The american species of the myrmicine ant genus carebara westwood (hymenoptera: formicidae)

Abstract

The revision of the American species of Carebara Westwood is offered. This studyrecognized one genus and 31 species (20 described as new) from United States toArgentina as follow: Carebara Westwood, 1840 (= Oligomyrmex Mayr, 1867 syn.nov.; = Aeromyrma Forel, 1891 syn. nov.; = Aneleus Emery, 1900 syn. nov.; =Erebomyrma Wheeler, 1903 syn. nov.; = Paedalgus Forel, 1911 syn. nov.; =Lecanomyrma Forel, 1913 syn. nov.; = Spelaeomyrmex Wheeler, 1922 syn. nov.; =Hendecatella Wheeler, 1927 syn. nov.; = Solenops Karawajew, 1930 syn. nov.; =Sporocleptes Arnold, 1948 syn. nov.; = Crateropsis Patrizi, 1948 syn. nov.; =Nimbamyrma Bernard, 1953 syn. nov.; = Afroxyidris Belshaw and amp; Bolton, 1994 syn.nov. (provisional); = Neoblepharidatta Sheela and amp; Narendran, 1997 syn. nov). Thefollowing species complexes and species are recognized and proposed: Carebaraconcinna SPECIES COMPLEX: C. longii (Wheeler) comb. nov. (USA); C. peruviana(Emery) comb. nov. (Perú); C. urichi (Wheeler) comb. nov. (México to Brazil) [=Erebomyrma nevermanni Mann syn. nov.; = Erebomyrma morai (Menozzi) syn.nov.; = Erebomyrma eidmanni Menozzi syn. nov.; = Erebomyrma urichi (Wheeler);= Oligomyrmex nevermanni (Mann); = O. morai (Menozzi); = O. eidmanni (Menozzi)]and C. brevipilosa sp. nov. (Costa Rica to Brazil). Carebara lignata SPECIES COMPLEX:C. anophthalma (Emery) (Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana) [= C. winifredae Wheelersyn. nov.]; C. bicarinata Santschi (French Guiana); C. bruchi (Santschi) comb. nov.(Argentina); C. coeca sp. nov. (Brazil, Colombia); C. elongata sp. nov. (Colombia);C. globularia sp. nov. (Colombia); C. incierta n.n. (Brazil); C. longiceps (Santschi)comb. nov. (Argentina); C. mayri (Forel) (Paraguay); C. minuta sp. nov. (Brazil); C.panamensis (Wheeler) comb. nov. (Panamá); C. reticulata sp. nov. (Colombia); C.stenoptera (Kusnezov) comb. nov. (Argentina); C. tenua sp. nov. (Brazil). Carebaraescherichi SPECIES COMPLEX: C. angulata sp. nov. (Colombia, Ecuador); C. auditasp. nov. (Colombia); C. brasiliana sp. nov. (Brazil); C. inca sp. nov. (Perú); C.intermedia sp. nov. (Belice); C. kofana sp. nov. (Colombia); C. majeri sp. nov.(Brazil); C. nuda sp. nov. Brazil; C. paya sp. nov. (Colombia); C. pilosa sp. nov.(Brazil); C. reina sp. nov. (Colombia); C. striata sp. nov. (Colombia, Brazil, Perú) andC. semistriata sp. nov. (Colombia). The following combinations are proposed for theOld World species of Paedalgus: Carebara distincta (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb.nov., Carebara escherichi (Forel) comb. nov., Carebara infima (Santschi) comb. nov., Carebara octata (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb. nov., Carebara pisinna (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb. nov., Carebara rara (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb. nov., Carebararobertsoni (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb. nov., Carebara sarita (Bolton and amp; Belshaw)comb. nov., Carebara sudanensis (Bolton and amp; Belshaw) comb. nov. and Carebaratermitolestes (Wheeler) comb. nov. The definive knowledge of the taxonomy ofCarebara needs to await more complete series, including female, male and especiallymajor with minor workers (in the dimorphic species). C. minuta would be oneof the smallest ant species of the World with a head width of 0.21 mm and totallength slightly below 1 mm.