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Metapone africana
| Metapone africana | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Metapone |
| Species: | M. africana |
| Binomial name | |
| Metapone africana Taylor & Alpert, 2016
| |
This species is known from two collections made in Gabon, both from rotten wood, one in a rainforest.
Identification
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Gabon (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
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- africana. Metapone africana Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 511, figs. 12-15 (w.) GABON.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 1 paratype worker.
- Type-locality: holotype Gabon: Prov. Woleu-Ntem, 31.3 km. 108° ESE Minvoul, 2°04.8’N, 12°24.4’E, 600 m. (B.L. Fisher); paratype with same data.
- Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); BMNH (paratype).
- [Note: presence of w.q.m. series recorded as in BMNH, but not described: Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 511.]
- Distribution: Gabon.
Description
Worker
Holotype, paratype: TL ca: 4.3, 3.9; HL: 0.93, 0.96; HW: 0.75, 0.76; CI: 81, 79; CpL: 0.37, 0.38; CpI: 40, 39; MSL: 1.20, 1.16; PML: 0.61, 0.61; PMW: 0.56, 0.55; PMI: 51, 53; PDW: 0.48, 0.49; PetL: 0.31, 0.30; PetW: 0.44, 0.44; PetH: 0.53, 0.54; PpetL: 0.32, 0.31; PpetW: 0.46, 0.47; PpetH: 0.49, 0.49; GW: 0.77, 0.78.
General and diagnostic features as in the key and accompanying figures (note entire anterior clypeal border lacking median denticles, subparallel lateral clypeal margins, petiolar node in dorsal view approximately as wide as long, and slightly extended postpetiolar sternite, acute in lateral view. Eyes vestigial, represented by tiny darkly pigmented spots beneath the surface cuticle; no trace of surface structure is observable even under strongly reflective illumination. Subpetiolar process more-or-less basic in structure: posterior face approximately equilaterally triangular, subpetiolar angle obtuse. Subpetiolar extension a shallow isoscelestriangular lamella, almost right angled apically, the base fully as long as the subpetiolar edge.
Type Material
Gabon: Woleuniem Province: 31.3km, 108°ESE of Minvoul, 2°04.8'N, 12°24.4’E, 600m. Holotype California Academy of Sciences, paratype The Natural History Museum.
References
- Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
- Taylor, R. W. and G. D. Alpert, G. D. 2016. The myrmicine ant genus Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a global taxonomic review with descriptions of twelve new species. Zootaxa. 4105(6):501-545. [2016-04-27] [2016-04-27]]]
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Taylor R. W., and G. D. Alpert. 2016. The myrmicine ant genus Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a global taxonomic review with descriptions of twelve new species. Zootaxa 4105(6): 501-545.