Sericomyrmex is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of fungus-growing ants

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:...

.

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 surface. In young colonies this leads to a small chamber about 15 cm below, which is situated to the right or left of a gallery. When the colony increases new chambers are formed by piercing through the first. Colonies do not exceed 200 individuals, and a nest thus consists of up to three fungus-growing chambers opening into the first one, which is then used as an antechamber, where material brought in by workers is deposited prior to bringing it into the growth chambers, which are about 6 cm in diameter. Small roots growing into them are not cut away but used to hang the gardens on, which resemble a coarse grey sponge. Scattered throughout this mass are adults, pupae and larvae. White bodies of about .25 mm are strewn thickly upon the surface of the garden, which consist of an aggregation of hyphae with spherical swellings at the end. These bodies, called "Kohlrabi" clumps by Möller, are used for food by the ants. When held in artificial nests, they preferred fruits, especially oranges over other matter like flowers, leaves, and even the organic glue from the back of an old book, which they will all put to use. Of the oranges they take very small particles of the white skin. Workers are up to 4 mm long. They are more diurnal than other fungus growers, but also work a little at night. Winged forms were found during July.

Other species

S. diego from Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

 was found to build a fungus garden about 20 cm below the surface. Workers feign dead when encountered. They collect little green vegetable particles resembling an alga, on which they grow their fungus.

S. zacapanus was first found on the clay banks of a small irrigating ditch in an orchard at Zacapa

Zacapa

Zacapa is a city in eastern Guatemala, along the Río Grande de Zacapa. It is renowned locally for its manual crafting of cigars, hard dry cheese and a flavored cake made with said cheese ....

, Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

. The nests had small craters of about 6 cm diameter and were covered with the ejected fragments of old fungus substratum.

S. impexus was found in a sandy area at Kartabo, Guyana

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

, to which S. amabilis from 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...

 is very closely related.

Systematics

• Sericomyrmex amabilis Wheeler, 1925
• Sericomyrmex aztecus Forel, 1885
• Sericomyrmex beniensis Weber, 1938
• Sericomyrmex bondari Borgmeier, 1937
• Sericomyrmex burchelli Forel, 1905
• Sericomyrmex diego Forel, 1912 — Colombia
  Colombia
  Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
  
  
• Sericomyrmex harekulli Weber, 1937
• Sericomyrmex impexus Wheeler, 1925 — Guyana
  Guyana
  Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
  
  
• Sericomyrmex luederwaldti Santschi, 1925
• Sericomyrmex lutzi Wheeler, 1916
• Sericomyrmex mayri Forel, 1912
• Sericomyrmex moreirai Santschi, 1925
• Sericomyrmex myersi Weber, 1937
• Sericomyrmex opacus Mayr, 1865
• Sericomyrmex parvulus Forel, 1912
• Sericomyrmex saussurei Emery, 1894
• Sericomyrmex scrobifer Forel, 1911
• Sericomyrmex urichi Forel, 1912
• Sericomyrmex zacapanus Wheeler, 1925 — Guatemala