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Nylanderia mendica
| Nylanderia mendica | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Lasiini |
| Genus: | Nylanderia |
| Species: | N. mendica |
| Binomial name | |
| Nylanderia mendica (Menozzi, 1942)
| |
Identification
LaPolla et al. (2011) - Overall color dark brown; mesosoma laterally striated; mesonotum rugulose; gaster dorsally and ventrally striated.
Compare with: Nylanderia brevisetula
The striated pronotum and gaster make this species fairly easy to identify. The only species with which it could be confused is N. brevisetula, but the short notal setae of that species make it fairly easy to distinguish between N. mendica and N. brevisetula. As both N. mendica and N. brevisetula have striations on the gaster (although they are faint and found only on the dorsum in N. brevisetula) and similar looking heads, they may be sister species. Unfortunately, males are currently unknown for both species.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 3.033611111° to -2.226388889°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea (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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| Worker. Specimen code casent0179590. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
The queen and male castes are currently unknown for this species.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- mendica. Paratrechina (Nylanderia) mendica Menozzi, 1942: 179, fig. 3 (w.q.) EQUATORIAL GUINEA (Bioko I.). [Also given as new in Eidmann, 1944: 461.] Combination in Nylanderia: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 127. See also: LaPolla, Hawkes & Fisher, 2011: 21.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
LaPolla et al. (2011) - Measurements (n = 4): TL: 2.42–2.86; HW: 0.56–0.66; HL: 0.65–0.72; EL: 0.15–0.18; SL: 0.78–0.86; PW: 0.41–0.43; WL: 0.85–1.0; GL: 0.92–1.16
Indices: CI: 81–95; REL: 20–26; SI: 130–144
Overall dark brown, with lighter mandibles, antennae, trochanters, joints of legs and tarsi; yellowish around acidopore. Head and mesosoma rugulose; gaster with distinct striations along dorsal and ventral surfaces. Head with erect and appressed macrosetae; posterior margin broadly rounded, with distinctly rounded posterolateral corners; medially posterior margin slightly emarginate; scapes surpass posterior margin by about the length of the first 3–4 funicular segments; scapes with erect macrosetae and a layer of pubescence (SMC = 30–50). Mesosoma laterally faintly striated; mesonotum rugulose; pronotum and mesonotum with scattered erect macrosetae (PMC = 2; MMC = 2–3); pronotum gently rounded toward mesonotum; metanotal area elongate and rugulose; dorsal face of propodeum dome-like, but lower than mesonotum, dorsal face and declivitous face about the same length. Gaster with suberect to erect and appressed macrosetae.
Type Material
Syntype worker and queen, EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Fernando Po Island [not examined, depository unknown].
References
- LaPolla, J.S., Hawkes, P.G. & Fisher, B.L. (2011) Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the World, Part I: Nylanderia in the Afrotropics. Zootaxa 3110: 10–36.
- Menozzi, C. 1942a. Formiche dell'isola Fernando Poo e del territorio del Rio Muni (Guinea Spagnola). 24. Beitrag zu den wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen der Forschungsreise H. Eidmann nach Spanisch-Guinea 1939 bis 1940. Zool. Anz. 140: 164-182 (page 179, fig. 3 worker, queen described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Eidmann H. 1944. Die Ameisenfauna von Fernando Poo. 27. Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Westafrika-Expedition. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Ökol. Geogr. Tiere 76: 413-490.
- LaPolla J. S.; P.G. Hawkes, and B.L. Fisher. 2011. Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the World, Part I: Nylanderia in the Afrotropics. Zootaxa 3110: 10-36.
- Menozzi C. 1942. Formiche dell'isola Fernando Poo e del territorio del Rio Muni (Guinea Spagnola). 24. Beitrag zu den wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen der Forschungsreise H. Eidmann nach Spanisch-Guinea 1939 bis 1940. Zoologischer Anzeiger 140: 164-182.