[Taxacom] Tiger ant, Bahia, Brazil

[Denis Brothers]

Doug's points about mutillid identification and classification are certainly valid.

Unfortunately, his usual accuracy is not quite spot-on this time. The mutillid in the video is a Hoplomutilla, probably Hoplomutilla biplagiata Mickel, 1939. This species was described from the same locality and the specimen agrees closely with the description for all features that I can make out.

Nevertheless, Doug's error is quite understandable, since the impression/colour pattern is certainly more similar to that of many species of Traumatomutilla than most Hoplomutilla species. The form of the first metasomal ("abdominal") segment and shape of the mesosoma ("thorax"), amongst other less obvious features, differ though.

Denis Brothers

Prof. Denis J. Brothers
School of Biological and Conservation Sciences
University of KwaZulu-Natal     (Room 105, John Bews B)
Private Bag X01                        (Carbis Road)
Scottsville
3209 SOUTH AFRICA
tel: +27 (0)33 260 5106
fax: +27 (0)33 260 5105
e-mail: brothers at ukzn.ac.za


>>> Doug Yanega <dyanega at ucr.edu> 2009/08/24 07:35 pm >>>
I've given Alex an ID: it is a female in the genus Traumatomutilla. A 
genus with many undescribed species, and those that are described are 
poorly-diagnosed, and thus it is hard to give names to species. There 
is a lot of variation, and no way to know how much is inter- versus 
intra-specific. The matter is complicated by the inclusion of 
numerous species which belong in other known genera (i.e., 
Traumatomutilla as it presently stands is polyphyletic). The state of 
mutillid taxonomy almost makes me weep, but fortunately there are a 
few hardy souls undertaking the work now of hammering out some of the 
work, GREATLY facilitated by molecular analysis. When there are zero 
morphological characters shared between sexes, as in mutillids, 
that's when molecular work really proves its merits as a taxonomic 
tool: reliable association of sexes is otherwise almost impossible.

Peace,
-- 

Doug Yanega        Dept. of Entomology         Entomology Research Museum
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314        skype: dyanega
phone: (951) 827-4315 (standard disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)
              http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html 
   "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness
         is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82

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