Aphaenogaster sahafina

Aphaenogaster sahafina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Stenammini
Genus:	Aphaenogaster
Species group:	swammerdami
Species:	A. sahafina
Binomial name
Aphaenogaster sahafina Csősz & Fisher, 2021

Distribution

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.

Biology

Mimicry

Within Madagascar, there are four species of Camponotus, Camponotus imitator, Camponotus jodina, Camponotus karaha and Camponotus longicollis, that mimic the general form and behavior of the Aphaenogaster swammerdami group, specifically Aphaenogaster bressleri, Aphaenogaster gonacantha, Aphaenogaster makay, Aphaenogaster sahafina and Aphaenogaster swammerdami. These Camponotus mimics are often seen foraging with workers of Aphaenogaster, but potential benefits for Camponotus have not been studied (Csosz et al., 2021).

Phylogeny

Other Aphaenogaster	Aphaenogaster makay Aphaenogaster swammerdami Aphaenogaster bressleri Aphaenogaster gonacantha Aphaenogaster sahafina

Bayesian phylogeny of Malagasy Aphaenogaster based on COI sequences, from on Csosz et al., 2021.

Nomenclature

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

• sahafina. Aphaenogaster sahafina Csösz & Fisher, in Csösz, Loss & Fisher, 2021: 24, figs. 11A-C (w.q.) MADAGASCAR.
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 7 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype Madagscar: Toamasina, Sahafina forest, 11.4 km. W Brickaville, -18.81445°, 48.96205°, 140 m., 14.xii.2007, BLF 19467 (B.L. Fisher, et al.); paratypes with same data but BLF 19461, BLF 19467, BLF 19474, BLF 19479.
  • Type-depository: CASC.
  • Distribution: Madagascar.

References

• Csősz, S., Loss, A.C., Fisher, B.L. 2021. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Aphaenogaster swammerdami group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). PeerJ 9, e10900 (doi:10.7717/peerj.10900).
• Schifani, E., Alicata, A., Menchetti, M., Borowiec, L., Fisher, B.L., Karaman, C., Kiran, K., Oueslati, W., Salata, S., Blatrix, R. 2022. Revisiting the morphological species groups of West-Palearctic Aphaenogaster ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) under a phylogenetic perspective: toward an evolutionary classification. Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny 80, 627–648 (doi:10.3897/asp.80.e84428).