Crematogaster ranavalonae

Identification
A member of the Crematogaster ranavalonae-group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar, Mayotte.

Castes
More images beyond those shown in these galleries are found here.

Nomenclature

 * . Crematogaster ranavalonis Forel, 1887: 388 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: lectotype worker (by designation of Blaimer, 2012a: 249, ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4); paralectotype workers (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: lectotype Madagascar: Bois de l’Ivondro, nr Tamatave (C. Keller); paralectotypes with same data.
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * [Justified emendation of spelling to ranavalonae: Forel, 1891b: 184.]
 * Forel, 1891b: 185 (m.); Emery, 1897a: 13 (q.).
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Forel, 1901e: 375.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1891b: 184 (redescription); Forel, 1892k: 532 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 84; Emery, 1899f: 286; Forel, 1907g: 81; Emery, 1922e: 156; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1025; Kutter, 1968b: 203; Bolton, 1995b: 161; Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4 (redescription).
 * Senior synonym of descarpentriesi: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Senior synonym of emmae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Senior synonym of inops: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Senior synonym of laticeps: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Senior synonym of paulinae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Senior synonym of pepo: Blaimer, 2012a: 249; ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4.
 * Distribution: Madagascar.
 * descarpentriesi. Crematogaster (Oxygyne) descarpentriesi Santschi, 1928d: 68 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: 20 syntype workers.
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: Fianarantsoa (Descarpentries).
 * Type-depository: NHMB.
 * Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 151.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.
 * emmae. Crematogaster emmae Forel, 1891b: 227, pl. 6, fig. 11 (q.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: holotype queen.
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: Andrangoloaka forest (Sikora).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Santschi, 1928d: 69 (w.).
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Forel, 1901e: 375.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1892k: 529 (in key); Dalla Torre, 1893: 81; Emery, 1899f: 286; Forel, 1907g: 81; Emery, 1922e: 156; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1024; Santschi, 1928d: 69; Bolton, 1995b: 152.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.
 * inops. Crematogaster inops Forel, 1892k: 533 (diagnosis in key) (w.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: holotype worker.
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: (no further data) (Sikora).
 * [Note: Blaimer, 2012a, ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 5, provides the data: “environs de la ville d’Anosibé (province de Bezanozano)”.]
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1024.
 * Status as species: Forel, 1892l: 254; Dalla Torre, 1893: 82; Emery, 1922e: 156; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1024; Bolton, 1995b: 155.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.
 * [Note: seniority of dates of publication for Forel, 1892k and Forel, 1892l are equivocal. 1892k is after 3.xii.1892 (its séance date), while 1893l is (31.xii).1893.]
 * laticeps. Crematogaster emmae var. laticeps Forel, 1892k: 529 (q.), 534 (w.), 535 (m.) (diagnoses in keys) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: Forêt d’Andrangoloaka (Sikora).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Emery, 1922e: 156.
 * Subspecies of emmae: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1024; Emery, 1922e: 156; Bolton, 1995b: 156.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.
 * paulinae. Crematogaster paulinae Forel, 1892k: 530 (q.) (diagnosis in key) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: syntype queens (number not stated).
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: Andrangoloaka (Sikora).
 * Type-depository: MHNG (apparently lost).
 * [Note: Blaimer, 2012a: 249, ‘Results S1: Species accounts’: 4, says the specimens could not be located in MHNG.]
 * Forel, 1903c: 254 (w.).
 * Combination in C. (Oxygyne): Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1025.
 * Subspecies of ranavalonae: Emery, 1897a: 14; Forel, 1903c: 254; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1025; Emery, 1922e: 156; Bolton, 1995b: 159.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.
 * pepo. Crematogaster (Oxygyne) ranavalonae var. pepo Forel, 1922: 96 (w.q.m.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: syntype workers, syntype queens, syntype males (numbers not stated).
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: St Marie (= St Marie I.) (no collector’s name).
 * Type-depository: MHNG.
 * Subspecies of ranavalonae: Bolton, 1995b: 159.
 * Junior synonym of ranavalonae: Blaimer, 2012a: 249.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Blaimer B. B. 2012. Untangling complex morphological variation: taxonomic revision of the subgenus Crematogaster (Oxygyne) in Madagascar, with insight into the evolution and biogeography of this enigmatic ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology 37: 240-260
 * Blaimer B. B., B. L. Fisher. 2013. How much variation can one ant species hold? Species delimitation in the Crematogaster kelleri-group in Madagascar. PLoS ONE 8(7): e68082. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0068082
 * Blaimer, B.. "Untangling complex morphological variation: taxonomic revision of the subgenus Crematogaster (Oxygyne) in Madagascar, with insight into the evolution and biogeography of this enigmatic ant clade (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Systematic Entomology 37 (2012): 240-260.
 * 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. 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.
 * Forel A. 1887. Fourmis récoltées à Madagascar par le Dr. Conrad Keller. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 7: 381-389.
 * 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.
 * Forel A. 1907. Ameisen von Madagaskar, den Comoren und Ostafrika. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse. Reise in Ostafrika 2: 75-92.
 * Forel A. 1922. Glanures myrmécologiques en 1922. Revue Suisse de Zoologie. 30: 87-102.
 * Santschi F. 1928. Descriptions de nouvelles fourmis éthiopiennes (quatrième note). Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines. 16: 54-69.
 * Soulié J., and L. D. Dicko. 1965. La répartition des genres de fourmis de la tribu des "Cremastogastrini" dans la faune éthiopienne et malgache. Hymenoptera - Formicoidea - Myrmicidae. Ann. Univ. Abidjan Sér. Sci. 1: 85-106.
 * 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