Zookeys-295

Guides

• Stenamma

  cryptic leaf-litter ants

  Stenamma is a genus of cryptic ants in the family Formicidae, subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus was long thought to be restricted to temperate regions, but extensive Neotropical collections have revealed a major radiation in Middle America with 40 recognized species, 33 of them newly described. Species are notably adapted to cool, wet environments at mid to high elevations, where they can become the dominant ant genus in leaf-litter samples—contrary to the typical ant pattern of decreasing diversity with elevation.

  antsFormicidaeMyrmicinaecrypticleaf-littercloud-forestNeotropicalHolarcticdoor-pebbleclay-bank-nestingelevation-specialistStenamminitemperate-origintropical-radiationMichael-BranstetterZooKeys-295taxonomysystematicsconservationclimate-change-vulnerability