Nesomyrmex gibber

Nesomyrmex gibber
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Nesomyrmex
Species group:	madecassus
Species:	N. gibber
Binomial name
Nesomyrmex gibber (Donisthorpe, 1946) Specimen labels

Endemic to Mauritius island. Occur in rainforests higher altitude between 500 and 800 meters, (mean = 714 m). This species can be collected on low vegetation and in dead stems.

Identification

A member of the madecassus species-group. Csősz & Fisher (2016) - This species is easily distinguished from all others in the group by the conspicuous mesothoracic hump on the mesosoma of workers.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Malagasy Nesomyrmex madecassus species-group workers
• Key to Nesomyrmex species groups of the Malagasy region

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -20.03333333° to -20.45°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mauritius (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.

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.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0101500. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MNHN, Paris, France.

Worker. Specimen code casent0178539. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MCZ, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Worker. Specimen code casent0178540. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MCZ, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

• gibber. Ireneopone gibber Donisthorpe, 1946d: 242, figs. 1, 2 (w.) MAURITIUS.
  • Combination in Nesomyrmex: Bolton, 2003: 272.
  • Status as species: Csősz & Fisher, 2016: 118.

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

Description

Worker

Csősz & Fisher (2016) - Body color: brown. Body color pattern: Body concolorous. Absolute cephalic size: 724 [655, 752]. Cephalic length vs. Maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.17 [1.14, 1.18]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/ CL): 0.41 [0.39, 0.42]. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight; slightly concave. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture absent, ground sculpture areolate. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: convex. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging; strongly converging. Gena sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen: absent. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.25 [0.24, 0.26]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/ CS): 0.33 [0.32, 0.34]. Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons: absent. Smooth median region on frons: present. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.80 [0.78, 0.82]. Median clypeal notch: present. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: present. Median carina of clypeus: absent. Lateral carinae of clypeus: absent. Metanotal depression: present. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Mesopleuron sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Metapleuron sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Petiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PEW/CS): 0.21 [0.20, 0.23]. Anterior profile of petiolar node contour line in lateral view shape: concave. Dorso-caudal petiolar profile contour line in lateral view shape: strongly convex. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.30 [0.27, 0.32]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent.

Type Material

Csősz & Fisher (2016) - Holotype: “Ireneopone gibber, H. Donistorphe, 1946 TYPE” Mauritius, Calebasses Mt., 22. X. 1944, No 72 leg. R. Mamet (1w, The Natural History Museum, London, U.K., CASENT0102303), [type specimen was morphometrically not investigated, AntWeb images were used for comparison].

References

• Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 272, Combination in Nesomyrmex)
• Csősz, S.; Fisher, B. L. 2016. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Nesomyrmex madecassus species-group using a quantitative morphometric approach. ZooKeys 603:105-130 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.603.8271).
• Donisthorpe, H. 1946h. Ireneopone gibber (Hym., Formicidae), a new genus and species of myrmicine ant from Mauritius. Entomol. Mon. Mag. 82: 242-243.(page 242, figs. 1, 2 worker described)
• Fisher, B. L. 1997a. Biogeography and ecology of the ant fauna of Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Nat. Hist. 31: 269-302 (see also)
• Mamet, R. 1954. The ants (Hymenoptera Formicidae) of the Mascarene Islands. Mauritius Inst. Bull. 3: 249-259 (see also)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Bolton B. 1976. The ant tribe Tetramoriini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Constituent genera, review of smaller genera and revision of Triglyphothrix Forel. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 34:281-379.
• Csosz S. and B. L. Fisher. 2016. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy Nesomyrmex madecassus species-group using a quantitative morphometric approach. ZooKeys 603: 105–130. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.603.8271
• Donisthorpe H. 1946. Ireneopone gibber (Hym., Formicidae), a new genus and species of myrmicine ant from Mauritius. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 82: 242-243.
• Donisthorpe, Horace. 1946. The Ants (Hym. Formicidae) of Mauritius. Annals and Magazine of National History. Ser. 11. 13:25-35.
• 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. 2005. A new species of Discothyrea Roger from Mauritius and a new species of Proceratium Roger from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (4)56: 657-667.