Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola)

Kempf, W. W., 1966, A revision of the Neotropical fungus-growing ants of the genus Cyphomyrmex Mayr. Part II. Group of rimosus (Spinola) (Hym. Formicidae)., Studia Entomologica (N. S.) 8, pp. 161-200 : 198

16. Cyphomyrmex rimosus (Spinola)

Cyphomyrmex rimosus , presently taken as a polytypical species, is both the commonest form in the genus and at the same time a residue of classification. The puzzling variability of the complex, which gave rise to a number of infraspecific names in the past, needs a special study, not possible at this time.

Yet I must point out that the infraspecific arrangement for rimosus , as proposed at the beginning of this paper, does not imply a judgement upon the validity of the actually recognized 11 morphs and 6 synonyms. It only serves the purpose of keeping track of these names.

The separation of hamulatus , salvini and transversus as full species, and the return of cochunae and venezuelensis to the rimosus complex are novelties. The former step, i. e. the raising of the three "races" to specific category seems to be justified by morphological and distributional considerations; cochunae , elevated to species level by Kusnezov (1957) does not deserve this rank being probably just a synonym of one of the previously described morphs of rimosus ; venezuelensis did not prove a synonym of transversus , as proposed by Weber (1958), and was put back under rimosus awaiting clarification of its true status.