Genus Neivamyrmex Borgmeier

(Ecitoninae)

      Eciton subg. Acamatus Emery, l894c:l8l. Type-species: (Eciton (Acamatus) schmitti Emery, 1894c) = Eciton nigrescens Cresson, 1872; designated by Wheeler, 1911c. PREOCCUPIED.

       Eciton subg. Neivamyrmex Borgmeier, 1940:606. New name for Acamatus Emery, 1894c.

       Woitkowskia E. Enzmann, 1952:443. Type-species: (Woitkowskia connectens E. Enzmann, 1952) = Labidus walkeri Westwood, 1842; monobasic.

      Neivamyrmex is the largest New World army ant genus, with species ranging from the southern United States to Argentina, but is strangely absent from Chile. The species are minute to small and many are wholly or largely subterranean and uncommonly collected. Many, if not most species are predaceous on other species of ants. As with other army ants, colonies of Neivamyrmex have alternating nomadic and statary phases of activity.The genus was revised by Borgmeier (1955) Watkins (1976) presented an updated key and Watkins (1982) reviewed the Mexican species. 
      One of the most persistent problems in the systematics of Neivamyrmex is that of associating sexual forms, especially males with their appropriate worker caste. Males are commonly collected at night, attracted to lights and many species are known only from males; others are known only from the worker caste.
      When Wilson (1964) revised with the Old World Dorylinae he chose to deal with situation by ignoring the male based taxonomy, although this is certainly an appealing notion it does not solve the problem or make it go away. We have therefore chosen to continue to recognize the male based taxonomy although we recognize the need for a better alternative as well.

Neivamyrmex Activity Periods


Males


Workers


Key to the Species
Coming Soon

Key to the United States species of Neivamyrmex


Males