Abstract
Cyatta abscondita, a new genus and species of fungus-farming ant from Brazil, is described based on morphological study of more than 20 workers, two dealate gynes, one male, and two larvae. Ecological field data are summarized, including natural history, nest architecture, and foraging behavior. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data from four nuclear genes indicate that Cyatta abscondita is the distant sister taxon of the genus Kalathomyrmex, and that together they comprise the sister group of the remaining neoattine ants, an informal clade that includes the conspicuous and well-known leaf-cutter ants. Morphologically, Cyatta abscondita shares very few obvious character states with Kalathomyrmex. It does, however, possess a number of striking morphological features unique within the fungus-farming tribe Attini. It also shares morphological character states with taxa that span the ancestral node of the Attini. The morphology, behavior, and other biological characters of Cyatta abscondita are potentially informative about plesiomorphic character states within the fungus-farming ants and about the early evolution of ant agriculture.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Ants / anatomy & histology
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Ants / classification*
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Ants / genetics
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Biological Evolution
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Brazil
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Female
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Genes, Insect
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Geography
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Male
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Molecular Sequence Data
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Nesting Behavior
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Phylogeny
Associated data
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GENBANK/KF569882
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GENBANK/KF569883
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GENBANK/KF569884
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GENBANK/KF569885
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GENBANK/KF569886
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GENBANK/KF569887
Grants and funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge their funding sources: TRS was supported by United States National Science Foundation grant DEB 0949689 and by the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Studies Program. TRS and JSC were supported by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Small Grants Program. CR was supported by the Harvard Society of Fellows. MB was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) (2006/00185–7) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)(476250/2008–0 and 310826/2006–3). JSC was supported by a Max and Vera Britton Environmental Science Award (Cosmos Club Foundation) and a Peter Buck Pre-doctoral Fellowship (NMNH–SI). RMF was supported by FAPESP (2011/24160–1). CRFB was supported by FAPESP and CNPq. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.