Syllophopsis

Identification
Aldawood (2016) - The worker caste of Syllophopsis is readily identified by the combination of the following characters (Bolton 1987): monomorphic; antennae 12-segmented terminating with a 3-segmented club; median clypeal portion distinctly longitudinally bicarinate that project anteriorly as a pair of blunt teeth; eyes tiny with one or two ommatidia; promesonotal suture absent; metanotal groove impressed, sometimes less-developed but distinct; propodeal dorsum making a minute dent with declivity. In many species, propodeal outline obtusely angulate; petiole pedunculate, with a high and rounded node; postpetiole node smaller and lower than petiolar node in profile.

Species richness
Species richness by country based on regional taxon lists (countries with darker colours are more species-rich). View Data



Biology
Syllophopsis sechellensis is known to forage both on and under the ground (Eguchi & Bui 2009).

Nomenclature

 *  SYLLOPHOPSIS  [Myrmicinae: Solenopsidini]
 * Syllophopsis Santschi, 1915c: 259 [as subgenus of Monomorium]. Type-species: Monomorium modestum, by monotypy.
 * Syllophopsis subgenus of Monomorium: Emery, 1922e: 175; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 676; Arnold, 1952a: 465.
 * Syllophopsis raised to genus: Santschi, 1921c: 119; Ettershank, 1966: 100.
 * Syllophopsis junior synonym of Monomorium: Bolton, 1987: 287.
 * Syllophopsis revived from synonymy: Ward et al., 2014: 13.
 * [ Syllopsis Santschi, 1921c: 120, incorrect subsequent spelling.]
 * IRENEIDRIS [junior synonym of Syllophopsis]
 * Ireneidris Donisthorpe, 1943c: 81. Type-species: Ireneidris myops (junior synonym of Monomorium australicum), by original designation.
 * Ireneidris junior synonym of Monomorium: Ettershank, 1966: 82; Bolton, 1987: 298.
 * Ireneidris junior synonym of Syllophopsis: Ward et al., 2014: 13.

Aldawood (2016)- The myrmicine ant genus Syllophopsis was established by Santschi (1915) for the species Syllophopsis modestum Santschi, 1914. The genus now includes 21 valid species distributed in the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions (Bolton, 1987; Heterick, 2006), and two widespread species occurring in the Indo-Australian region and on the islands of the Pacific and Indian oceans (Wilson & Taylor, 1967).

In his comprehensive review of the Solenopsis genus-group and the Afrotropical fauna of the genus Monomorium, Bolton (1987) synonymized Syllophopsis under Monomorium, recorded seven species and described three new African species, Syllophopsis malamixta and Syllophopsis thrascolepta from Ivory Coast and Syllophopsis sersalata from Rwanda. These 10 species were included in the  Monomorium fossulatum-group. In a revision of the Malagasy Monomorium, Heterick (2006) included the species of the M. fossulatum-group with the hildebrandti-group. Recently, Syllophopsis was resurrected as a valid genus by Ward, Brady, Fisher, and Schultz (2014).

The only treatment of Syllophopsis for the Arabian Peninsula was by Sharaf & Aldawood (2013), recording the genus for the first time from southwestern Saudi Arabia by the new species, Syllophopsis kondratieffi based on the worker caste. In addition, a key was provided for the species of Syllophopsis known from the Afrotropical region. Recently, Sharaf, Fisher, Collingwood, and Aldawood (unpublished data) reported the genus from Socotra Island (Yemen) for the first time by an undescribed species. In North Africa, Sharaf (2007) described Syllophopsis dentata form the Nile Valley, upper Egypt.