Bothroponera perroti

Although the large size of the species offers an opportunity for behavioral studies, very little is known about its biology. Field work over the past 15 years has found this species foraging most frequently on the ground and in leaf litter, and very rarely on lower vegetation. It usually nests in rotten logs, soil layers, or rarely tree stumps. (Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013)

Identification
Rakotonirina & Fisher (2013) - With head in full-face view, antennal scape not surpassing posterior cephalic margin; dorsum of head and mesosoma not finely striate, dorsum of the body with erect slender hairs and pubescence; basal half of antennal scape rounded; dorsal outline of mesosoma forming a continuous convexity with a nearly rounded junction between propodeal dorsum and declivitous surface; anterior half of fourth abdominal tergite (gastral tergite 2) mostly smooth and shiny between large punctures.

Bothroponera perroti is recognized by the following combination of characters: continuous convexity of the dorsal outline of its mesosoma, nearly rounded junction of the propodeal dorsum and declivity, strong median excision of the posterior cephalic margin, and strongly concave anterior margin of clypeus. Along its geographical range, B. perroti shows a large range of phenotypic variation. Based on these morphological variations, and the scarcity of specimens collected earlier in Madagascar, this species likely misled taxonomists, who erected a separate subspecies, B. perroti admista Forel, for a different populations. Forel (1892) had to decide on the species-level status of admista without being able to compare it with the type of B. perroti or with additional samples of B. perroti throughout its range. However, the large number of samples of B. perroti collected during recent ant inventories in Madagascar, covering most of this ant’s distributional range, present evidence to synonymize the subspecies perroti admista under B. perroti.

Distribution
Pachycondyla perroti is endemic to Madagascar, generally occurs in the humid habitats in the east of the island, ranging from the littoral region to the mountaintops, as well as the transitional forests of the Ampasindava peninsula (Ambilanivy Forest) and Daraina in the western slope of the northern part of the island. This species is also known to occupy secondary and disturbed habitats.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 * . Bothroponera perroti Forel, 1891b: 131, pl. 4, fig. 6 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in Ponera (Bothroponera): Emery, 1899f: 267;
 * combination in Pachycondyla (Bothroponera): Emery, 1901a: 45;
 * combination in Pachycondyla: Brown, in Bolton, 1995b: 308;
 * combination in Bothroponera: Joma & Mackay, 2013: 2; Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 76.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 36; Emery, 1899f: 267; Emery, 1911d: 78; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1007; Bolton, 1995b: 308; Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013a: 125 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of admista: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013a: 125.
 * admista. Bothroponera perroti r. admista Forel, 1892l: 251 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in Pachycondyla (Bothroponera): Emery, 1901a: 45.
 * Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 35.
 * Subspecies of perroti: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 36 (footnote); Wasmann, 1897: 250; Emery, 1901a: 45; Emery, 1911d: 78; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1008; Bolton, 1995b: 302.
 * Junior synonym of perroti: Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013a: 125.

Description
Rakotonirina and Fisher (2013):

Worker
(n=26): HL: 2.42–2.71, HW: 2.27–2.58, CI: 91–98, SL: 1.69–2.01, SI: 69–81, PW: 1.58–1.81, WL: 3.10–3.55, NL: 0.87–1.04, NW: 1.02–1.23, NH: 1.18–1.45, DNI: 108–130, LNI: 125–144.

Worker. Head as long as broad, but narrower in front than behind, with slightly convex sides; posterior margin markedly medially excised, and strongly concave. With head in full-face view, eyes large but less than maximum width of antennal scape, located more to the front and not splitting the sidelines of head. Scape subcylindrical, with rounded leading edge, not reaching the posterior margin of head. Median lobe of clypeus not projecting anteriorly, anterior margin truncate and strongly notched medially. Mandible triangular, the masticatory margin bearing eight short, robust, and distinct teeth. With mesosoma in profile, the outline of dorsum a continuous convexity, with rounded junction of propodeal dorsum and declivitous surface. Mesopleural sulcus not clearly visible or absent. Hind legs with rounded basitarsus, the inside surface of which is not concave. In dorsal view, petiole node anteriorly rounded and posteriorly truncate. Sculpture of head dorsum finely ruguloreticulate and usually superimposed with punctures which become larger on the front toward the posterior margin; the lateral surface reticulate-punctulate.

Mandibles faintly rugulose basally, with scattered piligerous punctures, and increasingly smooth and shining approaching the apical margin; in some specimens mandibles striate or smooth and shiny apart from the piligerous pits. Dorsum of mesosoma and petiole, and first two gastral tergites, with sparse and coarse shallow punctures, the spaces between which are smooth or with closely spaced, small punctures. Lateral portion of mesosoma and petiole node densely and finely reticulate to reticulate rugulose, superimposed with small punctures; occasionally the petiole is coarsely punctate or with effaced large punctures. Brown-yellowish, slender and erect hairs covering the entire body except the lateral portion of mesosoma; pubescence quite abundant. Integument matte or shiny, coloration dark red to black, with lighter tip of gaster and appendages.

Queen
(n=7): HL: 2.52–2.81, HW: 2.44–2.81, CI: 96–101, SL: 1.86–2.07, SI: 69–76, EL: 0.48–0.51, OI: 17–20, PW: 2.00–2.31, WL: 3.82–4.16, NL: 1–1.11, NW: 1.34–1.50, NH: 1.41–1.51, DNI: 131–142, LNI: 136–143. The queen of B. perroti is relatively similar to workers, but with the typical differences of the queen caste: Head relatively broader, body size much larger, and mesopleural sulcus distinct.

Type Material
Rakotonirina & Fisher (2013) - Holotype worker, Madagascar, Toamasina, Fenerive (E. Perrot), AntWeb specimen code: CASENT0101401 [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Emery C. 1899. Formiche di Madagascar raccolte dal Sig. A. Mocquerys nei pressi della Baia di Antongil (1897-1898). Bullettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 31: 263-290.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * 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. 1998. Ant diversity patterns along an elevational gradient in the Réserve Spéciale d'Anjanaharibe-Sud and on the western Masoala Peninsula, Madagascar. Fieldiana Zoology (n.s.)90: 39-67.
 * Fisher B. L. 2003. Formicidae, ants. Pp. 811-819 in: Goodman, S. M.; Benstead, J. P. (eds.) 2003. The natural history of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, xxi + 1709 pp.
 * Fisher, B. 2002. Ant diversity patterns along an elevational gradient in the Reserve Speciale de Manongarivo, Madagascar. in Gautier, L. and S.M. Goodman, editors, Inventaire Florestique et Faunistique de la Reserve Speciale de Manongarivo (NW Madagascar)
 * Forel A. 1897. Ameisen aus Nossi-Bé, Majunga, Juan de Nova (Madagaskar), den Aldabra-Inseln und Sansibar, gesammelt von Herrn Dr. A. Voeltzkow aus Berlin. Mit einem Anhang über die von Herrn Privatdocenten Dr. A. Brauer in Marburg auf den Seychellen und von Herrn Perrot auf Ste. Marie (Madagaskar) gesammelten Ameisen. Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft 21: 185-208.
 * Rakotonirina J. C., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla wasmannii-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from the Malagasy region. Zootaxa 3609: 101-141.
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. IX. A synonymic list of the ants of the Malagasy region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 1005-1055