Sericomyrmex

''Sericomyrmex'' is a genus of fungus-growing ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae.

Description

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.Urich 1895, in: Wheeler 1925

Habitat

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.

Behavior

The queens appear to mate with only one male during their nuptial flights.

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.

''S. diego'' from Colombia was found to build a fungus garden about 20 cm below the surface. Workers feign death 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 irrigation ditch in an orchard at Zacapa, Guatemala. The nests had small craters of about 6 cm diameter and were covered with the ejected fragments of old fungus substrate.Wheeler 1911, in: Wheeler, 1925

''S. impexus'' was found in a sandy area at Kartabo, Guyana, to which ''S. amabilis'' from Panama is very closely related.Wheeler, 1925

Species

* '' 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
* '' Sericomyrmex harekulli'' Weber, 1937
* '' Sericomyrmex impexus'' Wheeler, 1925 — Guyana
* '' Sericomyrmex luederwaldti'' Santschi, 1925
* '' Sericomyrmex lutzi'' Wheeler, 1916
* ''Sericomyrmex maravalhas'' Ješovnik & Schultz, 2017
* '' Sericomyrmex mayri'' Forel, 1912
* '' Sericomyrmex moreirai'' Santschi, 1925
* '' Sericomyrmex myersi'' Weber, 1937
* ''Sericomyrmex opacus'' Mayr, 1865
* '' Sericomyrmex parvulus'' Forel, 1912
* '' Sericomyrmex radioheadi'' Ješovnik & Schultz, 2017 — Venezuela
* '' Sericomyrmex saramama'' Ješovnik & Schultz, 2017
* '' Sericomyrmex saussurei'' Emery, 1894
* '' Sericomyrmex scrobifer'' Forel, 1911
* '' Sericomyrmex urichi'' Forel, 1912
* '' Sericomyrmex zacapanus'' Wheeler, 1925 — Guatemala

Footnotes

References

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* ITIS
''Sericomyrmex'' species list

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1946801

Myrmicinae
Ant genera