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Crematogaster masokely
| Crematogaster masokely | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Crematogaster |
| Species: | C. masokely |
| Binomial name | |
| Crematogaster masokely Blaimer, 2013
| |
Crematogaster masokely is highly endemic to the littoral forests of eastern Madagascar, with the exception of one peculiar disjunct distribution in the tsingy of the SF Beanka on the west coast. The species co-occurs with Crematogaster tricolor, Crematogaster maina, Crematogaster dentata and Crematogaster ramamy. No colony collections of this species have been made, therefore nothing is known of its biology. (Blaimer and Fisher 2013)
Identification
Blaimer and Fisher (2013) - Crematogaster degeeri assemblage. Crematogaster masokely can be distinguished from the rest of the C. degeeri-assemblage by a combination of the following characters: small eyes (OI 0.17-0.20), short antennal scapes (SI 0.67-0.75) and a tuberculate or denticulate mesonotum.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -15.5° to -18.02649°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Countries Occupied
| Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species. |
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Estimated Abundance
| Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species. |
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Biology
Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- masokely. Crematogaster masokely Blaimer, in Blaimer & Fisher, 2013b: 46, fig. 18 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Madagascar: Toamasina, Ambohidena, 20 m., 16°49.46’S, 49°57.85’E, 24.xi.2005, BLF12840, littoral forest (B.L. Fisher, et al.).
- Type-depository: CASC.
- Distribution: Madagascar.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n = 11) [holotype] HW 0.72-0.91 [0.85]; HL 0.66-0.91 [0.83]; EL 0.13-0.18 [014]; SL 0.48-0.62 [0.60]; WL 0.74-0.95 [0.88]; SPL 0.01-0.06 [0.03]; PTH 0.15-0.19 [0.15]; PTL 0.21-0.29 [0.27]; PTW 0.23-0.34[0.27]; PPL 0.12-0.19 [0.15]; PPW 0.19-0.28[0.24]; LHT 0.49-0.67 [0.63]; CI 0.99-1.09 [1.02]; OI 0.17-0.20 [0.17]; SI 0.67-0.75 [0.72]; SPI 0.01-0.06 [0.04]; PTHI 0.57-0.74 [0.57]; PTWI 1.01-1.23 [1.01]; PPI 1.39-1.75 [1.59]; LBI 1.33-1.68 [1.39].
Small (HW 0.72-0.91, WL 0.74-0.95). Masticatory margin of mandibles with four teeth; head shape more or less quadrate (CI 0.99-1.09); posterior margin of head in full-face view laterally angular or subangular, sometimes medially depressed; occipital carinae usually distinct; antennal scapes usually short, not reaching or surpassing head margin; midline of eyes situated at midline of head in full-face view; eyes small (OI 0.17-0.20), and confluent with lateral head margin in full-face view. Pronotum laterally angular; promesonotal suture usually indistinct, mesonotum more or less forming one plane with pronotum; mesonotum usually without distinct posterior face; laterally mesonotum angular, ending in small posterolateral denticles or tubercules, that set mesonotum off from propodeum; metanotal groove fairly shallow, laterally constricted; propodeum with small denticles or tubercules (SPI 0.01-0.06); dorsal face of propodeum short to indistinct, posterior face of propodeum gently sloping; petiole in dorsal view broadly oval, concave, without dorsolateral carinate margins and posterolateral tubercules or denticles; subpetiolar process variable, usually small angular dent; postpetiole bilobed with a narrow median impression; subpostpetiolar process absent. Head sculpture aciculate; promesonotum reticulate to aciculate; mesopleuron areolate, dorsal face of propodeum carinulate to reticulate; otherwise sculpture reticulate to aciculate; erect pilosity on face sparse, usually four longer setae, and regular, short, appressed to suberect pubescence; promesonotum usually with ten long erect setae, and very sparse, appressed to subdecumbent pubescence; petiole and postpetiole usually with a pair of short erect setae posterolaterally, and sparse appressed pubescence; abdominal tergites four to seven with scattered short erect pilosity, ventrally more abundant, and regular appressed to decumbent pubescence throughout. Color medium to dark brown.
Type Material
Holotype Worker: pinned, CASENT0068954, BLF12840(9), ex sifted litter [imaged on Antweb]; original locality label: MADG’R: Toamasina: Ambohidena, 20 m, 24 Nov. 2005, 16º49.46’S, 49º57.85’E, littoral forest, Fisher et al., BLF12840; deposited at California Academy of Sciences. Paratypes Workers not designated, due to the small number of existing specimens. MADAGASCAR: Toamasina: Ile St. Marie, Foret Ambohidena: -16.82433, 49.96417, 20 m, littoral forest.
Etymology
Crematogaster masokely is named after the species’ small eyes: maso is Malagasy for “eye” and kely means “small.” The name is treated as a noun in apposition.
References
- Blaimer, B.B., Fisher, B.L. 2013. Taxonomy of the Crematogaster degeeri-species-assemblage in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 51: 1-64 (doi:10.5852/ejt.2013.51).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Blaimer B. B., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Taxonomy of the Crematogaster degeeri-species-assemblage in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 51: 1-64.