See Also: Pseudomyrmex simplex_cf
, Pseudomyrmex simplex_nr
Taxonomic History (provided by Barry Bolton, 2017)
Distribution:Nearctic Region: Florida
, North America
, United StatesNeotropical Region: Alajuela
, Cayman Islands
, Central America
, Cibao Noroeste
, Costa Caribe Norte
, Costa Caribe Sur
, Costa Rica
, Dominican Republic
, El Salvador
, Elías Piña
, Francisco Morazán
, French Guiana
, Gracias a Dios
, Madre de Dios
, Panamá Oeste
, Puerto Rico
, Quintana Roo
, Saint Andrew
, Saint Elizabeth
, San Andres y Providencia
, San José
, South Abaco
, South America
, Trinidad and Tobago
, Upper Demerara-Berbice
This common and widely distributed species ranges from Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico, south to Argentina.
shows a preference for nesting in dead twigs of woody shrubs or trees, rather than in dead stalks of herbaceous plants. In Florida, nests have been collected in dead twigs or stalks of Baccharis halimifolia
, Cladium jamaicense
, Laguncularia racemosa
, Metopium toxiferum
. and Nectandra coriacea
; there are also museum records from Carya floridana
and Swietenia mahagoni
. Ward (1985) recorded Costa Rican nests of P. simplex
in dead twigs of Anacardium
, Ardisia revoluta
, Avicennia germinans
, Conocarpus erectus
, Gliricidia sepium
, Hibiscus tiliaceus
, and Terminalia catappa
Most P. simplex
nests dissected by Ward (1985) were queenless (indicating a high level of polydomy),
some were monogynous, and one contained two functional (i.e. inseminated, with well-developed ovaries) dealate queens.
Alates have been collected in May, June, and September in Florida.
- standing pilosity sparse, absent from mesonotum and propodeum
- small size (HW 0.55-0.74)
- eyes relatively long (REL 0.52-0.61)
- abdominal tergite IV smooth and shining, lacking a dense mat of appressed pubescence
- vertex of head smooth and shining
- profemur broad (FI 0.45-0.52)
This species is the smallest one of a trio of orange Pseudomyrmex
, P. seminole
, P. simplex
) which have been confused repeatedly in the United States. P. simplex
workers are recognizable by their smooth, shiny, puncticulate head; broad forefemur (FI >0.44); and shining fourth abdominal tergite which is devoid of a dense mat of appressed pubescence. In addition the workers have long eyes, closely contiguous frontal carinae, a very shallow metanotal groove, and a short petiole and postpetiole. There is a fair range of variation in size and body proportions. P. simplex
tends to be lighter in color than related species, and the fuscous patches on abdominal tergite IV are usually conspicuous, at least in Florida populations (less so in Central and South America).
Ward, P. S. 1985. The Nearctic species of the genus Pseudomyrmex
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Quaestiones Entomologicae 21: 209-246.
Taxonomic Treatment (provided by Plazi)
Treatment Citation: Wild, A. L., 2007, A catalogue of the ants of Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)., Zootaxa 1622, pp. 1-55
simplexHNS (F. Smith 1877).
Canindeyú, Central, “ Paraná R.” (Dept. unknown) (ALWC, IFML, INBP, MCZC).
Specimen Habitat Summary
Found most commonly in these habitats: 19 times found in mangrove, 28 times found in montane wet forest, 9 times found in CCL 700m., 13 times found in 2º lowland rainforest, 15 times found in tropical moist forest, 10 times found in tropical rainforest, 7 times found in tropical wet forest, 8 times found in La Selva, 7 times found in wet forest, 7 times found in Entre SHO y SSE, ...
Found most commonly in these microhabitats: 38 times beating vegetation, 11 times dead twig Laguncularia racemosa, 13 times Malaise trap, 14 times ex sifted leaf litter, 6 times beating veg., 8 times on low vegetation, 1 times collecting from Carapa guianensis, felled yesterday, along new roadcut just beyo, 5 times at bait, 5 times ex dead twig of woody shrub, 3 times ex dead Cladium culm, 4 times Copa de arbol, ...
Collected most commonly using these methods: 74 times Fogging, 48 times Malaise, 44 times beating, 30 times Search, 7 times MiniWinkler, 7 times ex dead twig, 5 times MaxiWinkler, 5 times Baiting, 2 times hand collecting, 0 times trap Y, 0 times trap J, ...
Elevations: collected from 1 - 1200 meters, 193 meters average
Type specimens: Holotype of Pseudomyrmex simplex: casent0902901; syntype of Pseudomyrma acanthobia delicatula vittata: casent0907492; syntype of Pseudomyrma delicatula: casent0902902, casent0907489; syntype of Pseudomyrma delicatula capperi: casent0907490; syntype of Pseudomyrma delicatula panamensis: casent0907491
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