For more than a century we have known that a high diversity of arthropod species lives in close relationship with army ant colonies. For instance, several hundred guest species have been described to be associated with the Neotropical army ant Eciton burchellii Westwood, 1842. Despite ongoing efforts to survey army ant guest diversity, it is evident that many more species await scientific discovery. We conducted a large-scale community survey of Eciton-associated symbionts, combined with extensive DNA barcoding, which led to the discovery of numerous new species, among them a highly specialized histerid beetle, which is formally described here. Analyses of genitalic morphology with support of molecular characters revealed that the new species is a member of the genus Nymphister. We provide a literature review of host records and host-following mechanisms of Eciton-associated Haeteriinae demonstrating that the new species uses an unusual way of phoretic transport to track the nomadic habit of host ants. Using its long mandibles as gripping pliers, the beetle attaches between the ants’ petiole and postpetiole. The beetles specifically attach to medium-sized ant workers, thus participating as hitchhikers in the regular colony emigrations of the single host species Eciton mexicanum Roger, 1863. By providing tools for reliable species identification via morphology and DNA barcodes for hitherto unknown army ant guest species, we set the baseline for studies targeting the ecological and evolutionary dynamics in these species-rich host-symbiont communities.

中文翻译：

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Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren＆Tishechkin sp。十一月，具有与蚁群相关的特殊机制的与军蚁相关的甲虫物种（鞘翅目：with科：Haeteriinae）

一个多世纪以来，我们已经知道，节肢动物物种的多样性与军队蚁群息息相关。例如，已描述了数百种客体物种与1842年的新热带陆军蚁Eciton burchellii Westwood有关。尽管正在进行调查陆军蚂蚁客体多样性的工作，但显然还有更多物种在等待科学发现。我们对与Eciton相关的共生体进行了大规模的社区调查，并结合了广泛的DNA条码，从而发现了许多新物种，其中包括高度专门化的类虫甲虫，在此对其进行正式描述。在分子特征支持下的生殖器形态分析表明，新物种是若虫属的成员。我们提供文献综述与埃克顿病相关的Haeteriinae的寄主记录和寄主跟随机制，证明该新物种使用一种不寻常的幽灵运输方式来追踪寄主蚂蚁的游牧习惯。甲虫用长长的下颌骨作为钳子，附着在蚂蚁的叶柄和后叶柄之间。甲虫专门附着在中型蚂蚁上，因此作为搭便车者参加了单一寄主物种Eciton mexicanum Roger（1863年）的常规殖民地移徙。 ，我们为这些物种丰富的寄主共生体群落的生态和进化动力学研究奠定了基础。