Name: Fernando Fernández C.
Investigator, Instituto Humboldt, Apartado Aéreo 8693
Bogotá D.C., Colombia
e-mail: ffernandez@humboldt.org.co
Tel. + 57 - 1 . 3406925, 2877530/14
Fax: + 57 - 1 - 2889564
http://www.humboldt.org.co

PROJECTS:

     "Diversity of Insects of Colombia", with Dr. Michael Sharkey (Kentucky
University), Dr. Brian Brown (Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History),
Instituto Humboldt, Unidad de Parques del Ministerio del Medio Ambiente de
Colombia and NSF.

RESEARCH:

1) Systematics of myrmicine ant tribe Ochetomyrmecini (Hymenoptera:
Formicidae).
     
      Work almost finished. I recognized 2 genera and four species: Ochetomyrmex
semipolitus O. sp. A, Tranopelta gilva and T. subterranea.

2) Systematics and Pheidologetonini genera and revision of American species
(Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
     
      Work almost completed. Under my work probably Paedalgus and Oligomyrmex fall
in synonymy under Carebara. So, all american species will be treated under
the name Carebara. I provide key for all species in America. Also, I exclude
Recurvidris (and probably Anisopheidole) from Pheidologetonini. I think that
the genus Nimbamyrma is valid, but I have not specimens to study.

3) Systematics and phylogeny of Adelomyrmex genus group (Hymenoptera:
Formicidae: Myrmicinae)
     
      Adelomyrmex and Baracidris will be treated as a separate tribe with at least
two good synapomorphies. I add a new species to Baracidris and several to
Adelomyrmex. Also, we have some species described by Bill MacKay, other with
Martha Baena and other with Beto Brandao.
     
      Work almost finished. Now I am engaged in phylogenetic analysis of genera
and species.

4) Systematics of Pheidologetonini and Solenopsidini genera (Formicidae:
Myrmicinae).

This is a research in progress.

     I have some sketches and preliminary thoughts. As I mention above,
Oligomyrmex, Paedalgus and probably Afroxyidris can be junior synonyms of
Carebara. In Solenopsidini, Heterick (2001) recently put Antichthonidris as
junior synonym of Monomorium, and this will be the fate of the feebly genera
Nothidris and Phacota.
     I think that Carebarella is only a species group between Solenopsis. Also,
Megalomyrmex are hardly separated from Monomorium: Jacques Delabie loan me a
strange worker that maybe a link between typical Monomorium and typical
Megalomyrmex.
      I also have some worker of Solenopsisdines difficult to put as any known
genus in the tribe. However, these can be treated as another species group
in Monomorium.
      In spite of the capital papers of Ettershank (1966), Bolton (1987) and
Heterick (2001), the genus Momomorium lack any strong synapomorphy.