Nesomyrmex grisoni

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Nesomyrmex grisoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Nesomyrmex
Species group: angulatus
Species: N. grisoni
Binomial name
Nesomyrmex grisoni
(Forel, 1916)

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Specimen Labels

Very little information about the natural history of this species is available. It seems to live on vegetation in rain forest habitats. (Hita Garcia et al. 2017)

Identification

A member of the angulatus species-group.

Hita Garcia et al. (2017) - The following character combination distinguishes N. grisoni from the other species of the group: in profile mesosomal dorsum forming a single, uninterrupted flat surface without any trace of metanotal groove; petiolar peduncle short; body colour dark brown to black.

Nesomyrmex grisoni and Nesomyrmex angulatus are straightforwardly distinguishable from the remainder of the group. At the same time they are morphologically very close to each other and only separable on the basis of body colour. For a more in-depth discussion we refer to the species account of N. angulatus.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Hita Garcia et al. (2017) - Nesomyrmex grisoni is only known from the Central African Republic, the D.R. Congo and Ghana.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality), Ghana.

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.

  • grisoni. Leptothorax (Goniothorax) grisoni Forel, 1916: 425 (w.q.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. Combination in Nesomyrmex: Bolton, 2003: 272. See also: Bolton, 1982: 329.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (1982) - TL 2.9-3.4, HL 0.76-0.86, HW 0.60-0.66, CI 77-81, SL 0.56-0.63, SI 94-98, PW 0.46-0.53, AL 0.85-1.02 (9 measured).

Answering to the description of Nesomyrmex angulatus, differing only in colour and intensity of sculpture. In grisoni the full adult colour is uniform blackish brown to black, as opposed to the uniform yellow found in angulatus. The dorsum of the head and alitrunk in grisoni is blanketed by a dense reticulate-punctate ground-sculpture which is overlaid by conspicuous fine rugulae which form a distinct reticulum on the alitrunk and on much of the head. Basically this sculpture is the same as that seen in angulatus, but here it is more intensely and sharply developed.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 1982. Afrotropical species of the myrmicine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 45: 307-370.
  • Hita Garcia F., Mbanyana N., Audisio T. L., and G. D. Alpert. 2017. Taxonomy of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Afrotropical region, with a review of current species groups and description of a new species of the N. angulatus group from Mozambique. European Journal of Taxonomy 258: 1–31.