Nesomyrmex
Wheeler, 1910
Species Guides
1Nesomyrmex is a of myrmicine ants distributed across the Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Malagasy regions. Most inhabit arid climates, though some occur in rainforest environments. They nest in soil or arboreally. The genus was established by Wheeler in 1910, and recent taxonomic work has described new species from Colombian tropical dry forest.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Nesomyrmex: /ˌnɛsoʊˈmɜrmɛks/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Habitat
Most occur in arid climates, with some known from rainforest. Nests are constructed in soil or in trees. The Colombian tropical dry forest has been documented as for multiple species.
Distribution
Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Malagasy regions. Colombia has been the focus of recent descriptions, with Nesomyrmex vargasi newly recorded for South America.
More Details
Taxonomic activity
A 2025 revision of Nesomyrmex from Colombian tropical dry forest described three new (N. iku, N. konina, N. xerophilus) based on , proposed N. antoniensis as a junior synonym of N. asper, and documented the first South American record of N. vargasi.
Data limitations
Biological information beyond , distribution, and nesting substrate is sparse. The statement 'little is known about their ' appears in multiple sources.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Figure 26 from: Arredondo BS, Guerrero RJ (2025) The ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from the threatened Colombian tropical dry forest: three new species, a new synonymy, and new distributional data. ZooKeys 1232: 131-172. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1232.141693
- Figure 3 from: Arredondo BS, Guerrero RJ (2025) The ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from the threatened Colombian tropical dry forest: three new species, a new synonymy, and new distributional data. ZooKeys 1232: 131-172. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1232.141693
- Figure 18 from: Arredondo BS, Guerrero RJ (2025) The ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from the threatened Colombian tropical dry forest: three new species, a new synonymy, and new distributional data. ZooKeys 1232: 131-172. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1232.141693
- Figure 21 from: Arredondo BS, Guerrero RJ (2025) The ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from the threatened Colombian tropical dry forest: three new species, a new synonymy, and new distributional data. ZooKeys 1232: 131-172. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1232.141693
- The ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from the threatened Colombian tropical dry forest: three new species, a new synonymy, and new distributional data.