Copyedited by: OUP Insect Systematics and Diversity, (2020) 4(2): 1; 1–33 doi: 10.1093/isd/ixaa004 Molecular Phylogenetics, Phylogenomics, and Phylogeography Research Phylogenomic Species Delimitation, Taxonomy, and ‘Bird Guide’ Identification for the Neotropical Ant Genus Rasopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) John T. Longino1,3, and Michael G. Branstetter2 1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, 2USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, and 3Corresponding author, e-mail:
[email protected] Subject Editor: Eduardo Almeida Received 18 January, 2020; Editorial decision 9 March, 2020 Abstract Rasopone Schmidt and Shattuck is a poorly known lineage of ants that live in Neotropical forests. Informed by phylogenetic results from thousands of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and mitochondrial DNA barcodes, we revise the genus, providing a new morphological diagnosis and a species-level treatment. Analysis of UCE data from many Rasopone samples and select outgroups revealed non-monophyly of the genus. Monophyly of Rasopone was restored by transferring several species to the unrelated genus Mayaponera Schmidt and Shattuck. Within Rasopone, species are morphologically very similar, and we provide a ‘bird guide’ approach to identification rather than the traditional dichotomous key. Species are arranged by size in a table, along with geographic range and standard images. Additional diagnostic information is then provided in individual species accounts. We recognize a total of 15 named species, of which the following are described as new species: R. costaricensis, R. cryptergates, R. cubitalis, R. guatemalensis, R. mesoamericana, R. pluviselva, R. politognatha, R. subcubitalis, and R. titanis. An additional 12 morphospecies are described but not for- mally named due to insufficient material.