Some New Neotropical Ants

Some remarkable new Neotropical treehoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Membracidae)

The new Neotropical treehopper genera Smergotomia, based on S. clairae, new species, from Ecuador, and Braxtonota, based on B. enigmata, new species, from Puerto Rico are described and illustrated. Despite lacking a posterior pronotal process, Smergotomia appears to be most closely related to Smerdalea Fowler based on the forewing venation and male genitalia, but the subfamily and tribal placem...

Renewed diversification is associated with new ecological opportunity in the Neotropical turtle ants.

Ecological opportunity, defined as access to new resources free from competitors, is thought to be a catalyst for the process of adaptive radiation. Much of what we know about ecological opportunity, and the larger process of adaptive radiation, is derived from vertebrate diversification on islands. Here, we examine lineage diversification in the turtle ants (Cephalotes), a species-rich group o...

Stridulations Reveal Cryptic Speciation in Neotropical Sympatric Ants

The taxonomic challenge posed by cryptic species underlines the importance of using multiple criteria in species delimitation. In the current paper we tested the use of acoustic analysis as a tool to assess the real diversity in a cryptic species complex of Neotropical ants. In order to understand the potential of acoustics and to improve consistency in the conclusions by comparing different ap...

Recent and fossil nematode parasites (Nematoda: Mermithidae) of neotropical ants.

The following new recent species of mermithid (Nematoda) parasites of Neotropical ants are described: Meximermis ectatommi n.gen., n. sp. from workers of Ectatomma ruidum Roger in Southern Mexico, Agamomermis cephaloti n. sp. from a worker of Cephalotes minutus (Fab.) collected in Brazil, Agamomermis ecitoni n. sp. from a worker of Eciton burchellii Westwood collected in Venezuela and Agamomerm...

Bacula of Some Neotropical Bats