Megalomyrmex symmetochus
Encyclopedia
Megalomyrmex symmetochus is a species of ant
in the subfamily Myrmicinae
. It is endemic to Panama
.
M. symmetochus was discovered by William M. Wheeler
in late July 1924 in the fungus gardens of the attine
Sericomyrmex
amabilis Wheeler, 1925 of Barro Colorado Island
.
Workers are 3 to 3.5 mm long, with small, feebly convex eyes, that are probably adapted to living within the dark fungal gardens of their host. Very small ocelli
are only sometimes present. Workers are yellowish red, with mandibles, funiculi, the posterior half of the first segment of the gaster and the sutures of the thorax and pedicels brown. The tip of the gaster is yellowish.
The female is almost 4 mm long. She has larger eyes than the workers and distinct ocelli. Otherwise, they look very similar to workers. Each ocellus has a black margin internally. The wings are yellowish hyaline and iridescent, with veins and pterostigma
pale yellow. The membranes of the wings are distinctly pubescent.
Males are almost 3 mm long. They bear very large eyes and ocelli. Their body form is very similar to that of workers and females, but with smooth sides of the thorax. The wings have longer pubescence that in the female. Males are brownish yellow, with a little darker gaster and slightly paler antennae and legs. The eyes and a spot along the inner border of each ocellus are black.
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
in the subfamily Myrmicinae
Myrmicinae
Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants. There are about 140 genera within the group, with the family being cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes...
. It is endemic to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
M. symmetochus was discovered by William M. Wheeler
William M. Wheeler
William McDonald Wheeler was a U.S. Representative from Georgia.Born near Alma, Georgia, Wheeler attended the public schools and South Georgia College at Douglas, Middle Georgia College at Cochran, Georgia Teachers College at Statesboro, Georgia.LL.B, Atlanta Law School, 1966.Farmer.He was a...
in late July 1924 in the fungus gardens of the attine
Fungus-growing ants
The fungus-growing ants comprises all the known fungus-growing ant species in the world participating in ant-fungus mutualism. Leafcutter ants, including Atta and Acromyrmex, make up 2 of the genera.-See also:...
Sericomyrmex
Sericomyrmex
Sericomyrmex is a genus of fungus-growing ants.-Example species:The nests of S. urichi are most often found in the grass, and can be easily recognized by their peculiar raised entrance. They are always excavated in soil rich in clay, and the cylindrical entrances raise almost 3 cm above the...
amabilis Wheeler, 1925 of Barro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island
Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing rainforest, and the hilltops remained as...
.
Description
Ocellus
A simple eye refers to a type of eye design or optical arrangement that contains a single lens which detect light. A "simple eye" is so-called in distinction from a multi-lensed "compound eye", and is not necessarily at all simple in the usual sense of the word...
are only sometimes present. Workers are yellowish red, with mandibles, funiculi, the posterior half of the first segment of the gaster and the sutures of the thorax and pedicels brown. The tip of the gaster is yellowish.
The female is almost 4 mm long. She has larger eyes than the workers and distinct ocelli. Otherwise, they look very similar to workers. Each ocellus has a black margin internally. The wings are yellowish hyaline and iridescent, with veins and pterostigma
Pterostigma
The pterostigma is a cell in the outer wing of insects which is often thickened or coloured and so stands out from other cells. It is particularly noticeable in dragonflies, but present also in other insect groups, such as snakeflies, hymenopterans and megalopterans.The purpose of the pterostigma,...
pale yellow. The membranes of the wings are distinctly pubescent.
Males are almost 3 mm long. They bear very large eyes and ocelli. Their body form is very similar to that of workers and females, but with smooth sides of the thorax. The wings have longer pubescence that in the female. Males are brownish yellow, with a little darker gaster and slightly paler antennae and legs. The eyes and a spot along the inner border of each ocellus are black.