Works in Progress


WORKS IN PROGRESS

Rodrigo M. Feitosa

1- “The revision of the Neotropical ant genus Lachnomyrmex Wheeler, 1910”, with Dr. Carlos Roberto F. Brandão (Museu de Zoologia da USP):

This work is almost finished. The taxonomic revision of the exclusively neotropical myrmicine ant genus Lachnomyrmex Wheeler led to the recognition of 14 species, eight of them are described for the first time. The six previously known species (L. scrobiculatus Wheeler, L. haskinsi Smith, L. pilosus Weber, L. plaumanni Borgmeier, L. grandis, and L. longinodus Fernández & Baena) are considered valid. Also we provide new information on the distribution and biology of the Lachnomyrmex species.

2- “The revision of the enigmatic Neotropical ant genus Stegomyrmex Emery, 1912”, with Dr. Carlos Roberto F. Brandão (Museu de Zoologia da USP) and Dr. Jorge L. M. Diniz (Centro de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Campus Jataí):

Work in progress. At the moment we recognize five species, two of them are described as new (S. connectens Emery, S. manni Smith, S. vizzotoi Diniz, S. sp. A, and S. sp. B). This genus appears to be more diverse in Brazil, where three of the five species occur.

3- “Taxonomic and Biogeographical notes on the Neotropical species of the ant genus Probolomyrmex Mayr, 1901”:

Work in progress. I am still accumulating specimens of this genus from all the Neotropical region (loans are welcome). A previous study of some specimens from central Brazil suggests that the species P. boliviensis Mann and P. brujitae Agosti could be synonyms.

4- “The ants from the Tocantins State, Brazil”, with Dr. Rogério Rosa da Silva (Museu de Zoologia da USP):

Work in progress. The Tocantins State is localized at the central portion of Brazil and its area is covered by a great number of biomas including savannas, semidecidual forests, open fields, arid zones and Amazonian rainforest fragments. This environmental heterogeneity has revealed an amazing ant diversity.
In order to access the ant fauna of this State, we have been conducted collects employing several techniques (Winkler extraction, pit-fall traps, baiting, Malaise traps, fallen log examination, subterranean traps, and light traps) during both night and day, in the wet and dry seasons for the last four years (2002-2006). Collects have been conducted in almost all the state area from north to south and for west to east. This research is part of a monitoring program coordinate by OIKOS Pesquisa Aplicada, ltda.
Until now we were able to recognize more than 800 ant species (yes, more than 800!). Several undescribed species and a new genus (maybe a new subfamily) were found. Voucher specimens are deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo. A huge amount of samples are still waiting to be processed.

Rodrigo M. Feitosa (rfeitosa@usp.br)

Laboratório de Entomologia - Hymenoptera
Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo
Avenida Nazaré, 481 - Ipiranga, São Paulo-SP, Brazil
CEP 04263-000