Simopone laevissima

Simopone laevissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Simopone
Species group:	grandidieri
Species:	S. laevissima
Binomial name
	Simopone laevissima; Arnold, 1954

Known only from the holotype, a worker collected from a palm.

Identification

S. laevissima is the only known member of the grandidieri species group in the Afrotropical region, and as such is very easily distinguished from all other species by the characters of its species group and those in the key. In addition, the pronotal width of laevissima, with respect to AIIW, is the narrowest in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions, with AIIW/PW 1.14. In all other Afrotropical species the combined range of AIIW/PW is 0.89–1.07, and for Malagasy species the combined range is 0.88–1.04. (Bolton and Fisher 2012)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 0.31667° to 0.31667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Uganda (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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Simopone biology

Little is known about the biology of most species of Simopone. Specimens are rarely collected, and the number of species known only from workers is telling in regards to a lack of nest samples. Species are almost entirely arboreal but on occasion foraging workers are found on the ground or in rotten logs. Prey records are extremely sparse. They consist only of Crematogaster brood by Simopone vepres, and the brood of Terataner by Simopone sicaria. Nevertheless, these two records support the general supposition by Brown (1975) that most or all members of tribe Cerapachyini prey on other ants, or more probably the brood of other ants, but actual records are extremely rare. (Bolton and Fisher 2012)

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Castes

Nomenclature

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

laevissima. Simopone laevissima Arnold, 1954: 291, figs. 1, 1a (w.) UGANDA.
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Uganda: nr Kampala, Dedewe Forest, 4.v.1952, lake shore, on trunk of palm (G. Arnold).
- Type-depository: SAMC.
- Status as species: Brown, 1975: 36; Bolton, 1995b: 383; Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 28 (redescription); Chen, Zhou & Liang, 2015: 9 (in key); Chen, Chen & Zhou, 2019: 28 (in key).
- Distribution: Uganda.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton and Fisher (2012) - HL 1.24, HW 0.97, SL 0.34, EL 0.36, PW 0.78, AIIW 0.89, AIIL 0.94, AIIIW 0.94, AIIIL 0.81, WL 1.60, MFL 0.68, CI 78, SI 35, EL/HW 0.37, EP 1.90, AIIW/AIIL 0.95, AIIIW/AIIIL 1.16.

Clypeus relatively shallowly longitudinally convex, without a median carina; clypeo-labral junction anterior, not strongly reflexed below and behind the evenly convex anterior clypeal margin. Frontal lobes and carinae broad across, not elevated, continuously divergent from front to back, without a constriction at junction of lobe and carina; carinae extend back beyond the level of the anterior margins of the eyes. Eyes located well behind the cephalic midlength, EP > 1.00; in full-face view outer margins of eyes just interrupt the outlines of the sides. Sides of head shallowly convex behind the eyes, shallowly concave in front of them. Scape short (SI 35) but quite broad apically, SW/SL 0.50. Leading edge of scape with 1–2 short setae that are inclined toward the apex. Head in profile with a short, narrow, deep scrobe that extends from antennal socket to anterior margin of eye. Cephalic dorsum with two short setae on each frontal carina but only a single pair of long erect setae, located close to level of posterior margin of eye. Mandibles smooth with scattered small pits. Cephalic dorsum with scattered small punctures, here and there with a vague vestige of superficial, almost effaced, ground sculpture. Mesopleuron with a strong transverse sulcus that also extends across the entire width of the metapleuron, continuing the same line; mesopleural-metapleural sulcus also strongly developed. Mesopleural-mesonotal suture conspicuous in profile and also visible in dorsal view. Pronotum, mesonotum and propodeum each with 1–2 pairs of standing setae (may be some abrasion). In dorsal view both the promesonotal suture and the metanotal groove present but shallow; pronotum with a sharp anterior carina and acute humeri, the sides feebly convergent posteriorly; sides of mesonotum feebly concave. Pronotum relatively narrow with respect to AII, AIIW/PW 1.14. Dorsum of propodeum meets the declivity through a narrowly rounded angle, without a carina between the two surfaces. AII (petiole) with a strong anterior carina; in dorsal view the sides almost straight and markedly divergent posteriorly. Posterior corners of AII narrowly but bluntly rounded on each side of the broadly concave posterior margin, the corners not extended into laterally directed teeth. Anteroventral process of AII merely a small, insignificant tooth. AII longer than broad but AIII obviously broader than long, the latter with a shallowly convex anterior margin and sides that are almost straight and almost parallel. Uniquely among Afrotropical species AII is longer than AIII. Abdominal tergites, from AII to apex, with numerous standing long setae, the longest of which on AII and AIII are ca 0.60. Outline of pygidium in profile rounded downward near its base so that most of the outline is a very steep slope, almost vertical. Apex of pygidium obscured by glue but apparently without a strong pygidial fork. Mesosoma and abdominal tergites from AII to apex with small, scattered punctures on a smooth surface. Mesofemur and metafemur short, markedly incrassate medially in both dorsal and lateral views. Mesotibia and metatibia very slender basally, becoming much broader from about the midlength; metatibia in posterior view ca 0.06 near base, ca 0.17 at broadest. Shiny jet-black species, the appendages lighter.

Type Material

Bolton and Fisher (2012) - Holotype worker, Uganda: nr Kampala, Dedewe Forest, 4.v.1952, lake shore, on trunk of palm (G. Arnold) (South African Museum) [examined]. The holotype, the only known specimen, is mounted flat on a card rectangle.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.
Chen Z., Y. Chen Y, and S. Zhou. 2019. Simopone fisheri sp. n., a new species of Dorylinae ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with an illustrated key to the S. grandidieri-group species. ZooKeys 838: 21–33.
IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection