A phylogenetic analysis of the dirt ants, Basiceros Schulz (Formicidae: Myrmicinae): inferring life histories through morphological convergence

Ants of the genus Basiceros (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) are elusive species known only from Neotropical rainforests. Little information is available regarding their natural history, and nothing is known about the phylogenetic relationships among species within the genus. The genus has been the subject of some controversy regarding generic delimitation but is currently a member of the “Basiceros-genus group” following recent classification changes. For mouthparts, labral and mandibular morphologies present considerable variation in the Basiceros-genus group, likely a result of adaptive evolution. In Basiceros, those differences can be observed in the labrum shape and the various degrees of development of the labral cleft and the clypeomandibular space. Here, in an attempt to illuminate the evolution of the group, species boundaries are tested for Basiceros. The evolutionary relationships of its species are investigated using molecular and morphological data. Bayesian inference ...