First documented record of the neotropical ant Brachymyrmex cordemoyi Forel, 1895 (Formicidae: Formicinae) in Germany

Brachymyrmex cordemoyi Forel, 1985 is a small ant species native to the Neotropics, but it has been introduced into Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula and some tropical oceanic islands. We report on a non-native Brachymyrmex population that has been discovered indoors in the vicinity of Euskirchen (Germany). Specimens were identified morphologically and subjected to DNA barcoding; molecular data of the new population was analyzed jointly with morphologically verified GenBank entries. Morphological identification and phylogenetic inference based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase subunit 1 gave congruent results. The population was clearly assigned to B. cordemoyi and represents the second report of this species from Europe, with a recent record from the Netherlands. In Germany the species has only been found indoors, and the here reported population has been exterminated. This new record represents one of many indoor introductions of the genus Brachymyrmex, likely via tropical plants. We present a diagnosis of the species and additionally review all known introductions of the genus which have been identified to the species level.