Genus Monomorium

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:- Monomorphic - Pinon-Juniper under rocks- 12 segmented antennae - Nest - no mound, jut a hole in the ground- 3 segmented club- no spines or tubercles of any kind- M. pharaonis is yellow- Monomorium in Mexico are brown and shinny in El Paso, they are black, shinny and very tiny- Monomorium in Framington, NM some are brown and rough

Behavior:- Not aggressive- Common in urban habitats- Common as house pests

Note: Monomorium, spp are difficult to distinguish from Megalomyrmex, but the latter is usually in mature forest, and is bigger. In the field, Monomorium are very similar to small Solenonosis

3 segmentedclub

Compiled by Hilda Taylor

Genus Myrmica

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:- Body roughly sculpture - In high elevations - Pectinate tibial spurs - Forests in Mexico in Veracruz- Almost always black or dark brown - Found in the shade - Spines on the propodium- Metonotal constrictions

Behavior-Slow, not aggressive-May sting

Note: Need workers and also males to identify Myrmica

Pectinatetibial spurs

Metonotal constriction

Spines

Genus Solenopsis

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-10-segmented antennae - Diverse and abundant in most habitats-2-segmented club - Many are cryptic in leaf litter and soil-Mesosoma lacking spines or tubercles - Some are conspicuous arboreal ants-smooth and shinny

Behavior - Aggressive

2 segmented club

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-11 – 12 antennal segments - Arid ecosystems found in arroyos-Sharp semicircular structures right before the insert of the antennae

Behavior - Hide, non aggressive - May sting if disturbed

Note: Tetramorium is very similar to Myrmica the latter does not have welts most of the time

Genus Tetramorium

Sharp semicircularcarina

Genus Pheidole

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-Polymorphic small species - Extremely diverse habitats -Mandibles always triangular - Extremely common, one of the -Antennae always with 3 segmented club - most frequently encountered genera-Antennae usually 12 segmented, rarely 11 or 10 - Nest – under wood, on ground, in-Propodeum usually with pair of teeth (may be reduced dead sticks, dead knots on tree trunks, to denticles, ridges or absent under bark flaps, under epiphytes from -Propodeal suture always present litter layer to high canopy

Behavior: Not aggressive

Note: Pheidole can easily be confused with Apheanogaster: look at 3-segmented club on Pheidole Apheanogaster does not have well defined clubs

SoldierWorker

Worker Soldier

Genus Pogonomyrmex

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-Species in El Paso – bicolor ( P. rugosa) - Desert habitats-Long curved hairs on underside of head - May make nest on Dorymermex nests (psammophore) - May find P. barbatus in Mexico

Behavior - Very aggressive

RugaePointy Petiole

Psammophore

Genus Pyramica

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-Labrum underneath the clypeus - Live in the soil --Head very similar to Strumigenys - Found in litter = labral lobes well developed and prominent - Feed on

Collembola

Behavior- Slow, play dead

Labrum

Genus Strumigenys

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-No labrum - Throughout tropical and subtropical -Hairs on head weird America, from the southern USA to -Not always have long mandibles Argentina

- Nests mostly in soil and rotting wood

- Most species are collembolan feeders

Behavior: Non Aggressive some are polyphagous predators or occasionally

feed on sugary substances- Workers

prefer to feed on live sympyleonan

Collembola; poduroid collembolans

are not taken

Note: Very similar to Pyramica and to Odontomachus

Genus Trachymyrmex

Descriptive Characterists: Habitat:-11 segmented antennae - Found in Tropics and-Frontal carinae runs almost to the back in New Mexico of the head-Pronotum with sharp spines or bumps-Tubercles small not very big-Almost always red

Behavior - Not aggressive

Pronotum

Genus Wasmannia

Descriptive Characteristics: Habitat:-11 segmented antennae - Found in tropics-2 segmented club - Found under rocks in Mexico -Petiole in the shape of rectangle - Common in soils-2 frontal carinae-2 scrabes where the scape originates

Behavior - Will sting if disturbed, otherwise docile

Note: Tetramorium also has longer carinae, but does not have 2 segmented club. Little native fire ants

Scrobes

2 segmentedclub

Rectangular