Messor capensis
Messor capensis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
Tribe: | Stenammini |
Genus: | Messor |
Species: | M. capensis |
Binomial name | |
Messor capensis (Mayr, 1862) | |
Synonyms | |
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Identification
The taxa capensis, Messor decipiens and Messor piceus, treated here as separate species, may in fact represent only a single variable species. The differences invoked to distinguish the three are minor (see key) and may eventually prove to be gradient. Among the species in which the first gastral tergite is uniformly hairy the three taxa mentioned above are characterized together by their relatively small eyes, lack of strong gastral sculpture, relatively straight-sided head and short propodeum, and lack of a median prominence on the posterior half of the clypeus. (Bolton 1982)
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -23.31667° to -34.68333°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (type locality), Zimbabwe.
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
As is common in this genus, workers forage for seeds that are retrieved to the nests. In the Western Cape of South Africa, M. capensis gather seeds of many species, including rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) even though these lack arils. Seeds remain viable after years underground and can survive episodic fire.
Rooibos 'tea' offers several health benefits (rich in antioxidants; caffeine-free; low tannin). Seeds are tiny and housed in small pods. When each pod is ripe, it will burst open, scattering the seeds on the sandy ground. Moreover the pods on a particular bush reach maturity at different rates, so it is difficult to obtain large quantities of rooibos seeds by sifting. Indigenous knowledge (Khoi or San) about the banks of rooibos seeds in M. capensis nests allowed the start of commercial plantations. Nowadays some Cederberg farmers continue to dig up the ants' granaries every few years.
(written by Christian Peeters based on interviews with local farmer Bennie Bezuidenhout, internet information, and Lawrence Green's (1949) book In The Land Of Afternoon. Standard Press Ltd. pp. 52 to 54)
Castes
Worker
Images from AntWeb
Worker. Specimen code casent0217868. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Syntype of Messor capensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0900466. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by NHMUK, London, UK. |
Syntype of Aphaenogaster pseudoaegyptiaca. Worker. Specimen code casent0904139. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy. |
Syntype of Messor braunsi. Worker. Specimen code casent0907742. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- capensis. Atta capensis Mayr, 1862: 743 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
- Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Bolton, 1982: 345).
- Type-locality: South Africa: Cape of Good Hope, “D” (Novara Expd.).
- Type-depository: NHMW.
- Mayr, 1866b: 896 (q.m.).
- Combination in Aphaenogaster: Roger, 1863b: 30;
- combination in Stenamma (Messor): Emery, 1895h: 35;
- combination in Messor: Forel, 1910e: 444.
- Subspecies of barbarus: Emery, 1891b: 12; Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 100 (footnote); Emery, 1895h: 35; Forel, 1910e: 444; Forel, 1910f: 15; Forel, 1911e: 266; Forel, 1914d: 242; Arnold, 1920a: 405; Emery, 1921f: 70; Emery, 1922c: 99; Stitz, 1923: 150; Arnold, 1960a: 82; Prins, 1963: 100.
- Status as species: Roger, 1863b: 30; Mayr, 1863: 396; Mayr, 1865: 87 (redescription); Mayr, 1866b: 896; Dalla Torre, 1893: 101; Santschi, 1917e: 94; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 804; Bolton, 1982: 345 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- Senior synonym of braunsi: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- Senior synonym of donisthorpei: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- Senior synonym of pseudoaegyptiaca: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- Senior synonym of schencki: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- Distribution: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe.
- braunsi. Messor braunsi Forel, 1913a: 138 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: South Africa: Cape Prov., Willowmore (H. Brauns).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Stitz, 1923: 149 (q.).
- Status as species: Arnold, 1920a: 413; Emery, 1921f: 73; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 804; Stitz, 1923: 149.
- Junior synonym of capensis: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 253.
- donisthorpei. Messor donisthorpei Santschi, 1937a: 51 (w.q.) NAMIBIA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 synype queen.
- Type-locality: Namibia (“S.W. Africa”): W Maltahohe, 1500 m., 12.xii.1934 (K. Jordan).
- Type-depositories: BMNH, MCZC, NHMB, USNM.
- Junior synonym of capensis: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 254.
- pseudoaegyptiaca. Aphaenogaster pseudoaegyptiaca Emery, 1884a: 384 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: South Africa: Cape of Good Hope (no collector’s name).
- Type-depository: MSNG.
- [Misspelled as pseudaegyptiaca by Emery, 1922c: 99.]
- Arnold, 1920a: 409 (q.m.).
- Combination in Stenamma (Messor): Emery, 1895h: 35;
- combination in Messor: Santschi, 1917e: 94.
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Emery, 1891b: 12; Emery, 1895h: 35; Arnold, 1920a: 408; Emery, 1921f: 70; Emery, 1922c: 99.
- Subspecies of capensis: Dalla Torre, 1893: 101; Santschi, 1917e: 94; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 805.
- Junior synonym of capensis: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 256.
- schencki. Messor capensis var. schencki Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 805.
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Namibia (“German Southwest Africa”): Great Namaland, Bethanien (Schenck).
- Type-depository: unknown (presumed lost, not found in MHNG (Bolton, 1982: 345)).
- [First available use of Messor barbarus subsp. capensis var. schenki Forel, 1910f: 15 (w.) NAMIBIA; unavailable (infrasubspecific) name.]
- As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Arnold, 1920a: 410; Emery, 1921f: 70; Emery, 1922c: 99; Stitz, 1923: 150.
- Junior synonym of capensis: Bolton, 1982: 345; Bolton, 1995b: 257.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1982) - Medium to large, HW 2.35 -> 3.40.
Anterior clypeal margin varying from shallowly convex to transverse, only very rarely with the faintest vestige of a median indentation. With the head in full face view the sides more or less straight and approximately parallel, never evenly convex nor obviously diverging anteriorly. Occipital margin broadly and shallowly concave to indented medially. In HW range 2.35-3.44 the maximum diameter of the eye is 0.40-0.58, about 0.15-0.19 x HW, and the CI range is 103-119. Propodeum in profile with the dorsum rounding narrowly into the declivity in most cases; in some more broadly rounded and in a few right-angled, but only rarely with dentiform prominences and here usually only in the largest workers. Usual sculpture of entire dorsum of head of fine, densely packed parallel longitudinal rugulae, most commonly with fine punctulation between them. Variation in the sculpture consists of a reduction, in density or intensity, or one or both of these components. Sometimes the rugulae are more widely spaced and fainter than is usual, in which case the punctulate ground-sculpture is much more obvious and may appear as the dominant component in places. On the other hand the punctulate sculpture may fade out, leaving the rugulae sharply defined; the rugulae may then also become less intense and leave the head only feebly sculptured. Dorsal alitrunk usually rugose or rugulose everywhere but, as on the head, this sculpture may be reduced until it is very faint or even absent. When distinctly present the direction of sculpture on the pronotum shows variation. Commonly it is longitudinal but forms with the sculpture diagonal, transverse, irregular or varying on different parts of the surface are fairly frequent. First gastral tergite unsculptured or at most with a very faint superficial patterning. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with numerous conspicuous standing hairs. Colour black to dark reddish brown, the head and alitrunk always the same colour, the gaster sometimes darker.
References
- Arnold, G. 1920a. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part IV. Myrmicinae. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 14: 403-578 (page 405, Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Bolton, B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmecine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 46: 307-370 (page 345, Status as species,Senior synonym of braunsi, donisthorpei, pseudoaegyptiaca and schencki)
- Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
- Devenish, A.J.M., Newton, R.J., Bridle, J.R., Gomez, C., Midgley, J.J., Sumner, S. 2021. Contrasting responses of native ant communities to invasion by an ant invader, Linepithema humile. Biological Invasions 23, 2553–2571 (doi:10.1007/s10530-021-02522-7).
- Emery, C. 1891c. Exploration scientifique de la Tunisie. Zoologie. - Hyménoptères. Révision critique des fourmis de la Tunisie. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, iii + 21 pp. (page 12, Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Emery, C. 1895i. Voyage de M. E. Simon dans l'Afrique australe (janvier-avril 1893). 3e mémoire. Formicides. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 64: 15-56 (page 35, Combination in Stenamma (Messor))
- Emery, C. 1922c. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [part]. Genera Insectorum 174B: 95-206 (page 98, Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Forel, A. 1910f. Note sur quelques fourmis d'Afrique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 54: 421-458 (page 444, Combination in Messor Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Hazarika, H.N., Khanikor, B. 2021. Integration of morphological and molecular taxonomic characters for identification of Odontoponera denticulata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae:Ponerinae) with the description of the antennal sensilla. Zoologischer Anzeiger 293: 89-100 (doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2021.05.009).
- Mayr, G. 1862. Myrmecologische Studien. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 12: 649-776 (page 743, worker described)
- Mayr, G. 1866b. Diagnosen neuer und wenig gekannter Formiciden. Verh. K-K. Zool.-Bot. Ges. Wien 16: 885-908 (page 896, queen, male described)
- Plowes, N.J.R., Johnson, R.A., Holldobler, B. 2013. Foraging behavior in the ant genus Messor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Myrmecological News 18, 33-49.
- Prins, A. J. 1963. A list of the ants collected in the Kruger National Park with notes on their distribution. Koedoe 6: 91-108 (page 100, Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Roger, J. 1863b. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(B Beilage: 1-65 (page 30, Combination in Aphaenogaster)
- Santschi, F. 1917e. Races et variétés nouvelles du Messor barbarus L. Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afr. Nord 8: 89-94 (page 94, Status as species)
- Stitz, H. 1923. Hymenoptera, VII. Formicidae. Beitr. Kennt. Land- Süsswasserfauna Dtsch.-Südwestafr. 2: 143-167 (page 150, Subspecies/race of barbarus)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922j. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 711-1004 (page 804, Status as species)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Arnold G. 1920. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part IV. Myrmicinae. Annals of the South African Museum. 14: 403-578.
- Bolton B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 45: 307-370.
- Dean W. R. J., and R. I. Yeaton. 1993. The effects of harvester ant: Messor capensis nest-mounds on the physical and chemical properties of soils in the southern Karoo, South Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 25: 249-260.
- Dean, W. R. J. and Bond, W. J. 1990. Evidence for Rapid Faunal Changes on Islands in a Man-Made Lake. Oecologia. 83:388-391.
- Emery C. 1895. Voyage de M. E. Simon dans l'Afrique australe (janvier-avril 1893). 3e mémoire. Formicides. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 64: 15-56.
- Forel A. 1913. Fourmis de Rhodesia, etc. récoltées par M. G. Arnold, le Dr. H. Brauns et K. Fikendey. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 57: 108-147.
- Hanrahan S. A., M. J. Steinbauer, and F. D. Duncan. 2014. Ant assemblages in a poorly sampled part of the arid Nama Karoo. African Entomology 22(2): 448453.
- IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
- Koch F., and K. Vohland. 2004. Ants along a southern African transect - a basis for biodiversity change monitoring (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoosystematics and Evolution 80(2): 261-273.
- Prins A. J. 1963. A list of the ants collected in the Kruger National Park with notes on their distribution. Koedoe 6: 91-108.
- Prins A. J. 1964. Revised list of the ants collected in the Kruger National Park. Koedoe 7: 77-93.
- Prins A. J. 1967. The ants of our National Parks. Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science 10(1): 63-81.
- Stitz H. 1923. Hymenoptera, VII. Formicidae. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Land- und Süsswasserfauna Deutsch-Südwestafrikas 2: 143-167.
- Tshinguvho T. E., W. R. J. Dean, and H. G. Robertson. 1999. Conservation value of road verges in the semi-arid Karoo, South Africa: ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as bio-indicators. Biodiversity and Conservation 8: 16831695
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004