Some information on the Aphaenogaster fulva-rudis-texana complex

The fulva-rudis-texana complex of Aphaenogaster has been problematic for quite a while now, and the species can be tricky to distinguish from one another. It includes a number of undescribed species which are not shown on iNaturalist, but are listed on AntWiki. Until now, I have been distinguishing picea and rudis mostly by funicular and overall coloration, but @aaron567 has shown me a key which is far more reliable for telling the entire (described) complex apart along with a couple other species in the genus. It can be accessed here, provided by the Mississippi Entomological Museum of Mississippi State University. Personally, I definitely have some IDs to go back on and revise, and I suggest others check out the key and use it for their IDs. Some of the complex's species are definitely not monophyletic and show a ton of variance outside of their keyable features as they are currently defined, especially rudis and picea, so expect to see wildly different individuals key out to the same species. For one, I was shocked to find out that the large black Aphaenogaster I frequently observe are likely all rudis, even though I have found a smaller and more colorful species that would also key to rudis. See below for some of the absurd phylogeny, sourced here.

Posted on 30 May, 2022 17:49 by arman_ arman_

Comments

No comments yet.

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments