Metapone madagascarica
Metapone madagascarica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
Genus: | Metapone |
Species: | M. madagascarica |
Binomial name | |
Metapone madagascarica Gregg, 1958 |
Known from a variety of forest types (spiny forest/thicket, gallery forest, spiny forest, secondary rainforest, tropical dry forest, tropical forest) in dead wood, e.g., rotten logs and a stump.
At a Glance | • Gamergate |
Identification
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - General and diagnostic features as illustrated and in the key to African and Madagascan species above (note paired anteromedian clypeal denticles, sub-parallel lateral clypeal margins, transverse petiolar node, and unextended postpetiolar sternite). Eyes minute, diameter of each about half the width of the second funicular antennomere; with 8–10 extremely minute, somewhat obscure facets. Mesosoma In dorsal view slightly constricted at promesonotal/propodeal junction, with accompanying short vestigial traces of the metanotal suture on each side. Subpetiolar process: more-or-less basic in structure—relatively deep, the posterior face a narrow isosceles triangle, subpetiolar angle obtuse in side view, without spinose extension. Subpetiolar extension lamellate, scalene-triangular, with a short posteroventral edge, the apex posteroventral, the base almost as long as the subpetiolar edge.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 14.66° to -25.1675°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
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. |
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. |
Biology
Alpert (2007) - On February 10, 1993, Phil Ward, Emile Rajeriarison and the author discovered a series of M. madagascarica from Berenty Reserve, 15m, 25°01’ 3.9”S, 46°18’ 21.8”E; spiny forest, in an Alluaudia sp. log in association with termites. On July 11, 2000, the author returned to this locality with Pascal Rabeson and Emile Rajeriarison and collected several nest series of M. madagascarica in a dead hardwood tree (local Malagasy name “Kelegnogne”) in association with the termite Cryptotermes kirbyi. These nest series included larvae, pupae, workers, queens, males and ergatoid males.
Worker-queen intermorphs were present in low numbers among the series of workers. Two intermorphs exhibiting rudimentary wing articulations were present among 51 workers. Other intermediate stages of intermorph development were also present and this is consistent with the variation in development of ovarioles from six to two (Hölldobler et al., 2002b).
Several ergatoid males were collected along with typical winged males within the same colony at more than one location. These ergatoid males are almost identical to workers with the following exceptions, presence of male genitalia, large well-developed eyes and typical male antennae. The presence of both winged males and an ergatoid male caste in the same colony is exceptional in ants and warrants further study.
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
Worker. Specimen code casent0004528. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Worker. Specimen code casent0004530. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Worker. Specimen code casent0172256. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia. |
Paratype of Metapone madagascarica. Worker. Specimen code casent0172254. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0004524. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Male
Images from AntWeb
Male (alate). Specimen code casent0004525. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Ergatoid Male
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Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- madagascarica. Metapone madagascarica Gregg, R.E. 1958: 111, fig. 1 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen (+ 3 queen pupae).
- Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: 15 km. E Tulear, 7.vi.1935 (H. Kirby); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); LACM, USNM (paratypes).
- [Note: Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 509, report the holotype as in MCZC, but Gregg stated that the holotype was in his own collection, which now mostly (?) resides in FMNH.]
- Alpert, 2007: 11 (m., ergatoid m.).
- Status as species: Kusnezov, 1960a: 126; Bolton, 1995b: 258; Alpert, 2007: 11; Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 508 (redescription).
- Distribution: Madagascar.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Type Material
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Worker. 15 km east of Tulear [23°21' S, 43°40' E], Madagascar.
Alpert (2007) - Metapone madagascarica was described from a small series of workers collected along with termites from a stump with a field label T–4403. Moszkowski (1955, p. 34) described the associated drywood termite as a new species, Cryptotermes kirbyi Moszkowski, gave the field label as T-4403, and described the collection locality in more detail [14 km. East (23° 20’S, 43°48’E) of Tulear, along Fiheranana River, Madagascar, coll. H. Kirby, 7.VI.1935, in large dead stump].
References
- Alpert, G. D. 2007. A review of the ant genus Metapone Forel from Madagascar, pp. 8-18. In Snelling, R. R., B. L. Fisher, and P. S. Ward (eds). Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): homage to E. O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80.
- 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).
- Fisher, B. L. 1997a. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Nat. Hist. 31: 269-302 (see also)
- Gregg, R. E. 1958. Two new species of Metapone from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 60: 111-121 (page 111, fig. 1 worker, queen described)
- Jansen, G., Savolainen, R. 2010. Molecular phylogeny of the ant tribe Myrmicini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160(3), 482–495 (doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00604.x).
- 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]
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Alpert G. D. 2007. A review of the ant genus Metapone Forel from Madagascar. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 8-18.
- Fisher B. L. 1997. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Natural History 31: 269-302.
- Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
- Gregg R. E. 1958. Two new species of Metapone from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 60: 111-121.
- Kusnezov N. 1960. La posición sistemática del género Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 18: 119-126.
- 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.