Monomorium sutu

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Monomorium sutu
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Solenopsidini
Genus: Monomorium
Species: M. sutu
Binomial name
Monomorium sutu
Bolton, 1987

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Specimen Labels

Except for the type material stating is was collected in Acacia/Commiphila scrub, nothing is known about the biology of Monomorium sutu.

Identification

Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. australe complex in the M. salomonis species group. The distinctive cephalic sculpture links sutu with Monomorium opacior and its immediate allies, but sutu is quickly separated from these, and from all other members of the australe-complex, by its relatively very large eyes. Range of eye size throughout the remainder of the complex is 0.23-0.30 x HW, as compared to 0.35-0.38 x HW in sutu.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Kenya (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.

  • sutu. Monomorium sutu Bolton, 1987: 361 (w.) KENYA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 17 paratype workers.
    • [Note: other paratype workers in BBRC, in alcohol).]
    • Type-locality: holotype Kenya: Tana River, Kora, 0-100 m., 1983, no, 19, Acacia/Commiphila scrub (N.M. Collins & M. Ritchie); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: BMNH (holotype); BBRC, BMNH, MCZC, MHNG (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 267; Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 213.
    • Distribution: Kenya.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 2.9, HL 0.73, HW 0.56, CI 77, SL 0.58, SI 104, PW 0.40, AL 0.94. Median portion of clypeus with anterior free margin transverse to shallowly convex. Head in full-face view with sides evenly weakly convex, broadest at the level of the eyes; the sides more obviously convergent behind than in front of the eyes. Occipital margin broadly but shallowly concave. Eyes relatively large, the maximum diameter 0.36 x HW and with 12 ommatidia in the longest row. Eyes situated at the midlength of the sides in full-face view and distinctly larger than in any other member of the australe-complex. Promesonotal dorsum in profile sloping shallowly and evenly posteriorly, the metanotal groove indicated by a weak incised line across the dorsum but not impressed. Petiolar peduncle anteroventrally with a very low flange-like process. Dorsum of head with a single pair of short standing hairs behind the level of the frontal lobes, situated approximately at the level of the posterior margins of the eyes when the head is viewed in profile (in the holotype the left hand hair of this pair is missing). Occipital margin of head and all of dorsal alitrunk without standing hairs. Petiole and postpetiole each with a single pair of backward directed hairs. First gastral tergite with 2 pairs of standing hairs in front of the apical transverse row; one pair situated at about the midlength of the tergite, the second somewhat closer to the base. Dorsum of head opaque, blanketed by fine and dense reticulate-shagreenate to punctate-shagreenate sculpture; mid-dorsally the surface with exceptionally fine dense scratch-like longitudinal sculpture. Dorsal alitrunk finely and densely reticulate to reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite very densely and finely shagreenate, opaque but dully shining. Head in front of eyes yellowish brown, posteriorly the head becoming darker brown. Sides of head below level of eyes lighter than dorsum. Promesonotum yellowish brown and lighter than head, but propodeum, petiole, postpetiole and gaster much darker, the last very dark brown.

Paratypes. TL 2.7-3.0, HL 0.68-0.75, HW 0.50-0.57, CI 74-79, SL 0.54-0.59, SI 102-108; PW 0.36-0.40, AL 0.84-0.94 (17 measured). As holotype but maximum diameter of eye 0.35-0.38 x HW and with 10-12 ommatidia in the longest row. Pilosity as holotype but some paratypes with only a single pair of hairs on the first gastral tergite (discounting the apical transverse row) , this pair situated at the midlength of the sclerite.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Kenya: Tana River, Kora, 0-100 m, 1983, no. 19, Acacia/Commiphila scrub (N. M. Collins & M. Ritchie) (The Natural History Museum). Paratypes, 17 workers with same data as holotype (BMNH; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève; Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • 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.
  • Garcia F.H., Wiesel E. and Fischer G. 2013.The Ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)—Faunal Overview, First Species Checklist, Bibliography, Accounts for All Genera, and Discussion on Taxonomy and Zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History, 101(2): 127-222