Nesomyrmex flavigaster

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Nesomyrmex flavigaster
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Nesomyrmex
Species group: brevicornis
Species: N. flavigaster
Binomial name
Nesomyrmex flavigaster
Csösz & Fisher, 2016

Nesomyrmex flavigaster casent0138300 p 1 high.jpg

Nesomyrmex flavigaster casent0138300 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is known from Madagascar’s most remote spots. The southern locality (Réserve Spéciale de Cap Sainte Marie, near Marovato), where it can be found in low vegetation of spiny forests in lowlands (200 m), seems the only known natural occurence of this species. The known northern samples were most probably introduced by humans in Nosy Be airport (urban garden) and Manerinerina (disturbed forest). (Csösz & Fisher 2016)

Identification

A member of the brevicornis species-group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -13.3138° to -25.58167°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Nesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453374 h 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453374 p 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453374 d 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453374 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Nesomyrmex flavigasterWorker. Specimen code casent0453374. Photographer Michele Esposito, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Nesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453390 h 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453390 p 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453390 d 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex flavigaster casent0453390 l 1 high.jpg
Paratype of Nesomyrmex flavigasterWorker. Specimen code casent0453390. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • flavigaster. Nesomyrmex flavigaster Csösz & Fisher, 2016: 146, figs 26-29 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Body color: dark brown; black. Body color pattern: body concolorous, gaster pale yellow. Absolute cephalic size: 629 [546, 740]. Cephalic length vs. maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.23 [1.13, 1.29]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.43 [0.41, 0.46]. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: broadly convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture absent, ground sculpture absent, smooth and shiny. Setal pits on head dorsum: inconspicuous with obscure demarcation. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: convex. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging. Gena sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent; ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture costulate. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.23 [0.21, 0.25]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.34 [0.33, 0.36]. Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons: absent. Smooth median region on frons: present. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.62 [0.59, 0.66]. Median clypeal notch: present. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: present. Median carina of clypeus: absent. Metanotal depression: present. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: imbricate, main sculpture absent. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: imbricate, main sculpture absent; inconspicious areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture dispersed costate. Mesopleuron sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Metapleuron sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Petiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PEW/CS): 0.22 [0.20, 0.22]. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.31 [0.29, 0.33]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture smooth, main sculpture absent. Surface of first gastral tergite: imbricate sculpture absent.

Type Material

Holotype: CASENT0453374, collection code: BLF05530, Réserve Spéciale de Cap Sainte Marie, 12.3 km 262° W Marovato, -25.58167°, 45.16833°, alt 200 m, Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Team, 02.11.2002, (1w, California Academy of Sciences, CASENT0453374); Paratypes: 25 workers from the same locality, collection code: BLF05530, CASENT0453367-73, CASENT0453376-90 (CASC).

Etymology

The name (flavigaster) refers to the light yellow gaster of this species, which is in sharp contrast to the dark brown color of the rest of the body.

References