Monomorium fridae

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Monomorium fridae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Monomorium
Species: M. fridae
Binomial name
Monomorium fridae
Forel, 1905

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Specimen Labels

One collection was made in fynbos habitat. Little else is known about this ant's biology.

Identification

Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. tchelichofi complex in the M. salomonis species group. M. fridae is given new status here as a valid species, reflecting the fact that it is not closely related to the Canary Island species Monomorium medinae, a very specialized form known only from those islands. The real affinities of fridae lie within the tchelichofi-complex and indeed fridae may be a senior synonym of tchelichofi itself. The two are remarkably similar in all respects except for size, fridae being a slightly smaller species with a fractionally narrower head and marginally longer scapes. Both share the same type-locality. Because of shortage of material referable to either name I have opted to keep them as separate species for the time being, but I strongly suspect that the acquisition of further samples will show fridae and tchelichofi to be synonymous by bridging the slight size gap shown in presently available material.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -15.92905534° to -34.125°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: South Africa (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

Nomenclature

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

  • fridae. Monomorium medinae r. fridae Forel, 1905b: 183 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: South Africa: Cape Colony, Willowmore (H. Brauns).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Combination in M. (Xeromyrmex): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 870.
    • Subspecies of medinae: Arnold, 1916: 219; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 870; Emery, 1922e: 177; Ettershank, 1966: 89.
    • Status as species: Bolton, 1987: 344 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 262.
    • Distribution: South Africa.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (1987) - TL 3.1-3.2, HL 0.84-0.85, HW 0.67-0.68, CI 80-81, SL 0.68-0.70, SI 101-103, PW 0.40-0.42, AL 0.90-0.93 (3 measured).

Anterior margin of median portion of clypeus evenly concave. Sides of head notably convex in full-face view, the eyes situated at the widest point. Maximum diameter of eye 0.20-0.22 x HW, with 9 ommatidia in the longest row. Occipital margin of head very shallowly concave. With alitrunk in profile the promesonotal dorsum evenly convex, sloping posteriorly to the very feebly marked and scarcely impressed metanotal groove. Dorsum of propodeum flattened but not obviously concave, the dorsal surface rounding into the sides without distinct lateral marginations or carinae. Nodes of petiole and postpetiole in dorsal view both transversely elliptical, broader than long. Cephalic dorsum with 3-4 pairs of hairs which straddle the midline behind the level of the frontal lobes; without standing hairs at the occipital corners. Dorsal alitrunk without standing hairs. Petiole node with one pair and postpetiole with 1-2 pairs of backward directed hairs. First gastral tergite with numerous hairs in front of the apical transverse row, these hairs widely separated but distributed more or less evenly over the sclerite. Dorsum of head shining, unsculptured except for a fine faint superficial reticular patterning everywhere. Promesonotal dorsum sculptured as head but the patterning usually more strongly marked, especially on the posterior portion of the mesonotum. Propodeal dorsum shallowly and weakly punctulate-granular. First gastral tergite shining, with faint superficial reticulate patterning. Colour uniform brown, the gaster the same colour as, or slightly darker than, the alitrunk.

Type Material

Bolton (1987) - Holotype worker, South Africa: Cape Prov., Willowmore (H. Brauns) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Botes, A., M.A. McGeoch, H.G. Robertson, A. van Niekerk, H.P. Davids and S.L. Chown. 2006. Ants, altitude and change in the northern Cape Floristic Region. Journal of Biogeography 33:71-90
  • Braschler B., S. L. Chown, and K. J.Gaston. 2012. The Fynbos and Succulent Karoo Biomes Do Not Have Exceptional Local Ant Richness. PLoS ONE 7(3): e31463.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031463
  • Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
  • Forel A. 1905. Miscellanea myrmécologiques II (1905). Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 49: 155-185.