First record of the Neotropical myrmicine ant genus Kempfidris Fernández, Feitosa & Lattke, 2014 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for Peru

Abstract

The ant genus Kempfidris comprises a single rarely collected species, Kempfidris inusualis (Fernández, 2007). The record presented here represents an extension of this species distribution in the Amazon Basin of approximately 593 km to the south. The specimens were collected in the leaf litter of a seasonally flooded area. This record consolidates the hypothesis that K. inusualis is a ground-dwelling species that inhabits leaf litter and probably nests in rotten logs or other dead wood. This finding highlights the importance of the choice of proper sampling methods to uncover the hidden fauna of a given locality.