Nesomyrmex tamatavensis

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

Nesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496292 p 1 high.jpg

Nesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496292 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is known to occur in rainforests from sea level to 1100 m predominantly in the northeastern part of Madagascar. The only known locality of this species in the southwestern Toliara region (Forêt Classée d'Analavelona, NNW Mahaboboka) is in an isolated rainforest surrounded by dry forest; this rainforest is a relic of the formerly widespread rainforest now found primarily in the east.

Identification

A member of the sikorai species-group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.43667° to -22.675°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Male

Images from AntWeb

Nesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 h 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 p 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 p 2 high.jpgNesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 p 3 high.jpgNesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 d 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex tamatavensis casent0496295 l 1 high.jpg
Male (alate). Specimen code casent0496295. 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.

  • tamatavensis. Nesomyrmex tamatavensis Csösz & Fisher, 2016b: 27, figs. 3, 16A-C (w.m.) 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 to brown. Body color pattern: concolorous. Absolute cephalic size: 699 μm [634, 750]. Cephalic length vs. maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.155 [1.119, 1.182]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.433 [0.411, 0.449]. Postocular sides of cranium contour, anterior view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour, anterior view shape: convex. Vertex contour line in anterior view shape: straight to feebly convex. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture inconspicuous, ground sculpture smooth. Gena contour line in anterior view shape: convex. Gena contour from anterior view orientation: strongly converging. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with feeble areolate ground sculpture. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.258 [0.243, 0.284]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.329 [0.318, 0.347]. Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons: present or absent. Smooth median region on frons: present. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.798 [0.773, 0.832]. Median clypeal notch: present. Median carina of clypeus: absent. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.388 [0.364, 0.43]. Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.244 [0.221, 0.282]. Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.303 [0.273, 0.35]. Propodeal spine shape: strongly bent. Apical distance of pronotal spines vs. absolute cephalic size (PSTI/CS): 0.739 [0.708, 0.78]. Metanotal depression: present. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: rugose with smooth ground sculpture. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: inconspicuously areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture rugoso-reticulate. Mesopleuron sculpture: smooth ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Metapleuron sculpture: fine areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugulae. Petiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PEW/CS): 0.243 [0.208, 0.27]. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture inconspicuously areolate, main sculpture rugoso-reticulate. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.363 [0.338, 0.385]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture smooth, main sculpture dispersed rugose.

Type Material

Holotype worker: Madagascar: Prov. Toamasina, Montagne d'Akirindro 7.6 km 341° NNW Ambinanitelo, 600 m, -15.28833 N, 49.54833 E, 17. iii.2003, collection code: BLF8390; CASENT0496292, Fisher et al., ex dead twig above ground, rainforest (California Academy of Sciences, CASENT0496292). Paratypes: 5 workers and a male with the same label data with the holotype with CASENT codes: CASENT0763559, BLF8390, (2w, CAS); CASENT0496293, BLF8390, (3w, CAS); CASENT0496294, BLF8390, (3w, CAS); CASENT0496295, BLF8390, (1q, 1m, CAS).

Etymology

Tamatave is the French name of Toamasina, the capital of the Atsinanana region, where this species is abundant.

References