Monomorium havilandi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Monomorium havilandi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Monomorium
Species: M. havilandi
Binomial name
Monomorium havilandi
Forel, 1910

Monomorium havilandi casent0902185 p 1 high.jpg

Monomorium havilandi casent0902185 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

The few collections of this species with habitat data show it has been collected in open areas.

Identification

Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. setuliferum species group. Easily diagnosed as this is the only Afrotropical Monomorium except for the very distinctive Monomorium abyssinicum (=Trichomyrmex abyssinicus) which has only three teeth present on the mandible. All other Afrotropical species have 4 teeth, 3 teeth plus a basal denticle, or in one species (Erromyrma latinodis), 5 teeth.

The synonymized Monomorium distinctum shows slightly stronger promesonotal sculpture and has more sharply defined and denser hair-pits on the cephalic dorsum. This is regarded as a very minor character variation.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -19° to -34.41667°.

   
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: South Africa (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

Nomenclature

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

  • havilandi. Monomorium havilandi Forel, 1910e: 443 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated), 1 syntype queen.
    • Type-locality: South Africa: Natal (Haviland).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Combination in M. (Parholcomyrmex): Santschi, 1917b: 282.
    • Subspecies of australe: Santschi, 1917b: 282; Emery, 1922e: 180; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 873; Santschi, 1923e: 282.
    • Status as species: Arnold, 1916: 216; Arnold, 1926: 229; Ettershank, 1966: 89; Bolton, 1987: 368 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 262.
    • Senior synonym of distinctum: Bolton, 1987: 368; Bolton, 1995b: 262.
    • Senior synonym of leviceps: Bolton, 1987: 368; Bolton, 1995b: 262.
    • Distribution: South Africa.
  • distinctum. Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) distinctum Arnold, 1944: 11, figs. 18, 18a-f (w.m.) SOUTH AFRICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype males (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: South Africa: Natal, Weenen, x.1939 (H.P. Thomasset).
    • Type-depositories: MCZC, SAMC.
    • Status as species; Arnold, 1958: 119; Ettershank, 1966: 88.
    • Junior synonym of havilandi: Bolton, 1987: 368; Bolton, 1995b: 261.
  • leviceps. Monomorium distinctum var. leviceps Arnold, 1958: 119 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: South Africa: East Cape Prov., Sundays River, vi.1955 (N. Myers).
    • Type-depositories: BMNH, SAMC.
    • Subspecies of distinctum: Ettershank, 1966: 90.
    • Junior synonym of havilandi: Bolton, 1987: 368; Bolton, 1995b: 263.

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 2.8-3.1, HL 0.72-0.76, HW 0.62-0.67, CI 86-90, SL 0.49-0.55, SI 78-82, PW 0.40-0.43, AL 0.74-0.80 (14 measured).

Mandibles with three teeth only, without trace of a reduced fourth tooth or offset denticle as is usual in this group. Eyes not reniform but their ventral margins flat to very shallowly concave, their dorsal margins broadly convex, so that the anterior angle of the eye is narrower and much more narrowly rounded than the posterior angle. Maximum diameter of eye 0.27-0.30 x HW and with 10-12 ommatidia in the longest row. Head relatively short and broad in full-face view, and the scapes short (CI 90 or less, SI <85). Metanotal groove weakly impressed. Short standing hairs present on all dorsal surfaces of head and body, numerous on the first gastral tergite but sparse or rarely absent on the propodeum. Occipital surface of head with superficial reticular patterning at least medially, and dorsum usually with a patch of similar or even fainter patterning in the area immediately behind the frontal lobes, but otherwise the head entirely featureless and smooth except for small hair-pits. Promesonotum dorsally finely superficially reticulate, the surface appearing weakly shagreenate to feebly punctulate in places. Propodeal dorsum finely reticulate-punctate. Sides of alitrunk with faint vestiges of sculpture on the pronotum, the remainder densely reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite unsculptured and smooth from base to apex, highly polished. Colour uniform blackish brown to black, the gaster often shiny jet black.

Type Material

Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, female, South Africa: Natal (Haviland) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève) [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Arnold G. 1916. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part II. Ponerinae, Dorylinae. Annals of the South African Museum. 14: 159-270.
  • Arnold G. 1944. New species of African Hymenoptera. No. 5. Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia. 2: 1-38.
  • Arnold G. 1958. New species of African Hymenoptera. No. 13. Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia. B. Natural Sciences. 3: 119-143.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
  • Forel A. 1910. Note sur quelques fourmis d'Afrique. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 54: 421-458.
  • 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): 448–453.
  • IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
  • Prins A. J. 1967. The ants of our National Parks. Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science 10(1): 63-81.
  • Santschi F. 1923. Descriptions de nouveaux Formicides éthiopiens et notes diverses. I. Revue Zoologique Africaine (Brussels) 11: 259-295.
  • 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: 1683–1695
  • 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
  • Willis C. K., J. D. Skinner, and H. G. Robertson. 1992. Abundance of ants and termites in the False Karoo and their importance in the diet of the aardvark Orycteropus afer. Afr. J. Ecol. 30: 322-334.
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