Note on a colony and the karyotype of the neotropical ant Cylindromyrmex brasiliensis Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Cerapachyinae)

Little is known about the biology of the ants of the tribe Cerapachyinae in general, and still less on the species of the Neotropical genus Cylindromyrmex. Collects of complete colonies of this genus and even isolated individuals, are very scarcely reported. Using a nest found in a forest area at Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, slide cytogenetic preparations were made to determine the number and morphology of the chromosomes of this species. The diploid karyotype is 2n = 34. Nevertheless, none comparison with other karyotype was feasible because this is the first cytogenetical information available for this genus. Also, information about chromosome number and kariotype of other species of Cerapachynae are available only for four species, all belonging to be Cerapachys genus, being Asiatic or Australian.

Cytogenetics; chromosome; morphology; taxonomy