Descriptions of two new species of Myrmedonota Cameron (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) from Mexico with comments on the genus taxonomy and behavior

Two new species of Myrmedonota, M. shimmerale n. sp. and M. xipe n. sp., are described, and the genus is recorded from Mexico for the first time. Dorsal habitus photographs, illustrations of the median lobe and spermatheca are presented for diagnostic purposes. We suggest that Myrmedonota is in fact...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inZootaxa Vol. 3768; p. 95
Main Authors Mathis, Kaitlyn A, Eldredge, K Taro
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New Zealand 24.02.2014
Subjects
Animals
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Coleoptera - anatomy & histology
Coleoptera - classification
Coleoptera - genetics
Coleoptera - physiology
Female
Male
Mexico
Species Specificity
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Summary:Two new species of Myrmedonota, M. shimmerale n. sp. and M. xipe n. sp., are described, and the genus is recorded from Mexico for the first time. Dorsal habitus photographs, illustrations of the median lobe and spermatheca are presented for diagnostic purposes. We suggest that Myrmedonota is in fact diverse in the New World and that its taxonomy is already in a state of confusion. New behavioral observations show that: (1) Myrmedonota species will aggregate towards agitated ants, possibly to prey on them; (2) Myrmedonota will form mating swarms, either with no apparent landmark or in the vicinity of ants.
ISSN:1175-5326
DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.3768.1.7