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Taxonomic revision of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus (Forel, 1893)

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Abstract

Leaf-cutting ants (genera Acromyrmex, Amoimyrmex and Atta) are the most important generalist herbivores in the Neotropical Region. The subspecies of Acromyrmex subterraneus are morphologically similar but differing from the other species of this genus. Acromyrmex subterraneus complex may be three non-described leaf-cutting ant species. The taxonomic revision of Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and of three of its subspecies, A. s. brunneus Forel 1911, A. s. molestans Santschi (1925) and A. s. subterraneus Forel 1893 was made based on its workers and male morphology and genome sequencing with mt-COI and mt-COII. Acromyrmex molestans stat. n., Acromymex brunneus stat. n. and Acromyrmex subterraneus stat. n. are here raised to species. The results of this study contribute to the taxonomic knowledge and reaffirm the complex evolutionary history of leaf-cutting ants.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the support from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (Grant No. 301167/2003-6) and “Programa Cooperativo sobre Proteção Florestal (PROTEF) do Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Florestais (IPEF)” for financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Proteção Vegetal, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil

    Luiz Carlos Forti, Ana Paula Protti Andrade, Roberto da Silva Camargo, Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho, Tamires Tainara Scudillio, Katia Kaelly Andrade Sousa & Nadia Caldato

  2. Departamento de Entomologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil

    José Cola Zanuncio

  3. Departamento de Proteção de Plantas, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas, Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brasil

    Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho

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  1. Luiz Carlos Forti
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  2. Ana Paula Protti Andrade
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  3. Roberto da Silva Camargo
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  7. Katia Kaelly Andrade Sousa
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  8. Nadia Caldato
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Contributions

LCF, APPA and RSC conceived and designed the experiment; LCF, APPA and RSC performed the investigation; LCF, APPA and RSC performed data analyses; LCF, APPA, RSC, TMMMF, TTS, JCZ, KKAS an NC wrote the original draft; RSC, TMMMF an JCZ reviewed and edited the document.

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Correspondence to Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota Filho.

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Forti, L.C., Andrade, A.P.P., da Silva Camargo, R. et al. Taxonomic revision of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex subterraneus (Forel, 1893). Int J Trop Insect Sci 42, 2897–2908 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-022-00815-5

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