{{Short description|Genus of ants}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Procryptocerus hylaeus casent0178095 profile 1.jpg | image_caption = ''Procryptocerus hylaeus'' worker from Paraguay | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Procryptocerus | authority = Emery, 1887 | type_species = ''Meranoplus striatus''<ref name="AWProcryptocerus"/> | type_species_authority = Smith, 1860 | diversity_link = #Species | diversity = 45 species | diversity_ref = <ref name="AntCat">{{AntCat|429608|''Procryptocerus''|accessdate=20 January 2015}}</ref> }}
'''''Procryptocerus''''' is a Neotropical genus of gliding ants, with the ability to "parachute" by steering their fall if they drop off of the tree they were on.
==Distribution== ''Procryptocerus'' inhabits rainforests from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico to northern Argentina. Due to their cryptic habits, living inside twigs, these ants are rarely collected. At present, most species are known from Central America, Colombia and Brazil.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_2"/>
==Taxonomy== The genus was created by Emery (1887) to include species of Neotropical ants that were considered similar to those of the Paleotropical genus ''Cataulacus''.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_2"/>
''Procryptocerus'' has been the object of two revisionary studies. Kempf (1951) revised the entire genus and Longino and Snelling (2002) the Central American species. Kempf (1951) recognized 28 species, and 8 subspecies, while for Central America Longino and Snelling (2002) recognized 14 species, described four new species, synonymized two species, and elevated two subspecies to species level.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_2"/> Currently, 45 species are included in the genus.<ref name="AntCat"/>
==Description== The genus is characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located right posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed posteriorly in most species.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_1"/> ''Procryptocerus'' ants possess notoriously variable morphology. Different characters, such as propodeal spine length, form of the clypeus, type of sculpture, and other such characters vary remarkably, sometimes even within the same species. Knowledge of morphology and anatomy is incomplete for all species.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_2"/>
Adult workers are mostly black in color, body variously sculptured and monomorphic, ranging from 3.5 to 8.5 mm. Although similar to workers, gyne are larger (3.7–9.5 mm) with thoracic sclerites corresponding to alates in other apocritans.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_6"/><ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_11"/> Males are longer and more slender than gynes, ranging from 4.8 mm to 9.9 mm in length.<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_14"/>
==Species== {{div col|colwidth=27em}} *''Procryptocerus adlerzi'' <small>(Mayr, 1887)</small> *''Procryptocerus attenuatus'' <small>(Smith, 1876)</small> *''Procryptocerus balzani'' <small>Emery, 1894</small> *''Procryptocerus batesi'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus belti'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus carbonarius'' <small>(Mayr, 1870)</small> *''Procryptocerus clathratus'' <small>Emery, 1896</small> *''Procryptocerus convergens'' <small>(Mayr, 1887)</small> *''Procryptocerus convexus'' <small>Forel, 1904</small> *''Procryptocerus coriarius'' <small>(Mayr, 1870)</small> *''Procryptocerus curvistriatus'' <small>Kempf, 1949</small> *''Procryptocerus eladio'' <small>Longino & Snelling, 2002</small> *''Procryptocerus elegans'' <small>Santschi, 1921</small> *''Procryptocerus ferreri'' <small>Forel, 1912</small> *''Procryptocerus gibbosus'' <small>Kempf, 1949</small> *''Procryptocerus goeldii'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus gracilis'' <small>(Smith, 1858)</small> *''Procryptocerus hirsutus'' <small>Emery, 1896</small> *''Procryptocerus hylaeus'' <small>Kempf, 1951</small> *''Procryptocerus impressus'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus kempfi'' <small>Longino & Snelling, 2002</small> *''Procryptocerus lenkoi'' <small>Kempf, 1969</small> *''Procryptocerus lepidus'' <small>Forel, 1908</small> *''Procryptocerus marginatus'' <small>Borgmeier, 1948</small> *''Procryptocerus mayri'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus montanus'' <small>Kempf, 1957</small> *''Procryptocerus nalini'' <small>Longino & Snelling, 2002</small> *''Procryptocerus paleatus'' <small>Emery, 1896</small> *''Procryptocerus petiolatus'' <small>(Smith, 1853)</small> *''Procryptocerus pictipes'' <small>Emery, 1896</small> *''Procryptocerus regularis'' <small>Emery, 1888</small> *''Procryptocerus rudis'' <small>(Mayr, 1870)</small> *''Procryptocerus sampaioi'' <small>Forel, 1912</small> *''Procryptocerus scabriusculus'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus schmalzi'' <small>Emery, 1894</small> *''Procryptocerus schmitti'' <small>Forel, 1901</small> *''Procryptocerus seabrai'' <small>Kempf, 1964</small> *''Procryptocerus spiniperdus'' <small>Forel, 1899</small> *''Procryptocerus spinosus'' <small>(Smith, 1859)</small> *''Procryptocerus striatus'' <small>(Smith, 1860)</small> *''Procryptocerus subpilosus'' <small>(Smith, 1860)</small> *''Procryptocerus sulcatus'' <small>Emery, 1894</small> *''Procryptocerus tortuguero'' <small>Longino & Snelling, 2002</small> *''Procryptocerus victoris'' <small>Kempf, 1960</small> *''Procryptocerus virgatus'' <small>Kempf, 1964</small> {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist|24em|refs=
<ref name="AWProcryptocerus">{{cite web |url=http://www.antweb.org/description.do?name=Procryptocerus&rank=genus&project=allantwebants |title= Genus: ''Procryptocerus'' |website=antweb.org |publisher=AntWeb |access-date=11 October 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_1">{{harvnb|Serna|Mackay|2010|p=1}}</ref> <ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_2">{{harvnb|Serna|Mackay|2010|p=2}}</ref> <ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_6">{{harvnb|Serna|Mackay|2010|p=6}}</ref> <ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_11">{{harvnb|Serna|Mackay|2010|p=11}}</ref> <ref name="Serna&Mackay_2010_14">{{harvnb|Serna|Mackay|2010|p=14}}</ref>
}} {{Refbegin}} *{{cite journal | last1 = Emery | first1 = C | year = 1887 | title = Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e delláustralia | journal = Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Giacomo Doria | volume = 4 | pages = 209–258 }} *{{cite journal | last1 = Kempf | first1 = WW | year = 1951 | title = A taxonomic study on the ant tribe Cephalotini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) | journal = Revista de Entomologia | volume = 22 | pages = 1–244 }} *Longino JT, Snelling RR. (2002) "A Taxonomic revision of the ''Procryptocerus'' (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Central America." ''Contributions in Science'', Number '''495'''. Natural History Museum, Los Angeles. *{{cite journal | last1 = Serna | first1 = F. |last2=Mackay|first2=W.| title = A descriptive morphology of the ant genus ''Procryptocerus'' (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) | journal = Journal of Insect Science | volume = 10 | issue = 111 | date = 2010 | page = 111 | doi = 10.1673/031.010.11101| pmid = 20874568 | pmc = 3016927 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46577009| doi-access = free }} *{{OA-attribution| {{cite journal|ref=none | last1 = Serna | first1 = F. |last2=Mackay|first2=W.| title = A descriptive morphology of the ant genus ''Procryptocerus'' (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) | journal = Journal of Insect Science | volume = 10 | issue = 111 | date = 2010 | page = 111 | doi = 10.1673/031.010.11101| pmid = 20874568 | pmc = 3016927 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46577009| doi-access = free }} }} {{Refend}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline|Procryptocerus|''Procryptocerus''}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q7247494}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Myrmicinae Category:Ant genera Category:Hymenoptera of North America Category:Hymenoptera of South America Category:Taxa named by Carlo Emery