Nesomyrmex sikorai

This species is known to occur in montane rainforests between elevations of 200 m and 520 m in central Madagascar.

Identification
A member of the sikorai species-group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 *  sikorai. Leptothorax (Goniothorax) sikorai Emery, 1896g: 63 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Combination in Nesomyrmex: Bolton, 2003: 272.
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 244; Csösz & Fisher, 2016b: 25 (redescription).

Worker
Csösz and Fisher (2016) - Body color: black. Body color pattern: concolorous. Absolute cephalic size: 822 μm [748, 890]. Cephalic length vs. maximum width of head capsule (CL/CWb): 1.169 [1.126, 1.226]. Postocular distance vs. cephalic length (PoOc/CL): 0.488 [0.451, 0.511]. Postocular sides of cranium contour, anterior view orientation: converging posteriorly. Postocular sides of cranium contour, anterior view shape: strongly convex. Vertex contour line in anterior view shape: straight to feebly convex. Vertex sculpture: main sculpture areolate, ground sculpture areolate. Gena contour line in anterior view shape: convex. Gena contour from anterior view orientation: strongly converging. Gena sculpture: rugoso-reticulate with areolate ground sculpture. Concentric carinae laterally surrounding antennal foramen: present. Eye length vs. absolute cephalic size (EL/CS): 0.212 [0.201, 0.224]. Frontal carina distance vs. absolute cephalic size (FRS/CS): 0.292 [0.276, 0.312]. Longitudinal carinae on median region of frons: present. Smooth median region on frons: absent. Antennomere count: 12. Scape length vs. absolute cephalic size (SL/CS): 0.828 [0.78, 0.862]. Median clypeal notch: present. Median carina of clypeus: present or absent. Spine length vs. absolute cephalic size (SPST/CS): 0.269 [0.221, 0.301]. Minimum spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPBA/CS): 0.253 [0.215, 0.287]. Apical spine distance vs. absolute cephalic size (SPTI/CS): 0.299 [0.256, 0.341]. Propodeal spine shape: straight; triangular, blunt. Apical distance of pronotal spines vs. absolute cephalic size (PSTI/CS): 0.665 [0.636, 0.691]. Metanotal depression: present. Dorsal region of mesosoma sculpture: areolate main sculpture, interstices areolate. Lateral region of pronotum sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, main sculpture areolate. Mesopleuron sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by dispersed rugae. Metapleuron sculpture: areolate ground sculpture, superimposed by coarse rugae. Petiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PEW/CS): 0.269 [0.228, 0.326]. Dorsal region of petiole sculpture: ground sculpture areolate, main sculpture rugoso-reticulate. Postpetiole width vs. absolute cephalic size (PPW/CS): 0.37 [0.348, 0.391]. Dorsal region of postpetiole sculpture: ground sculpture smooth, main sculpture absent.

Type Material
Csösz and Fisher (2016) - Holotype worker: “Leptothorax sikorai n. sp., Imerina [Antananarivo, -18.91 N, 47.55 E], Sikora” TYPUS (, CASENT0102064). Note: the type was not available for morphometric investigation; high-quality AntWeb images were used for comparison.