Megalomyrmex silvestrii

Megalomyrmex silvestrii is a Neotropical species of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Megalomyrmex silvestrii is widespread in the mainland Neotropics from Mexico to northern Argentina. This species occurs in moist to wet forest habitats, from sea level to 1100 m elevation. It nests in small chambers in rotten wood or opportunistically in other small cavities in the soil. Colonies have been found in small attine nests and alone, suggesting it is a facultative predator of small Attini.[2]

Megalomyrmex silvestrii
M. silvestrii worker from Paraguay
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Formicidae
Subfamily:
Myrmicinae
Tribe:
Solenopsidini
Genus:
Megalomyrmex
Species:
M. silvestrii
Binomial name
Megalomyrmex silvestrii
Wheeler, 1909
Synonyms

Megalomyrmex brasiliensis Borgmeier, 1930[1]
Megalomyrmex langi Wheeler, 1925[1]
Megalomyrmex misionensis Santschi, 1936[1]
Megalomyrmex sjostedti Wheeler, 1925[1]
Megalomyrmex wheeleri Weber, 1940[1]

Kempf and Brown (1968) suggested that the species is "not so much a parasite as it is a mass-foraging predator that specializes in raiding, and sometimes occupying, the nests of small Attini." Workers are moderately abundant in Winkler samples of forest floor litter, and workers may visit baits on the forest floor.[2]

References
  1. Longino 2010, p. 37
  2. Longino 2010, p. 54
  • Kempf, W.W. & Brown, W.L.Jr. (1968) Report on some Neotropical ant studies. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo), 22, 89–102.
  • Longino, John T. (2010), "A taxonomic review of the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Central America" (PDF), Zootaxa, 2720: 35–58
  • This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Longino, John T. (2010), "A taxonomic review of the ant genus Megalomyrmex Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Central America" (PDF), Zootaxa, 2720: 35–58 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.


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