Neivamyrmex swainsonii (Shuckard)

Labidus swainsonii Shuckard, 1840:201; _. Westwood, 1842:76. F. Smith, 1859:8; pl. 2 fig. 8; _.
Eciton (Acamatus) nitens: Pergande 1895:874 (misidentification).
Eciton (Acamatus) swainsonii: Emery, 1900:515, 525; fig.
22. Emery, 1910:27. Santschi, 1916:370. Santschi, 1931:74.
Gallardo, 1920:379; fig. 30. Borgmeier, 1923:50.
Eciton (Acamatus) arizonense Wheeler, 1908c:414; pl. 26
fig. 5; _. Emery, 1910:25. M. Smith, 1942:581; fig. 19; _.
Eciton (Acamatus) lieselaei: Gallardo, 1920:fig. 32
(misident.)
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) swainsoni: Borgmeier, 1948b:462.
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) arizonense: Creighton, 1950:69?70; _.
Neivamyrmex swainsoni: Borgmeier, 1953:16. Borgmeier,
1955:454?458; pl. 37 fig. 5?6; pl. 49 fig. 1?2, 7?9, 17?21; _.
Watkins, 1972:352; _. Watkins, 1976:24; map 54; pl. 16 fig. 10;
pl. 17 fig. 17?19; pl. 20 fig. 8?9; _. Cokendolpher and
Francke, 1990:13. Snelling and Snelling 199-------------
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) commutatum: M. Smith 1942:568 (misidentification).
Neivamyrmex swainsoni arizonensis: Borgmeier, 1953:19; _.
Labidus swainsonii Shuckard 1840:201; _.
Eciton (Acamatus) nitens: Pergande 1895:874 (misidentification).
Eciton (Acamatus) arizonense Wheeler 1908:414; _.
Eciton (Acamatus) lieselai: Gallardo 1920:fig. 32 (misidentification).
Eciton (Neivamyrmex) commutatum: M. Smith 1942:568 (misidentification).



TYPE LOCALITY: BRAZIL Brasilia 15.78° S 047.91° W

TYPES: BMNH

Range: UNITED STATES; Arizona, Calif., Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas. MEXICO. CENTRAL and SOUTH AMERICA

Map 27

Habitat; Creosote Scrub Desert, Oak Woodland

Elevation Range: -13 to 6000'

United States records 123

DISCUSSION.

       Due to it's large size and relative abundance Neivamyrmex swainsonii is easily one of North Americas most conspicuous army ants. Surprisingly, for many years the worker form of this common and wide ranging species was unknown. Recent study indicates that N. fallax is the likely worker of N. swainsonii. Although throughout the United States and Mexico the ranges of these two taxa overlap nicely, N. fallax is unknown south of Guatemala.
        Differences do exist between the North and South American populations; however after having examining the type specimen which is from Brazil and several other specimens from Central and South America we are forced to conclude that what we are dealing with is a wide raging and slightly variable, but single species.