Monomorium kineti

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Monomorium kineti
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Monomorium
Species: M. kineti
Binomial name
Monomorium kineti
Weber, 1943

Monomorium kineti casent0914328 p 1 high.jpg

Monomorium kineti casent0914328 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Weber (1943: 312-313) summarizes what little is known of the biology of this species. He notes that kineti is found on the tops of the highest peaks in the Imatong Mountains and occurs only at considerable elevations. The first nest found was in cavities in the base of a dead woody stem and in chambers in the surrounding soil. Other nests discovered were located in the soil under small stones, among the roots of grasses and in the pith-cavities of herbaceous stems. In the open the ants move sluggishly and may ascend tree trunks, but in general kineti appears to be subterranean. Coccids are tended in the underground galleries. (Bolton 1987)

Identification

Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. schultzei complex in the M. monomorium species group. M. kineti is a distinctive species of the complex and not closely related to Monomorium minutum, as it was first described by Weber. M. kineti and its close relatives Monomorium crawleyi, Monomorium arboreum, Monomorium firmum and Monomorium vecte share, within the complex, the characters of broad metanotal groove which has long strong cross-ribs, and an enlarged very conspicuous propodeal spiracle.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Sudan (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • kineti. Monomorium (Monomorium) minutum subsp. kineti Weber, 1943c: 359, pl. 15, figs. 10, 19 (w.q.m.) SOUTH SUDAN.
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queen(s), syntype males (numbers not stated, “one colony….all castes”).
    • Type-locality: South Sudan (“Anglo-Egyptian Sudan”): Imatong Mts, Mt Kineti summit, 10458 ft, 27.vii.1939, no. 1334 (N.A. Weber).
    • [Note: MCZC syntypes are numbered 1335, not 1334 as in the original description.]
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Subspecies of minutum: Ettershank, 1966: 90.
    • Status as species: Bolton, 1987: 396 (redescription); Bolton, 1995b: 263.
    • Distribution: South Sudan.

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 2.2-2.4, HL 0.56-0.60, HW 0.45-0.48, CI 77-80, SL 0.46-0.47, SI 100-102, PW 0.26-0.30, AL 0.62-0.64 (6 measured).

Clypeal carinae moderately developed, close together and not strongly divergent anteriorly. Anterior clypeal margin between apices of clypeal carinae approximately transverse to feebly concave, the carinal apices not marked by projecting denticles or sharply prominent angles. Maximum diameter of eye 0.21-0.22 x HW and with 6-7 ommatidia in the longest row. In full-face view the eyes with their posterior margins at the midlength of the sides and the scapes, when laid straight back from their insertions, reaching the occipital margin. Head in full-face view with sides approximately straight to very shallowly convex, posteriorly the sides broadly curved to their junction with the short, centrally feebly concave, occipital margin. Head in profile with both dorsal and ventral surfaces convex. Promesonotum in profile with its dorsal outline evenly convex, the highest point just in front of the midlength and conspicuously on a much higher level than the propodeum. Posterior quarter of mesonotum abruptly truncated behind the final pair of hairs and descending about vertically to the conspicuously impressed broad metanotal groove. Propodeal dorsal outline gently sloping posteriorly then abruptly rounding into the steep declivity. Dorsum of propodeum flat or more usually weakly transversely concave between a pair of blunt and poorly defined longitudinal rims which separate the dorsum proper from the sides and which are divergent posteriorly. Propodeal spiracle large and conspicuous, not pinhole-like. Subpetiolar process very small indeed, vestigial in some individuals. Node of petiole in profile subconical and narrowly rounded above, the postpetiole smaller than the petiole, lower and evenly convex dorsally. Head and body unsculptured and smooth everywhere except for hair-pits and vestiges of sculpture on the pleurae. Metanotal groove traversed by long strong cross-ribs, which continue for some distance down the sides of the alitrunk. All dorsal surfaces of head and body with standing hairs present, the promesonotum with 6-7 pairs. Colour uniform dull yellow to brownish yellow.

Type Material

Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, female, male, Sudan: Imatong Mts, Mt Kineti, 10,458 ft (3190 m), 27.vii.1939, no. 1 334 (MCZ syntype workers no. 1335) (N. A. Weber) (Museum of Comparative Zoology) [examined].

References

93: 263-389 (page 359, pl. 15, figs. 10, 19 worker, queen, male described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
  • Weber N. A. 1943. The ants of the Imatong Mountains, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 93: 263-389.