Fine Morphological Study of the Myrmecina graminicola (Latreille, 1802) Male, With First Description of External Genitalia in the Genus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmecinae)

Te genus Myrmecina was described basing on males of M. graminicola. Tough representing the caste type, males were sufciently described in only two out of 105 species known in the genus. However, the morphology of the male external genitalia remained undescribed. Re-examining by SEM the male of M. graminicola, we describe and illustrate in detail for the frst time the external genitalia, redefning and updating the morphological male diagnosis of the genus. We also analyze the overall mor- phology, illustrating additional peculiar characters of this species as follows: (i) a very distinctive stipital groove in the dorsolateral stipes; (ii) a developed uncinate-shaped mesoscutellar arm; (iii) the antennal cleaning; and (iv) the absence of meso- and metatibial spurs. Tis morphological study will be useful as a base for further morphological descriptions of the males in other species of the same genus to support correct taxonomic identifcations