Nesomyrmex punctaticeps

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Nesomyrmex punctaticeps
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Nesomyrmex
Species group: brevicornis
Species: N. punctaticeps
Binomial name
Nesomyrmex punctaticeps
Csösz & Fisher, 2016

Nesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0002644 p 1 high.jpg

Nesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0002644 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

This species is widely distributed in Madagascar’s tropical dry forests and spiny forests in lower elevations between 20–770 m. Only one sample is known to be collected from rainforest of Ranomafana National Park in higher elevation (900 m). The known samples were collected by beating low vegetation. (Csösz & Fisher 2016)

Identification

A member of the brevicornis species-group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -15.45117° to -25.58167°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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

Images from AntWeb

Nesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0418448 d 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0418448 p 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0418448 h 1 high.jpgNesomyrmex punctaticeps casent0418448 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Nesomyrmex punctaticepsWorker. Specimen code casent0418448. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • punctaticeps. Nesomyrmex punctaticeps Csösz & Fisher, 2016: 153, figs 38-41 (w.) MADAGASCAR.

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

Description

Worker

Body color: yellow. Body color pattern: concolorous. Absolute cephalic size: 473 [424, 549]. Cephalic length vs. maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.20 [1.14, 1.26]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.49 [0.47, 0.51]. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour frontal view shape: broadly convex. Vertex contour line in frontal view shape: straight. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture absent, ground sculpture imbricate, shiny. Setal pits on head dorsum: surrounded by conspicuous foveae with well demarcated margins. Diameter of foveae on head dorsum: 10 μm. Gena contour line in frontal view shape: convex. Genae contour from anterior view orientation: converging. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with areolate ground sculpture. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen count: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.24 [0.22, 0.26]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.33 [0.32, 0.35]. 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): 0.66 [0.62, 0.70]. Median clypeal notch: present. Ground sculpture of submedian area of clypeus: present. Median carina 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): 0.22 [0.21, 0.24]. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.34 [0.30, 0.36]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture absent. Surface of the first gastral tergite: incontinuously imbricate.

Type Material

Holotype: CASENT0418448, collection code: BLF04604, Forêt de Kirindy, 15.5 km 64° ENE Marofandilia, -20.045°, 44.66222°, alt 100 m, Fisher-Griswold Arthropod Team, 11.28.2001, (1w, California Academy of Sciences, CASENT0418448); Paratypes: four workers from the same locality under CASENT codes: CASENT0418445, collection code: BLF04604, (3w, CASC); CASENT0418446, collection code: BLF04604, (1w, CASC).

Etymology

This name (punctaticeps) refers to conspicuously foveolate head dorsum of workers of this species.

References