Syllophopsis sechellensis

Syllophopsis sechellensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Syllophopsis
Species:	S. sechellensis
Binomial name
Syllophopsis sechellensis (Emery, 1894) Specimen labels
Synonyms
Monomorium fossulatum Emery, 1895

Common Name
Kado-hime-ari
Language:	Japanese

In Japan this species is found in open habitats and nests under stones, in the bark of trees, or in plant cavities (Japanese Ant Image Database). In Madagascar, Heterick (2006) found that sifted litter is the most effective collection method for individual workers of S. sechellense, though one small nest series was taken from a rotten log. The species is found in dry tropical forest and gallery forest habitats in Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara Provinces.

At a Glance

• Invasive

Identification

Heterick (2006) - The designation of the lectotype fixes the name of this widespread taxon, whose populations vary chiefly in the degree of cephalic punctation. Its sculptured mesopleuron immediately enables the Monomorium sechellense worker to be distinguished from the worker of Syllophopsis cryptobia and Syllophopsis modesta. Queens are larger, darker and more heavily sculptured than those of S. cryptobium.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Syllophopsis species
• Key to Malagasy Erromyrma, Monomorium, Syllophopsis and Trichomyrmex species
• Key to Micronesian Ants

Distribution

Outside of Madagascar, this species has a wide distribution in the Indo-Pacific region (e.g., Bolton 1987; Wetterer 2002) and probably also occurs in Australia (Heterick 2001).

Deyrup (2016, p. 423) reported S. subcoeca from Dominica, writing ‘specimens were found by digging in an open, dry, scrub area’. These specimens from Dominica (Cabrits National Park; 2 May 2006; M. Deyrup), however, were misidentified; they are actually Syllophopsis sechellensis (M. Deyrup, pers. comm.), the first record of S. sechellensis from Dominica. (Wetterer & Sharaf, 2021)

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 12.633333° to 1.299°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Comoros, Saint Helena.
Australasian Region: Australia.
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea, Northern Mariana Islands, Samoa, Singapore, Tonga.
Malagasy Region: Seychelles (type locality).
Neotropical Region: Barbados, Grenada.
Oriental Region: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: Japan.

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 casent0033849. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Worker. Specimen code casent0060063. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Worker. Specimen code casent0060362. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Worker. Specimen code casent0101271. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Worker. Specimen code casent0102060. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Worker. Specimen code casent0149322. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0149323. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101272. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0060393. Photographer April Nobile, 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.

• sechellensis. Monomorium fossulatum subsp. sechellense Emery, 1894a: 69, fig. (w.q.) SEYCHELLES IS (Marie-Anne I.).
  • Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Heterick, 2006: 179), 1 paralectotype worker.
  • [Note: original description also mentions a syntype queen.]
  • Type-locality: Seychelles: Marie-Anne I., iii.-v.1892 (Ch. Alluaud).
  • Type-depository: MSNG.
  • [Misspelled as seychellensis by Forel, 1907d: 93, Chapman & Capco, 1951: 165, and others.]
  • Combination in Syllophopsis: Ward, et al. 2015: 73.
  • Subspecies of fossulatum: Emery, 1900c: 326; Forel, 1907d: 93; Forel, 1912k: 163; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1027; Emery, 1922e: 172; Wheeler, W.M. 1934h: 12; Wheeler, W.M. 1935g: 23; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 165; Ettershank, 1966: 92.
  • Synonym of fossulatum: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 64; Dorow, 1996a: 78.
  • [Note: Wilson & Taylor, 1967, and Dorow, 1996a, give fossulatum as senior synonym, but sechellensis has priority (Bolton, 1995b: 266).]
  • Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 266; Wetterer, 2002: 129; Imai, et al. 2003: 133; Wetterer & Vargo, 2003: 417; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 28; Heterick, 2006: 179 (redescription); Clouse, 2007b: 249; Terayama, 2009: 153; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 47; Sarnat & Economo, 2012: 89; Wetterer, et al. 2016: 19.
  • Senior synonym of fossulatum: Bolton, 1995b: 266; Imai, et al. 2003: 133; Terayama, 2009: 153.
  • Distribution: Antigua, Barbados, Fiji Is, Hawaii Is, Japan, Madagascar, Micronesia, Myanmar, Samoa, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga.
  • Current subspecies: nominal plus papuasiae.
• fossulatum. Monomorium fossulatum Emery, 1895k: 465 (w.q.) MYANMAR.
  • Type-material: 1 syntype worker, syntype queens (number not stated, “some”).
  • Type-locality: Myanmar (“Burma”): Rangoon (L. Fea).
  • Type-depository: MSNG.
  • Status as species: Forel, 1903a: 687; Bingham, 1903: 205; Forel, 1912a: 55; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1027; Emery, 1922e: 172; Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 60; Teranishi, 1940: 57; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 165; Ettershank, 1966: 89; Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 65; Onoyama, 1980: 198; Ogata, 1991b: 107; Morisita, et al. 1992: 39; Dlussky, 1994: 54; Dorow, 1996a: 78; Lin & Wu, 2003: 66 (error).
  • Synonym of sechellensis: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 64; Dorow, 1996a: 78.
  • [Note: Wilson & Taylor, 1967, and Dorow, 1996a, give fossulatum as senior synonym, but sechellensis has priority (Bolton, 1995b: 266).]
  • Junior synonym of sechellensis: Bolton, 1995b: 266; Imai, et al. 2003: 133; Terayama, 2009: 153.

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

Description

Worker

Heterick (2006) - Lectotype: HML 1.12 HL 0.41 HW 0.34 CeI 83 SL 0.31 SI 91 PW 0.23. Non-types: HML 1.07–1.24 HL 0.40–0.45 HW 0.33–0.36 CeI 78–84 SL 0.31–0.35 SI 94–100 PW 0.22–0.25 (n=20).

HEAD: Head rectangular; vertex planar or weakly concave; frons shining and smooth except for piliferous pits; pilosity of frons a mixture of incurved, semi-erect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae. Eye minute, eyes consisting of one or two ommatidia only; (in full-face view) eyes set at about midpoint of head capsule; (viewed in profile) eyes set posteriad of midline of head capsule. Antennal segments 12; antennal club three-segmented. Clypeal carinae always weakly defined; anteromedian clypeal margin straight between strongly divergent clypeal carinae, clypeus descending almost vertically to horizontal arc of mandibles and sometimes transversely carinate below level of antennal insertions; paraclypeal setae moderately long and fine, curved; posteromedian clypeal margin extending slightly beyond level of posterior margin of antennal fossae. Anterior tentorial pits situated nearer mandibular insertions than antennal fossae. Frontal lobes sinuate, divergent posteriad. Psammophore absent. Palp formula 2,2. Mandibular teeth four; mandibles linear-triangular and smooth (except for piliferous pits); masticatory margin of mandibles strongly oblique; basal tooth approximately same size as t3 (four teeth present).

MESOSOMA: Promesonotum shining and smooth on dorsum, lower mesopleuron strongly punctate; (viewed in profile) anterior promesonotum smoothly rounded, thereafter more-or-less flattened, promesonotum on same plane as propodeum; promesonotal setae greater than twelve; standing promesonotal setae a mixture of well-spaced, distinctly longer, erect and semi-erect setae which are curved distally and often paired, interspersed with much shorter, incurved, decumbent setae; appressed promesonotal setulae few, mainly on sides of promesonotum. Metanotal groove strongly impressed, with distinct transverse costulae. Propodeum shining, dorsum and sides of propodeum mainly smooth, with weak to strong striolae on declivitous face, metapleuron also with weak to strong striolae; propodeal dorsum flat throughout most of its length; propodeum distinctly angulate, propodeal angles produced as short denticles; length ratio of propodeal dorsum to its declivity about 1:1; standing propodeal setae consisting of one prominent pair anteriad, with a few to many erect to decumbent setae on/around dorsal and declivitous faces of propodeum; appressed propodeal setulae very sparse or absent; propodeal spiracle equidistant from metanotal groove and declivitous face of propodeum. Vestibule of propodeal spiracle absent or not visible. Propodeal lobes present as vestigial flanges or small strips of cuticle only.

PETIOLE AND POSTPETIOLE: Petiolar spiracle lateral and situated slightly anteriad of petiolar node; node (viewed in profile) conical, vertex rounded; appearance of node shining and smooth throughout; ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) about 4:3; anteroventral petiolar process absent or vestigial; ventral petiolar lobe absent; height ratio of petiole to postpetiole between 4:3 and 1:1; height–length ratio of postpetiole between 4:3 and 1:1; postpetiole shining and smooth; postpetiolar sternite without anterior lip or carina, or this structure vestigial.

GASTER: Pilosity of first gastral tergite consisting of a mixture of incurved, semi-erect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae.

GENERAL CHARACTERS: Color pale, depigmented yellow. Worker caste monomorphic.

Queen

Heterick (2006) - HML 1.68–1.78 HL 0.48–0.51 HW 0.45–0.46 CeI 90–96 SL 0.42–0.43 SI 91–93 PW 0.41–0.43 (n=9).

HEAD: Head square; vertex weakly concave or planar; frons shining and finely longitudinally striolate and microreticulate; pilosity of frons a mixture of incurved, semierect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae. Eye elliptical, curvature of inner eye margin may be more pronounced than that of its outer margin; (in full-face view) eyes set at about midpoint of head capsule; (viewed in profile) eyes set posteriad of midline of head capsule.

MESOSOMA: Mesoscutum broadly convex anteriad, convexity reduced posteriad; pronotum, especially, also mesoscutum and mesopleuron shining with scattered punctation, otherwise smooth; length–width ratio of mesoscutum and scutellum combined between 2:1 and 3:2; axillae separated by width of at least one axilla; standing pronotal/mesoscutal setae a mixture of well-spaced, distinctly longer, erect and semi-erect setae which are curved distally, interspersed with much shorter, incurved, decumbent setae; appressed pronotal, mescoscutal and mesopleural setulae very sparse or absent; propodeum shining, uniformly weakly striolate; propodeum distinctly angulate, propodeal angle sharp; propodeal dorsum sloping posteriad, and depressed between raised propodeal angles; standing propodeal setae consisting of up to a dozen or more longer erect and shorter sub-erect setae; appressed propodeal setulae very sparse or absent; propodeal spiracle nearer metanotal groove than declivitous face of propodeum; propodeal lobes present as well-developed, rounded flanges.

WING: Wing not seen (queens dealated).

PETIOLE AND POSTPETIOLE: Petiolar spiracle lateral and situated well anteriad of petiolar node; node (viewed in profile) cuneate, vertex tapered; appearance of node shining and microreticulate; ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) about 4:3; anteroventral petiolar process absent or vestigial; height ratio of petiole to postpetiole about 1:1; height–length ratio of postpetiole about 4:3; postpetiole shining and microreticulate; postpetiolar sternite depressed at about its center, with anterior process developed as a short, conspicuous spur angled at 45–90.

GASTER: Pilosity of first gastral tergite consisting of a mixture of incurved, erect and semi-erect setae and slightly shorter decumbent setae.

GENERAL CHARACTERS: Color brown. Brachypterous alates not seen. Ergatoid or worker-female intercastes not seen.

Type Material

Heterick (2006) - Lectotype: worker, Seychelles, Marianne, C. Alluaud, 1892 (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa). Paralectotype: worker, same data as above (MCSN). (Carded specimen removed from same pin as lectotype above and repinned, together with new labels.)

References

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• Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 266, fossulatum is given as senior name, but sechellense has priority)
• Emery, C. 1894b. Mission scientifique de M. Ch. Alluaud aux îles Séchelles (mars, avril, mai 1892). 2e mémoire. Formicides. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 63: 67-72 (page 69, fig. worker, queen described)
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References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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