Abstract
The male caste is firstly described for the ant genus Rhopalothrix. The male was collected as attached to the gyne during copula. Due to the rarity of the genus, the gyne and male are tentatively associated with R. apertor Longino and Boudinot 2013. The apomorphic features of Rhopalothrix male are discussed, and a preliminary identification key based on males to the genera in the Basiceros-genus group (formerly tribe Basicerotini) is provided.
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I thank Henri Goulet (CNC, Ottawa) for his help with the images and two anonymous reviewers who greatly improved the style and content of my manuscript.
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Borysenko, L.H. The Male of the Ant Genus Rhopalothrix (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Neotrop Entomol 51, 413–422 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-022-00947-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-022-00947-w