Genus Temnothorax Mayr

A recent comprehensive reorganization of the tribe Formicoxenini by Bolton (2003) led to the division of Leptothorax (sensu lato) into three genera: Leptothorax, Nesomyrmex Wheeler and Temnothorax, of which the first and last are represented in California. Temnothorax includes species previously placed in the subgenus Myrafant M. Smith. A revision of the New World Myrafant species by Mackay (2000) helped to improve the alphataxonomy of the group but various problems remain, particularly among the California species. In preparing a checklist of the ant fauna of this state it became necessary to tackle certain issues left unresolved by Mackay’s revision.

There is a rich Temnothorax fauna in California, and in the adjacent Baja California peninsula (Johnson & Ward 2002). At least ten undescribed species occur in California, here indicated by code numbers ( Temnothorax sp. CA­01 to CA­10). These are the subject of ongoing taxonomic study by Roy Snelling (LACM). In this paper I confine myself to clarifying the nomenclature and species limits of some of the described taxa.