Crematogaster telolafy

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Crematogaster telolafy
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Crematogaster
Species: C. telolafy
Binomial name
Crematogaster telolafy
Blaimer, 2012

Crematogaster telolafy casent0032779 p 1 high.jpg

Crematogaster telolafy casent0032779 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

No colony collections of C. telolafy have been made that could give clues on the biology of this species. It has been collected by methods of litter sifting, malaise, pitfall and pan traps, as well as beating low vegetation. (Blaimer 2012)

Identification

Blaimer (2012) - A member of the Crematogaster madecassa group. Workers of Crematogaster telolafy can be differentiated from all other Malagasy Orthocrema species except Crematogaster madecassa by the presence of two distinct vertical carinae on the clypeus. From C. madecassa, which shares this feature, C. telolafy workers are distinguished by the form (triangular) and the shorter length of their propodeal spines, and by the shorter antennal scape. Queens of C. telolafy are unknown, but are expected to be morphologically similar to C. madecassa queens.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distributed mainly in the dry and spiny forests of southern and western Madagascar at low elevations, with some notable exceptions of records from remnant patches of western rainforest, e.g. Rés. Ambohijanahary, or gallery forest such as exists in the Isalo region.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.26667° to -24.7585°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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

Known only from the worker caste.

Images from AntWeb

Crematogaster telolafy casent0077869 l 1 high.jpgCrematogaster telolafy casent0077869 p 2 high.jpg
Specimen code casent0077869. .
Crematogaster telolafy casent0419808 p 2 high.jpgCrematogaster telolafy casent0419808 d 2 high.jpgCrematogaster telolafy casent0419808 p 3 high.jpgCrematogaster telolafy casent0419808 p 4 high.jpg
Specimen code casent0419808. .
Crematogaster telolafy casent0419832 p 1 high.jpg
Specimen code casent0419832. .

Nomenclature

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

  • telolafy. Crematogaster telolafy Blaimer, 2012b: 53, fig. 29 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: Prov. Toliara, P.N. Zombitse, 19.8 km. 84° E Sakaraha, 770 m., 5-9.ii.2003, 22°50.6’S, 44°42.6’E, BLF7510, sifted litter (B.L. Fisher, et al.); paratypes: 2 workers Prov. Toliara, Kirindy, 15.5 km. 64° ENE Marofandilia, 28.xi.-3.xii.2001, 100 m., 20°03’S, 44°40’E, BLF4605, and BLF4605(7), spiny forest/thicket, ex dead tree stump (B.L. Fisher, et al.), 2 workers Prov. Mahajanga, P.N. Tsingy de Bemaraha, 10.6 km. 123° ESE Antsalova, 150 m., 18°43’S, 44°43’E, 16-20.xi.2001, BLF4434, and BLF4434(7), tropical dry forest, ex rotten log (B.L. Fisher, et al.).
    • Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); MCZC, MHNG, SAMC, UCDC (paratypes).
    • Combination in C. (Orthocrema): Blaimer, 2012b: 32.
    • Distribution: Madagascar.

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

Description

Worker

(n=16). Holotype: HW 0.58; HL 0.55; EL 0.15; SL 0.44; WL 0.58; SPL 0.07; PTH 0.13; PTL 0.20; PTW 0.17; PPL 0.13; PPW 0.18; LHT 0.45; CI 1.06; OI 0.27; SI 0.80; SPI 0.13; PTHI 0.64; PTWI 0.82; PPI 1.34; LBI 1.29.

Other material. HW 0.50–0.58; HL 0.47–0.56; EL 0.12–0.14; SL 0.39–0.46; WL 0.52–0.69; SPL 0.06–0.11; PTH 0.10–0.15; PTL 0.17–0.22; PTW 0.14–0.17; PPL 0.10–0.13; PPW 0.15–0.19; LHT 0.38–0.48; CI 1.02–1.09; OI 0.23–0.28; SI 0.78–0.87; SPI 0.10–0.19; PTHI 0.51–0.70; PTWI 0.67–0.89; PPI 1.22–1.60; LBI 1.24–1.67.

Very small species (HW 0.50–0.58, WL 0.52–0.69), with characters of the C. madecassa-group, in addition to the following. Clypeus with two distinct median vertical carinae; antennal scapes reaching, or barely surpassing posterior margin of head.

Metanotal groove constricted to less than half as wide as pronotal width; propodeal spines short to medium-sized (SPI 0.10–0.19), usually in form of acute triangular points, sometimes more elongate and spiniform, distinctly directed upwards in lateral view, in dorsal view parallel or moderately diverging; subpostpetiolar process usually present, often as acute minute tooth.

Promesonotum usually with 6 erect, long flexuous setae: 2 humeral setae, and 2 setae each at anterior and posterior end of mesonotal carinae. Color pale to medium yellow.

Type Material

MADAGASCAR: Toliara: P.N. Zombitse: -22.84333, 44.71000, 770m, tropical dry forest, sifted litter, 5–9.ii.2003, B.L.Fisher et al..

Holotype worker: pinned, CASENT0032779, BLF07510(19), sifted litter; original locality label: MADG’R: Prov. Toliara, P.N. Zombitse, 19.8 km 84°E Sakaraha 770m, 5–9.ii.2003, 22°50.6’S, 44°42.6’E, Fisher et al. BLF7510; deposited at California Academy of Sciences.

4 paratype workers: #1: pinned, CASENT0473872, BLF04605(29), spiny forest/thicket, ex dead tree stump; original locality label: MADG’R: Prov. Toliara, Kirindy, 15.5 km 64 ENE Marofandilia, 28.xi.–3.xii.2001, 100m 20°03'S, 44°40'E, Fisher et al. BLF4605; deposited at SAMC. #2: pinned, CASENT0473867, BLF04605(7), same habitat and label data as #1; deposited at MHNG. #3: pinned, CASENT0419808, BLF4434(7), tropical dry forest, ex rotten log; original locality label: MADG’R: Prov. Mahajanga, P.N. Tsingy de Bemaraha, 10.6 km 123°ESE Antsalova, 150m 18°43'S, 44°43'E, 16–20.xi.2001, Fisher et al. BLF4434; deposited at Museum of Comparative Zoology. #4: pinned, CASENT0193950, BLF04434(7), same habitat and label data as #3; deposited at University of California, Davis.

Etymology

This species is named for the triangular form of its propodeal spines, as “telolafy” is the Malagasy word for triangle. This name should be treated as a noun in apposition.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Blaimer B. B. 2012. Taxonomy and species-groups of the subgenus Crematogaster (Orthocrema) in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 199: 23-70
  • Blaimer, B.. "Taxonomy and species-groups of the subgenus Crematogaster (Orthocrema) in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)." ZooKeys 199 (2012): 23-70.