Brachymyrmex termitophilus Wild, 2007, NEW STATUS

Brachymyrmex termitophilus Forel 1896e. NEW STATUS.

Brachymyrmex heeri var. termitophilus Forel 1896e: 179. [w syntypes examined, MHNG; Brazil].

Although B. termitophilus shares the dense pubescence and light coloration of B. heeri, this ant is more compact than Forel’s B. heeri types (MHNG, examined). In contrast to the relatively long antennal scapes of B. heeri, the scapes of B. termitophilus are shorter than the head length, in repose only barely meeting the posterior margin of the head in full-face view. Additionally, the propodeum of B. termitophilus in lateral view is only slightly or not at all depressed below the level of the promesonotum, whereas in B. heeri the propodeum is always noticeably lower than the promesonotum. Both species occur in Paraguay with no evidence of intergrades, an observation that supports the elevation of termitophilus to species.

Brachymyrmex fiebrigi Forel (MHNG, types examined) has smaller eyes in the worker caste than B. termitophilus, but is otherwise a very similar ant and may merely represent the low end of intraspecific eye size variation in B. termitophilus. As only a few specimens of both the large- and small-eyed variants were available in the present study, I prefer to retain B. fiebrigi as valid until more material becomes available.