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Metapone emersoni
| Metapone emersoni | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Metapone |
| Species: | M. emersoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Metapone emersoni Gregg, 1958
| |
Most often found in wet forest habitats, specimens have been collected from rotten logs and, for one nest, in a dead branch above the ground.
Identification
Lateral margins of raised median portion of clypeus markedly convergent anteriorly from the level of the antennal insertions. Petiolar dorsum from above approximately twice as wide as long. Postpetiolar sternite in profile view appearing as a long, slender process (Madagascar).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -18.79166667° to -24.77638889°.
| 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. |
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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
Alpert (2007) - Gregg based his description on two workers found within a series of termites collected 12 miles from Perinet, Madagascar on June 28, 1935 by Harold Kirby. Kirby attached a locality code T-4503, his record label T specifying a collection of termites. Many of Kirby’s termite collections were later identified to species in a series of papers including Moszkowski’s 1955 paper on Malagasy termites. T-4503 however has never been listed as a locality code for Cryptotermes kirbyi, or any other termite, leaving in question the identification of the host termite for M. emersoni. One worker of M. emersoni has been collected subsequently from a more northern location, (Toamasina, P.N. Mantadia, 18°47’30”S, 48°25’36”E, 895m, rainforest, 25 Nov-1Dec 1998, coll. H.J. Ratsirarson, HJR020, CASENT0003116, CASC).
Castes
Worker
   
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| . | Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology. |
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0003117. Photographer Michele Esposito, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Queen
A single queen assigned to M. emersoni was collected from the Andohahela Special Reserve (24°46’35”S, 45°42’19”E), in southern Madagascar (P. Rabeson, 4.II. 1993, MCZC). When M. emersoni is rediscovered and queens are collected in association with workers, then the status of this single queen can be confirmed.
  
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| . | Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- emersoni. Metapone emersoni Gregg, R.E. 1958: 115, fig. 2 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 1 paratype worker.
- Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: 12 mi. from Perinet, 28.vi.1935 (H. Kirby); paratype with same data.
- Type-depository: FMNH.
- Status as species: Kusnezov, 1960a: 126; Bolton, 1995b: 258; Alpert, 2007: 10; Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 509 (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
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - General and diagnostic features as illustrated and in key (note especially the entire anterior clypeal border without median denticles, anteriorly converging lateral clypeal margins, relatively very wide petiolar node, and extended postpetiolar sternite appearing spinous in lateral view). Eyes structured similarly to those of Metapone madagascarica but a little larger. Subpetiolar process more-or-less basic in structure, the posterior face triangular, subpetiolar angle obtuse in side view, without spinose extension. Subpetiolar extension lamellate, approximately semi-circular, its base about two-thirds as long as the subpetiolar edge.
Type Material
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Worker. 12 miles from Perinet [18°55'S, 48°25'E], Madagascar.
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.
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 258, catalogue)
- 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 115, fig. 2 worker described)
- 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
- 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.
- 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.