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Nesomyrmex fragilis
| Nesomyrmex fragilis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Nesomyrmex |
| Species group: | angulatus |
| Species: | N. fragilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Nesomyrmex fragilis Csösz & Fisher, 2016
| |
Nesomyrmex fragilis is distributed in tropical dry forests, disturbed forests, rainforests, and littoral rainforests in the Antsisarana region. A single sample (CASENT0134410) is known to have been collected in the Mahajanga region far south of the main distributional area of this species.
Identification
Csősz and Fisher (2016) - A member of the angulatus species-group. Workers of N. fragilis differ from those of Nesomyrmex clypeatus by having no median clypeal notch and from those of Nesomyrmex angulatus by the lack of an anterolateral pronotal corner. This species can be separated from Nesomyrmex devius, Nesomyrmex exiguus, Nesomyrmex gracilis, and N. hirtellus using morphometrics.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -12.44114° to -16.28322°.
| 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
Images from AntWeb
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| Holotype of Nesomyrmex fragilis. Worker. Specimen code casent0421396. Photographer Michele Esposito, 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.
- fragilis. Nesomyrmex fragilis Csösz & Fisher, 2016: 25, figs. 11A-11C (w.q.) 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: yellow. Body color pattern: concolorous. Absolute cephalic size (mm): 539 [469, 614] (n D 42). Cephalic length vs. maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.229 [1.189, 1.278]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.404 [0.389, 0.421]. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging anteriorly; parallel. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: straight; feebly convex; convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight; feebly convex. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture rugoso-reticulate, ground sculpture areolate. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: convex. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging; strongly converging. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with areolate ground sculpture. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen: absent. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.260 [0.239, 0.276]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.409 [0.379, 0.430]. Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons: absent. Smooth median region on frons: absent. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.659 [0.615, 0.694]. Facial area of the scape absolute setal angle: 15-30°. Median clypeal notch: absent. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: present. Median carina of clypeus: present. Lateral carinae of clypeus: present. Median anatomical line of propodeal spine angle value to Weber length in lateral view: 20-27°. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.310 [0.257, 0.356]. Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.369 [0.327, 0.405]. Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.377 [0.337, 0.424]. Propodeal spine shape: triangular, blunt. Anterolateral pronotal corner: absent. Metanotal depression: present, inconspicuous. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: rugulose with areolate ground sculpture. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Mesopleuron sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Metapleuron sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Petiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PEW/CS): 0.407 [0.363, 0.460]. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.470 [0.429, 0.507]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture dispersed rugose.
Type Material
Holotype worker: Madagascar: Prov. Antsisarana, Nosy Be, Réserve Naturelle Intégrale de Lokobe, 6.3 km 112° ESE Hellville, 13.41933° S, 48.33117° E, 30 m, 19-24.iii.2001, collection code: BLF3496; CASENT0421396, Fisher et al. (CASENT0421396, California Academy of Sciences). Paratypes: five workers and a single gyne with the same locality data (CASC).
Etymology
This name fragilis (=fragile) refers to the small size of this species.
References
- Csosz, S. & Fisher, B.L. 2016. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy members of the Nesomyrmex angulatus species group using the automated morphological species delineation protocol NC-PART-clustering. PeerJ 4:e1796 doi:10.7717/peerj.1796