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Monomorium dakarense
| Monomorium dakarense | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Monomorium |
| Species: | M. dakarense |
| Binomial name | |
| Monomorium dakarense Santschi, 1914
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Nothing is known about the biology of Monomorium dakarense.
Identification
Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. australe complex in the M. salomonis species group. Associated with bicolor until the present, dakarense is best regarded as a distinct species. Apparently it was linked to Monomorium bicolor by Santschi (1914c) purely on the grounds of their similar colour, but he separated them by saying that in dakarense the scape was shorter and the psammophore better developed. The scape is indeed shorter in dakarense (SI 95-100) than in bicolor (SI 104-115), but also the former is considerably smaller (compare the measurements above with bicolor HL 0.70-0.93, HW 0.52-0.75, SL 0.56-0.78). The cephalic sculpture of bicolor is composed of sharply defined reticulate-punctation everywhere, and the first gastral tergite is less densely hairy.
M. dakarense is separated from its immediate allies by combining the distinctive colour scheme of the bicolor-complex with a lack of the reticulate-punctate cephalic sculpture usually associated with that colour scheme, replacing it by the silky punctulate-shagreenate sculpture generally associated with Monomorium sutu and its close relatives in the australe-complex. It is thus difficult to decide if dakarense is a member of the bicolor-complex (because of its colour) which has independently acquired the cephalic sculpture typical of sutu and allies, or if it is a member of the australe-complex which has acquired the bicolor-complex colour scheme. For the present I incline towards the latter as dakarense seems closer morphologically to Monomorium opacior, Monomorium parvinode and Monomorium minor than it does to any member of the bicolor-complex.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Senegal (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.
- dakarense. Monomorium bicolor st. dakarensis Santschi, 1914d: 353 (diagnosis in key) (w.) SENEGAL.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated, “many”).
- Type-locality: Senegal: Longa (Roubaud).
- Type-depository: NHMB.
- [Misspelled as dakariense by Santschi, 1927d: 245.]
- Subspecies of bicolor: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 869; Emery, 1922e: 176; Ettershank, 1966: 88.
- Subspecies of subopacum: Santschi, 1927d: 245.
- Status as species: Bolton, 1987: 339 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 260.
- Distribution: Senegal.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Bolton (1987) - TL 2.2-2.3, HL 0.57-0.59, HW 0.44-0.47, CI 77-80, SL 0.44-0.45, SI 95-100, PW 0.30-0.31, AL 0.66-0.70 (3 measured).
Maximum diameter of eye 0.23-0.24 x HW, with 7-8 ommatidia in the longest row. Distribution of pilosity as in bicolor but first gastral tergite with numerous standing hairs in front of the apical transverse row. Head under low magnification appearing uniformly finely granular; under higher magnification the entire dorsum opaque, very finely and densely punctulate-shagreenate and having a silky appearance. Alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole finely densely reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite shagreenate. Head and alitrunk orange-yellow to dull orange-brown, the gaster blackish brown, the two colours strongly contrasting.
Type Material
Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, Senegal: Longa (Roubaud) (Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel) [examined].
References
- Bolton, B. 1987. A review of the Solenopsis genus-group and revision of Afrotropical Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology. 54: 263-452.. (page 339, Raised to species)
- Santschi, F. 1914d. Formicides de l'Afrique occidentale et australe du voyage de Mr. le Professeur F. Silvestri. Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. Agrar. R. Sc. Super. Agric. 8: 309-385 (page 353, (diagnosis in key) worker described)
- Santschi, F. 1927e. Révision myrmécologique. Bull. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 67: 240-248 (page 245, Stirps of subopacum)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Diame L., B. Taylor, R. Blatrix, J. F. Vayssieres, J. Y. Rey, I. Grechi, and K. Diarra. 2017. A preliminary checklist of the ant (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) fauna of Senegal. Journal of Insect Biodiversity 5(15): 1-16.