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Common Name Proposal 3 Park Place, Suite 307 Phone: 301-731-4535 [email protected] Annapolis, MD 21401-3722 USA Fax: 301-731-4538 www.entsoc.org Entomological Society of America Proposal Form for New Common Name or Change of ESA-Approved Common Name Complete this form and e-mail to [email protected]. Submissions will not be considered unless this form is filled out completely. The proposer is expected to be familiar with the rules, recommendations, and procedures outlined in the “Use and Submission of Common Names” on the ESA website at https://www.entsoc.org/pubs/use-and-submission-common-names. 1. Proposed new common name: graceful twig ant 2. Previously approved common name (if any): None 3. Scientific name (genus, species, author): Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Fabricius) Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Supporting Information 4. Please provide a clear and convincing explanation for why a common name is needed, possibly including but not limited to the taxon’s economic, ecological, or medical importance, striking appearance, abundance, or conservation status: Upon reviewing the list of common names created by the Hawaiian Entomological Society, the ESA Committee on Common Names of Insects determined that “Mexican ant”, used in Hawaii for Pseudomyrmex gracilis, was too general and not in line with other common names in use for this species (see list under item 9 below). Under consultation with J.A. MacGown (Mississippi State University), it appears that “graceful twig ant” is preferable to another common name in use, Mexican twig ant, because this species’ distribution is cosmopolitan and its evolutionary origin is undetermined. Use of the word “graceful” likely derived from the species epithet, gracilis, referring to the word “gracile”, which means “slender or thin, especially in a charming or attractive way”. This word describes the species’ slender, elegant appearance (see images under item 5 below). Another common name in use, elongate twig ant, could be considered as an alternative to graceful twig ant. Nevertheless, this species needs an acceptable common name if the committee is to include P. gracilis in the ESA list of common names. 4/17/18 5. Stage or characteristic to which the proposed common name refers. (If the description involves a physical feature, it is strongly encouraged that an image of the organism be provided with this submission.) Graceful twig ant refers to the slender, elegant appearance of the adults. Pseudomyrmex gracilis, dorsal view of a worker. (FL, Sarasota Co.) (photo by James Lewis and Joe MacGown) (Source: MacGown 2010). Pseudomyrmex gracilis, dorsal view of a queen. (FL, Sarasota Co.) (photo by James Lewis and Joe MacGown) (Source: MacGown 2010). Pseudomyrmex gracilis, lateral view of a worker. (TX, Hidalgo Co.) (photo by Mike Quinn) (Source: Bugguide.net). 4/17/18 6. Distribution (include references): The distribution of P. gracilis is summarized in MacGown (2016), with original citations listed therein. In brief, this species is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Neotropics, and occurs in South America, Central America, Mexico, the southern United States, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. 7. Principal hosts (include references): This species is arboreal and nests in hollow twigs, branches, stems, and grasses in natural habitats, and in crevices of structures in urban environments (Wetterer 2010, MacGown 2016). 8. Please provide multiple references indicating clearly that the proposed name is already established and ideally widespread in use. If the name has been newly coined for purposes of this application, please state so: “Graceful twig ant” is used by Wetterer (2010). “Graceful Twig Ant” is used on BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/node/view/165312. 9. Please identify any common names in use (include references) that have been applied to this taxon other than the one herein proposed. Please justify why each alternate name is inadequate: Mexican twig ant (MacGown 2016) Elongate twig ant (MacGown 2016) Big Bicolored Slender Twig Ant (Deyrup 2016) Mexican twig ant is inadequate for the reasons detailed in item 4 above. Elongate twig ant could be considered as an alternative common name, if the committee finds this preferable to graceful twig ant. Big bicolored slender twig ant is too wordy, so it does not align with the committee’s submission standards. Also, Joe MacGown points out that the color is variable in certain regions, with bicolored as well as mostly black morphs. 10. Please identify any other organisms to which your proposed common name could apply, giving careful consideration to closely related taxa. Please justify why the proposed common name is (i) unsuitable for each of those taxa and/or (ii) better suited for the proposed taxon: There are several Neotropical species of Pseudomyrmex, but P. gracilis appears to garner the most attention as it is widespread, occurring in South America, Central America, Mexico, the southern U.S., the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Most species in the genus nest within dead twigs or stems of woody plants and other natural or anthropogenic cavities. However, the proposed common name best applies to P. gracilis due to its appearance and its wide distribution/prevalence. 11. Please document your efforts to consult with entomologists (including taxonomic specialists), colleagues, or other professionals who work with the taxon as to the suitability and need for the proposed common name. Please note that this is an important element of your proposal; proposals that do not document these steps are less likely to be successful. 4/17/18 I contacted Joseph A. MacGown, author of “Ants of the Southeastern United States”, and assistant curator of the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University. Joe stated that this species acquired the name, graceful twig ant, due to its species epithet, gracilis, which translates to slender (which could be construed as graceful). The images included under item 5 above show that this ant does have a slender, elegant appearance. As a group, we discussed proposing the name, Mexican twig ant, for P. gracilis in conjunction with the Hawaiian Entomological Society’s use of Mexican ant for this species. However, Joe feels that both are inappropriate since this species has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring from South America to South Carolina, and it is not known whether the origin of the species is Mexico or somewhere further south. References cited: Deyrup, M. 2016. Ants of Florida: Identification and Natural History. CRC Press. 423 pp. MacGown, J.A. 2016. Ants (Formicidae) of the Southeastern United States. Pseudomyrmex gracilis. Mississippi State University. Available at: http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/Researchtaxapages/Formicidaehome.ht ml#.WxhLAPZFy-0 (and references therein). Wetterer, J. K. 2010. Worldwide spread of the graceful twig ant, Pseudomyrmex gracilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Florida Entomologist 93: 535-540. Proposed by (your name): Eric J. Rebek Address: Oklahoma State University Dept. of Entomology and Plant Pathology 127 Noble Research Center Stillwater, OK 74078 E-mail: [email protected] Phone: (405) 744-4846 Date submitted: June 6, 2018 4/17/18 .
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