The ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): generic revision and relationship to other formicids

Three genera are recognized in the ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae: Myrcidris new genus (monotypic; type species M. epicharis , new species, from Amazonas, Brazil); Pseudomyrmex Lund (c. 150 nominal taxa; southern Nearctic and Neotropical regions); and Tetraponera F. Smith (c. 110 nominal taxa; Palaeotropical region). New generic synonymies are: Pseudomyrmex Lund = Ornatinoda Enzmann = Clavanoda Enzmann = Triangulinoda Enzmann = Apendunculata Enzmann = Latinoda Enzmann; and Tetraponera F. Smith = Pachysima Emery = Viticicola Wheeler = Sima Emery (nee Roger) = Parasima Donisthorpe. Autapomorphies are identified for the subfamily and for its constituent genera, indicating the monophyly of all four taxa. Based on available character-state information, Myrcidris is most parsimoniously interpreted as a sister-group to all other Pseudomyrmecinae {Pseudomyrmex + Tetraponera) , although there is almost equally strong support for an alternative grouping: Tetraponera + (Myrcidris + Pseudomyrmex). Phylogenetic relationships of the Pseudomyrmecinae and other ant subfamilies within the 'poneroid complex' ( sensu Taylor, 1978) were assessed by a cladistic analysis of eleven representative ant genera. At the level of subfamily relationships the results suggest that: (1) The Myrmicinae and the Pseudomyrmecinae are sister groups. (2) Within the 'poneroid complex' is an unresolved trichotomy composed of: (i) Pseudomyrmecinae + Myrmicinae, (ii) Myrmeciinae, and (iii) Ponerinae + Leptanillinae + (Cerapachyinae + Dorylinae (s.l.)). (3) The Nothomyrmeciinae are a basal lineage within the 'poneroid complex', rather than being allied with the 'formicoid complex' (Formicinae, Dolichoderinae and Aneuretinae).