Atta (Mycocepurus) Forel, 1893a: 369. - Forel, 1893b: 602-603. - Type of the subgenus: Atta (Mycocepurus) smithi Forel , 1893; designation by Wheeler, 1911.
Mycocepurus : Wheeler. 1911: 167. - Emery, 1913: 251.
Descolcmyrma Kusnezov, 1951: 460. - Type of the genus: Descolemyrma ogloblini Kusnezov , 1951; monotypical. - NOV. SYN.
Generic characters
Worker. - Monomorphic. Integument opaque. Mandibles rather narrow and elongate, finely striate, chewing border with 5-6 teeth. Antennae 11-segmented; funiculus with ill-defined 3- segmented apical club. Clypeus in front with two carinae diverging forward and strongly laterad, running laterally parallel to the anterior border. Posterior portion of clypeus narrowly wedged in between frontal lobes. The latter are strongly approximated to, and separated from, each other by a deeply impressed narrow groove at the bottom of which lies the posterior portion of the clypeus. Posteriorly the frontal carinae are' slightly diverging and gradually weakening, often fading out completely long before reaching the occipital border. Preocular carinule at best vestigial. Compound eyes situated somewhat behind the middle of the sides of head. Occipital angles slightly to more strongly obliquely truncate, the inner angle always dentate. Occipital border emarginata Anteroinferior corner of pronotum rounded. Dorsum of thorax with many and variably developed teeth or spines: 2-3 pairs on pronotum, 5-6 pairs on mesonotum, 2 pairs on epinotum, the posteriormost pair, the epinotal spines, being longest. Some of the spines on each side connected with each other by faint longitudinal carinules. Front tarsi 11-lV dilated. Petiolar node with 2 pairs of spines on dorsum. Antero-lateral border of gaster marginate. Pilosity not very abundant, consisting of short, thin hairs, either erect, or curved, or decumbent.
Female. - Quite similar to the worker except for the differences of the caste. Integument more conspicuously rugulose. Pronotum laterally with 1-2 spines. Scutellum posteriorly bidentate. Epinotal spines well-developed. Wings as in male.
Male. - Mandibles narrow and elongate; chewing border with a few vestigial, or practically without, teeth. Clypeus with the anterior border evenly convex, possessing usually the same oblique carinules of workers and females at each side of a postero-median, often subtruncate tumulus. Eyes, large arid bulging. Ocelli situated on top of the vertex on a raised tumulus. Antennae 13-segmented; scape almost as long as segments I -III of funiculus combined, greatly surpassing the occipital angles.
Funicular segments: I little longer than broad, II-XI three to four times as long as broad. Pronotum bearing laterally 1-2 usually well-developed scapular teeth. Scutum without prominent ridges and appendages, with broad and moderately impressed Mayrian furrows (notauli) that do not fuse posteriorly into a single stem. Scutellum posteriorly bidentate. Paired epinotal spines present. Petiolar node practically unarmed above. Postpetiole trapezoidal, flattened. Wings infuscated, of the Attine type, with strongly reduced venation in the apical field of forewing and in the hindwing. Forewing: pterostigma small but distinct; discoidal cell (M1) absent; submarginal cell as long as marginal; anal vein continuing at least slightly beyond junction of transverse median vein (cu-a); cubital (Mf4) and subdiscoidal (Cu1a) veins vestigial; transverse cubital vein absent, free end of cubital vein (Mf4) arising at or beyond apex of submarginal cell (1st Rl) or transverse vein 2r. Genitalia: apex of aedoeagus with a free lobe set off from the body by a deep excision in front of the serrate ventral border. Volsellae without cuspis. Type-species: M. smithi Forel .
Discussion. - So far as Mycocepurus is concerned, Emery's keys (1922: 332-333) are still sufficient for the identification of the genus. While the generic classification of tribe Attini is still not altogether satisfactory, it now appears that Mycocepurus is a well-differentiated group that by all means deserves recognition as a genus.
Descolemyrma Kusnezov, described on isolated males, was later tacitly sunk by its author. Further details will be found under the discussion of the synonyms of M. goeldii .
As all true Attini, Mycocepurus is a strictly Neotropical genus, ranging from central Mexico (Jalisco) to the northern Argentine. It also occurs on most of the Caribbean islands.
Following is a list of the presently recognized species in the genus with complete synonymy:
1. goeldii Forel , 1893.
= goeldii var. schuppi Forel , 1901 - NOV. SYN.
= goeldii gentilis Santschi , 1924 - NOV. SYN.
= ogloblini Santschi , 1933 - NOV. SYN.
= Descolemyrma ogloblini Kusnezov , 1951 - NOV. SYN.
2. obsoletus Emery , 1913.
3. smithi Forel , 1893.
= smithi var. borinquenensis Wheeler , 1907 - NOV. SYN.
= smithi var. toltecus Wheeler , 1907 - NOV. SYN.
= smithi var. eucarnitae Forel , 1913 - NOV. SYN.
= smithi var. trinidadensis Weber , 1937 - NOV. SYN.
= reconditus Borgmeier , 1937 - NOV. SYN.
= bolivianus Weber , 1938.
= manni Weber , 1938 - NOV. SYN.
= Trachymyrmex attaxenus Menozzi i. litt. - NOV. SYN.
4. tardus Weber , 1940.
Mycocepurus is a Neotropical genus of fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known from Mexico, south to Brazil and Argentina. Like other attines, they primarily grow fungi of the tribe Leucocoprini (family Agaricaceae). They use many different substrates for growing their fungi, from dry leaves and caterpillar dung to fruit matter.[3] One of its species, Mycocepurus smithii, which lives in South America, reproduces by cloning – all ants in a colony are clones of the queen.[4] M. castrator is a parasite of M. goeldii.[5][6]
Mycocepurus is a Neotropical genus of fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known from Mexico, south to Brazil and Argentina. Like other attines, they primarily grow fungi of the tribe Leucocoprini (family Agaricaceae). They use many different substrates for growing their fungi, from dry leaves and caterpillar dung to fruit matter. One of its species, Mycocepurus smithii, which lives in South America, reproduces by cloning – all ants in a colony are clones of the queen. M. castrator is a parasite of M. goeldii.
