Taxonomia do complexo Pachycondyla foetida (linnaeus, 1758) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) no Brasil

Abstract

The complex Pachycondyla foetida is the second largest group of species within the genus Pachycondyla, with 11 species recorded for the Neotropical region, and four species recorded from Brazil, they are Pachycondyla foetida, Pachycondyla inversa Pachycondyla theresiae and Pachycondyla villosa. The taxonomic status of the group is still confusing, consisting recent synonyms, absence of analysis of type material for confirmation and determination of species, absence description of caste to species, and an analysis of the distribution of species that compose this complex of the Brazil. Thus, a work covering morphological data, morphometric and ecological data, together with the loan of material (type or not) museum becomes an important tool for the definition of the species that make up the complex foetida. This work has added three new species of the complex foetida, description of males of P. curvinodis and P. inversa (unknowns). Were designated lectotype for P. villosa and P. inversa, made taxonomic keys for workers, females and males, and added information on the biology of the species P. villosa, P. inversa and P. curvinodis. New information about the distribution of the complex species in Brazil were addition, include the record of the P. curvinodis. Now the complex is replaced by eight species recorded for the country, representing a advance in the taxonomy of this group, although much studied, it was misidentified, due to unresolved taxonomic problems.