Tmesiphorus
J.L. LeConte, 1849
Tmesiphorus is a of myrmecophilous (-loving) in the . The genus was established by LeConte in 1849 and currently contains approximately ten described distributed across North America and Asia. Members of this genus are classified within the Pselaphinae, a diverse group of small often associated with .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Tmesiphorus: /tˈmɛsɪfɔrəs/
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Identification
Tmesiphorus can be distinguished from other Pselaphinae by their association with the tribe Tmesiphorini. Diagnostic features include a carinate (keeled) in some species, as reflected in species epithets such as 'carinatus' and 'costalis'. The genus is characterized by the compact body form typical of myrmecophilous pselaphines, though specific morphological characters distinguishing Tmesiphorus from related genera require examination.
Habitat
in this are found in association with colonies, indicating a dependence on ant nest microhabitats. Specific preferences vary by species, with North species recorded from forested regions and Asian species (T. kinomurai, T. okinawensis) described from Japanese localities.
Distribution
The has a disjunct distribution spanning North America and East Asia. North include T. carinatus, T. costalis, and T. championi. Asian species include T. andrewesi, T. brevipennis, T. iyeri, T. nitens (described by Jeannel in 1960 from Indian localities), and two Japanese species described in 2019 (T. kinomurai, T. okinawensis). The genus Sintectes, with S. carinatus, has been synonymized with or closely associated with Tmesiphorus.
Host Associations
- Formicidae - myrmecophilous-loving that inhabit ant colonies; specific ant are not documented in available sources.
Behavior
Myrmecophilous is the defining characteristic of this . Members live within colonies, though the specific nature of these interactions—whether inquilinism, , or kleptoparasitism—has not been detailed in available literature for most .
Similar Taxa
- Other Pselaphinae generaTmesiphorus belongs to the tribe Tmesiphorini, distinguishing it from pselaphines in other tribes. Accurate identification to requires examination of tribal-level characters.
More Details
Taxonomic History
The was established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1849 with T. costalis as the . The genus Sintectes (Westwood, 1870) with type species S. carinatus is now treated as a synonym or closely related within Tmesiphorus. Jeannel described five Indian species in 1960, and two additional Japanese species were described by Inoue and colleagues in 2019.
Species Diversity
The number of described has increased from approximately eight to ten with the 2019 Japanese descriptions. The true diversity likely remains underestimated given the cryptic nature of these myrmecophilous and their specialized requirements.