Now that we have a handle on the topology of the Myrmicinae, we can also try to reconstruct the historical biogeography of Myrmicini+Pogonomyrmecini. Remember the “out of the Nearctic” hypothesis for Manica?

Did you know that myrmicine tribe relationships are controversial? Depending on the study, the Myrmicini and Pogonomyrmecini run the gamut relationship-wise. We looked at gene tree-species tree concordance and leveraged tests of substitution model adequacy to dissect the issue.

We compared the alternate fossil calibrations on the phylogeny of the myrmicines and found that indeed there are broad effects of fossil (mis)placement across inferred divergence dates. Good to know! Maybe we need to reevaluate our assumptions about ant fossil placements?

🐜🐜🐜Fans of Myrmicinae! New paper in Syst Biol in collaboration with C. Rabeling🐜🐜🐜

doi.org/10.1093/sysb...

I'm pleased to report that we now have a name for an eastern US ant species: introducing Temnothorax caryaluteus! These little creatures nest arboreally, and are apparently fairly common inhabitants of oak and hickory trees.

doi.org/10.5852/ejt....

#taxonomy #ants #insects

when the tide pool looks back at you

Good morning!

Flipping rocks, I've been finding these tiny blindsnakes in my neighborhood more and more. About 3 inches long, look like earthworms at first glance.

Not sure what is happening here, but it looks like Pogonomyrmex rugosus workers have been stunned by Liometopum apiculatum. Both species had dense populations at this site. I saw this interaction several times over the course of an evening. Three Rivers Campground, NM.

A memory from summer 2020

Temnothorax stenotyle is a rarely seen creature. What we know: it nests under stones in pine forest in the Chiricahuas… and that’s about it. I found this lil nest under a stone in the Sierra San Diego of northern Sonora.

Searching for ants along the Three Rivers trail in the White Mountain wilderness of New Mexico. We had four rattlesnake encounters in a single day!