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

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Abstract
Three genera are recognized in the ant subfamily Pseudomyrmecinae:Myrcidrisnew genus (monotypic; type speciesM. epicharis, new species, from Amazonas, Brazil);PseudomyrmexLund (c. 150 nominal taxa; southern Nearctic and Neotropical regions); andTetraponeraF. Smith (c. 110 nominal taxa; Palaeotropical region). New generic synonymies are:PseudomyrmexLund =OrnatinodaEnzmann =ClavanodaEnzmann =TriangulinodaEnzmann =ApendunculataEnzmann =LatinodaEnzmann; andTetraponeraF. Smith =PachysimaEmery =ViticicolaWheeler =SimaEmery (nee Roger) =ParasimaDonisthorpe. Autapomorphies are identified for the subfamily and for its constituent genera, indicating the monophyly of all four taxa. Based on available character‐state information,Myrcidrisis 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’ (sensuTaylor, 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).

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