Supplementary Studies on Ant Larvae: Teratomyrmex

The first collector o this Australian genus, T. Greaves, Esq. (in 1942), must have been surprised when he first viewed his specimens under rnagnification; he probably thought he had collected diseased ants. The describer (J. J. McAreavey 1957) was evidently somewhat astonished for he gave it the name Teratomyrmex, rom the Greek teras (teratos) monster, marvel, wonder + myrmex ant. We have in English teratism the worship ot monsters, teratology the study o monstrosities and teratoma a tumor derived trom more than one embryonic layer and made up o] a mixture o tissues. Teratomyrmex is certainly an appropriate name, tor the worker looks as it it has a huge tumor on the top ot its thorax (see Fig. 7 and 8). Aside trom this unique peculiarity the genus is quite ordinary and belongs in the Formicini, an ordinary tribe o( Formicinae, which includes such anatomically commonplace genera as Acanthomyops, Lasius and Formica. The first specimens ot Teratomyrmex we have seen were a glint rom Rev. B. B. Lowery (ot Norwood, South Australia) in 1967. In the accompanying letter he wrote: "I have also taken the liberty ot filling up the vacant spaces in the box with a tew specially chosen mountings for your collection. Make sure you have a look at the Teratomyrmex and Epopostruma frosti under the microscope. Both these species, by the way, are very rare." In a later note he wrote" "The species [T. greavesi] appears to be rare in the ranges near Murwillumbah NE. NSW. Forages on low shrubs and in leat litter. Nests in very moist places, usually in white-rotten timber. It is very easily mistaken for a small black Iridomyrmex.’" He also included a quotation trom a personal communication he had received from Tom (]reaves: "T. greavesi is a dominant ant in residual forest,’ i.e., in the Jackall Ranges, about 75 miles north o Brisbane."