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Monomorium dictator
| Monomorium dictator | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Monomorium |
| Species: | M. dictator |
| Binomial name | |
| Monomorium dictator Santschi, 1937
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Nothing is known about the biology of Monomorium dictator.
Identification
Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. bicolor complex in the M. salomonis species group. M. dictator is closely related to Monomorium bicolor and Monomorium rufulum. It separates from the former by having the gaster much more densely hairy than in bicolor, and dictator lacks the very reduced fourth (basal) tooth on the mandible, which is characteristic of rufulum. Other members of the bicolor-complex, characterized together by their possession of dense reticulate-punctate sculpture on the head and alitrunk, and bicoloured body with the gaster blackish brown to black and the head and alitrunk reddish, separate from dictator as follows.
Monomorium westi, presently known only from Kenya, has the two longitudinal clypeal carinae terminating in freely projecting sharp teeth, not developed in dictator. Monomorium personatum, a species sympatric with dictator, has much larger eyes whose maximum diameter is 0.31-0.33 x HW, as opposed to 0.25 x HW in dictator. Monomorium hirsutum, known only from Ethiopia, has the dorsal alitrunk densely hairy; in dictator the alitrunk lacks standing hairs.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Angola (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
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Type of unavailable quadrinomial: Monomorium bicolor personatum impuriceps. Worker. Specimen code casent0913573. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- dictator. Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) bicolor st. dictator Santschi, 1937d: 224, figs. 20, 21 (w.q.) ANGOLA.
- Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queen(s) (numbers not stated).
- Type-locality: Angola: Ebanga, 1932-33 (A. Monard).
- Type-depository: NHMB.
- Subspecies of bicolor: Ettershank, 1966: 88.
- Status as species: Bolton, 1987: 341 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 261.
- Material of the unavailable name impuriceps referred here by Bolton, 1987: 341.
- Distribution: Angola.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1987) - TL 2.9, HL 0.74-0.76, HW 0.57-0.59, CI 77-78, SL 0.62-0.63, SI 107-109, PW 0.40, AL 0.86 (3 measured).
Third and fourth (basal) tooth of mandible subequal in size, the latter very slightly smaller than the former but not reduced to a minute denticle. Median portion of clypeus with its anterior free margin shallowly concave and flanked by rounded blunt angles, without projecting sharp teeth at the apices of the clypeal carinae. Eyes of moderate size, the maximum diameter about 0.25 x HW and with 9-10 ommatidia in the longest row. Dorsal alitrunk without hairs but the first gastral tergite conspicuously pilose, with 6-8 pairs of evenly distributed hairs on the sclerite in front of the apical transverse row. Entirety of head and alitrunk reticulate-punctate. Head and alitrunk red to orange-red, the gaster blackish brown to black, without an orange or reddish patch mediobasally.
Type Material
Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, female, Angola: Ebanga, 1932-33 (A. Monard) (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel) [examined].
References
- Bolton, B. 1987. A review of the Solenopsis genus-group and revision of Afrotropical Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 54: 263-452.. (page 341, raised to species, and material of the unavailable name impuriceps referred here.)
- Santschi, F. 1937d. Résultats de la Mission scientifique suisse en Angola (2me voyage) 1932-1933. Fourmis angolaises. Rev. Suisse Zool. 44: 211-250 (page 224, figs. 20, 21 worker, queen described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
- Santschi F. 1937. Résultats de la Mission scientifique suisse en Angola (2me voyage) 1932-1933. Fourmis angolaises. Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 44: 211-250.