7. Sides of head behind compound eyes with 2-3 longitudinal carinae running the length of the head................ alpina

-. Sides of head behind compound eyes smooth............................................................................................................. 8

8. Dorsal surface of pronotum immediately behind the collar with at most very weak sculpturing (sometimes nearly smooth) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9

-. Dorsal surface of pronotum continuously sculptured, the area immediately behind the collar not differing significantly from more posterior regions............................................................................................................................. 10

9. Body larger (HW> 0.65mm, MTL> 0.35mm); head squarer (CI> 95)............................................................. eruga

-. Body smaller (HW <0.60mm, MTL <0.30mm); head more elongate (CI <95).............................................. pumila

10. Dorsal surface of pronotum with irregular, ill-defined sculpturing.................................................................... rugosa

-. Dorsal surface of pronotum with continuous longitudinal carinae.............................................................................11

11. Erect hairs on gaster (and most on mesonotum) strongly curved so their tips are nearly parallel with the surface of the body (known only from the Wessell Islands, Northern Territory) ........................................................ wesselensis

-. Erect hairs on gaster (and longer ones on mesonotum) only weakly curved with their tips at a strong angle with body (coastal Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales) ........................................................................................ 12

12. Carinae extending continuously from the dorsal surface onto the lateral surfaces of the mesosoma and not interrupted as they cross the angle separating the dorsal and lateral surfaces ....................................................... difficulta

-. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of mesosoma separated by an indistinct angle or ridge which interrupts or breaks the mesosomal sculpturing................................................................................................................................... inaequala

Taxonomy. The genus Myrmecina is assigned to the tribe Myrmecinini together with Acanthomyrmex, Pristomyrmex and Perissomyrmex (Bolton 2003). Workers of Vietnamese species have the following features.

Worker monomorphic; head in full-face view rectangular, with rounded posterior corners; preoccipital carina extending to ventral surface of head and then forming a longitudinal carina which runs anteriad; frontal carina inconspicuous; antennal scrobe absent; frontal lobe large, covering antennal insertion; median margin of clypeus raised above dorsal surface of mandibular bases, with truncate anterior margin, laterally with a submedian carina from anterior end of frontal lobe to anterior margin of clypeus; carina often forming a submedian tooth; median clypeal tooth often present but not accompanied by an isolated median seta; posteromedian portion of clypeus very broadly inserted between frontal lobes; lateral portion of clypeus often (but not always) modified into a narrow and low ridge or wall in front of antennal insertion; mandible triangular; masticatory margin with 2 distinct apical teeth followed by several teeth or denticles; antennae 11- or 12-segmented, with 3-segmented club; eye small to medium in size; mesosoma short, stout with slightly convex promesonotal dome; promesonotal suture absent dorsally; humeral angle distinct; anterior part of mesopleuron with a well developed flange projecting over base of fore coxa; metanotal groove weak or absent; propodeal spine more or less developed; an additional process or tooth sometimes present in front of each propodeal spine; propodeal lobe present only as a low carina; petiole sessile and lacking distinct node, in lateral view usually (but not always) dorsally with a triangular point or angles at or behind midlength of petiole; postpetiole in dorsal view rectangular; gastral shoulder distinct.

The worker of Myrmecina is easily separated from those of other Vietnamese myrmicine genera by the presence of longitudinal carina on the ventrolateral side of head and a sessile petiole.

Vietnamese species. Five species have been recognized by us from Vietnam: sp. eg-1 (Ba Be, Tay Yen Tu, Van Ban); sp. eg-2 (Ba Be); sp. eg-3 [= sp. 48 of HO: Eguchi et al., 2005] (Cuc Phuong, Pu Mat, Tay Yen Tu); sp. eg-4 (Nam Cat Tien); sp. eg-5 (Van Ban).

Bionomics. Colonies of Myrmecina species are found in litter and soil.

Myrmecina , Curtis, Brit. Eut. vi. fol. 226.

Myrmica , pt., Nyland. Addit. Alt. Adno. Mon. Form. Bor. Eur. 40.

Antennae 12-jointed in the female, the club consisting of 3 joints. Maxillary palpi 4-jointed; labial palpi 3-jointed. Anterior wings with one complete marginal cell, and one submarginal, the discoidal cells obsolete. The metathorax spined in the female and worker. The clypeus bidentate.

Myrmecina Latreillii , Curtis, Brit. Ent. vi. 265 [[male]]; Trans. Linn. Soc. xxi. 218. t. 23. f. 22 [[worker]].

Smith, Brit. Form. 132. 1.

Mayr. Form. Austr. 149.1; Ungar. Ameis. 18. 1.

Myrmica striatula, Nyl. Addit . Alt. Mon. Form. Bor. Eur. 40. 7;

Form. Fr. et d'Alger. 96. 24.

Myrmica bidens, Foerst . Hym. Stud. Form. 50. 24.

Schenck, Beschr. Nass. Ameis. 94.

Myrmica graminicola, Foerst . Hym. Stud. Form. 58. 30.

Hab. Europe.

Myrmecina is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains 53 species distributed in North America, Europe, northern Africa, India east, Korea, Japan and Australia.

Myrmecina Mayr, 1855 è un genere di formiche della sottofamiglia Myrmicinae.

Myrmecina est genus formicarum subfamiliae Myrmicinarum familiae Formicidarum. Ei sunt 46 species, in America Septentrionali, Europa Africa septentrionali, India orientali, Corea, Iaponia, et Australia diverse endemicae:

Myrmecina alpina Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina amamiana Terayama, 1996 Myrmecina americana Emery, 1895 Myrmecina atlantis Santschi, 1939 Myrmecina australis G. C. Wheeler & J. Wheeler, 1973 Myrmecina bandarensis Forel, 1913 Myrmecina brevicornis Emery, 1897 Myrmecina butteli Forel, 1913 Myrmecina cacabau Mann, 1921 Myrmecina curtisi Donisthorpe, 1949 Myrmecina curvispina Zhou, Huang & Ma, 2008 Myrmecina difficulta Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina eruga Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina flava Terayama, 1985 Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802) Myrmecina guangxiensis Zhou, 2001 Myrmecina hamula Zhou, Huang & Ma, 2008 Myrmecina harrisoni Brown, 1967 Myrmecina inaequala Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina kaigong Terayama, 2009 Myrmecina mandibularis Viehmeyer, 1914 Myrmecina melonii Rigato, 1999 Myrmecina modesta Mann, 1919 Myrmecina nesaea W. M. Wheeler, 1924 Myrmecina nipponica W. M. Wheeler, 1906 Myrmecina opaciventris Emery, 1897 Myrmecina pauca Zhou, Huang & Ma, 2008 Myrmecina pilicornis F. Smith, 1858 Myrmecina polita Emery, 1897 Myrmecina pumila Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina punctata Emery, 1897 Myrmecina rugosa Forel, 1902 Myrmecina ryukyuensis Terayama, 1996 Myrmecina sauteri Forel, 1912 Myrmecina semipolita Forel, 1905 Myrmecina sicula André, 1882 Myrmecina silvalaeva Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina silvampla Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina silvangula Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina silvarugosa Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina silvatransversa Shattuck, 2009 Myrmecina sinensis W. M. Wheeler, 1921 Myrmecina striata Emery, 1889 Myrmecina strigis Lin & Wu, 1998 Myrmecina sulcata Emery, 1887 Myrmecina taiwana Terayama, 1985 Myrmecina transversa Emery, 1897 Myrmecina undulata Emery, 1900 Myrmecina urbanii Tiwari, 1994 Myrmecina vidyae Tiwari, 1994 Myrmecina wesselensis Shattuck, 2009

Myrmecina – rodzaj mrówek z podrodziny Myrmicinae.

Opisany został przez Johna Curtisa w 1829 roku. Wcześniej umieszczany był w Myrmicini, potem w Myrmecinini, które to plemię zostało na podstawie analiz filogenetycznych zsynonimizowane z Crematogastrini przez P.S. Warda i innych w 2015 roku.

Rodzaj kosmopolityczny.

Myrmecina é um gênero de insetos, pertencente a família Formicidae.

Myrmecina là một chi ants in họ Formicidae. Chi có 46 loài distributed in North America, Europe, miền bắc Africa, India east, Korea, Japan and Australia :

Myrmecina alpina Myrmecina amamiana Myrmecina americana Myrmecina atlantis Myrmecina australis Myrmecina bandarensis Myrmecina brevicornis Myrmecina butteli Myrmecina cacabau Myrmecina curtisi Myrmecina difficulta Myrmecina eruga Myrmecina flava Myrmecina graminicola Myrmecina guangxiensis Myrmecina harrisoni Myrmecina inaequala Myrmecina latreillii Myrmecina mandibularis Myrmecina melonii Myrmecina modesta Myrmecina nesaea Myrmecina nipponica Myrmecina opaciventris Myrmecina pilicornis Myrmecina polita Myrmecina pumila Myrmecina punctata Myrmecina rugosa Myrmecina ryukyuensis Myrmecina sauteri Myrmecina semipolita Myrmecina sicula Myrmecina silvalaeva Myrmecina silvampla Myrmecina silvangula Myrmecina silvarugosa Myrmecina silvatransversa Myrmecina striata Myrmecina strigis Myrmecina sulcata Myrmecina taiwana Myrmecina transversa Myrmecina undulata Myrmecina urbanii Myrmecina vidyae Myrmecina wesselensis

Myrmecina americana

Myrmecina (лат.) — род муравьёв трибы Myrmecinini из подсемейства Myrmicinae (Formicidae).