Metapone madagascarica

Known from a variety of forest types (spiny forest/thicket, gallery forest, spiny forest, secondary rainforest, tropical dry forest, tropical forest) in dead wood, e.g., rotten logs and a stump.

Identification
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - General and diagnostic features as illustrated and in the key to African and Madagascan species above (note paired anteromedian clypeal denticles, sub-parallel lateral clypeal margins, transverse petiolar node, and unextended postpetiolar sternite). Eyes minute, diameter of each about half the width of the second funicular antennomere; with 8–10 extremely minute, somewhat obscure facets. Mesosoma In dorsal view slightly constricted at promesonotal/propodeal junction, with accompanying short vestigial traces of the metanotal suture on each side. Subpetiolar process: more-or-less basic in structure—relatively deep, the posterior face a narrow isosceles triangle, subpetiolar angle obtuse in side view, without spinose extension. Subpetiolar extension lamellate, scalene-triangular, with a short posteroventral edge, the apex posteroventral, the base almost as long as the subpetiolar edge.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Biology
Alpert (2007) - On February 10, 1993, Phil Ward, Emile Rajeriarison and the author discovered a series of M. madagascarica from Berenty Reserve, 15m, 25°01’ 3.9”S, 46°18’ 21.8”E; spiny forest, in an Alluaudia sp. log in association with termites. On July 11, 2000, the author returned to this locality with Pascal Rabeson and Emile Rajeriarison and collected several nest series of M. madagascarica in a dead hardwood tree (local Malagasy name “Kelegnogne”) in association with the termite Cryptotermes kirbyi. These nest series included larvae, pupae, workers, queens, males and ergatoid males.

Worker-queen intermorphs were present in low numbers among the series of workers. Two intermorphs exhibiting rudimentary wing articulations were present among 51 workers. Other intermediate stages of intermorph development were also present and this is consistent with the variation in development of ovarioles from six to two (Hölldobler et al., 2002b).

Several ergatoid males were collected along with typical winged males within the same colony at more than one location. These ergatoid males are almost identical to workers with the following exceptions, presence of male genitalia, large well-developed eyes and typical male antennae. The presence of both winged males and an ergatoid male caste in the same colony is exceptional in ants and warrants further study.

Images from AntWeb
Ergatoid Male

Nomenclature

 * . Metapone madagascarica Gregg, R.E. 1958: 111, fig. 1 (w.q.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers, 1 paratype queen (+ 3 queen pupae).
 * Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: 15 km. E Tulear, 7.vi.1935 (H. Kirby); paratypes with same data.
 * Type-depositories: MCZC (holotype); LACM, USNM (paratypes).
 * [Note: Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 509, report the holotype as in MCZC, but Gregg stated that the holotype was in his own collection, which now mostly (?) resides in FMNH.]
 * Alpert, 2007: 11 (m., ergatoid m.).
 * Status as species: Kusnezov, 1960a: 126; Bolton, 1995b: 258; Alpert, 2007: 11; Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 508 (redescription).
 * Distribution: Madagascar.

Type Material
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Worker. 15 km east of Tulear [23°21' S, 43°40' E], Madagascar.

Alpert (2007) - Metapone madagascarica was described from a small series of workers collected along with termites from a stump with a field label T–4403. Moszkowski (1955, p. 34) described the associated drywood termite as a new species, Cryptotermes kirbyi Moszkowski, gave the field label as T-4403, and described the collection locality in more detail [14 km. East (23° 20’S, 43°48’E) of Tulear, along Fiheranana River, Madagascar, coll. H. Kirby, 7.VI.1935, in large dead stump].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Alpert G. D. 2007. A review of the ant genus Metapone Forel from Madagascar. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 8-18.
 * 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.
 * Gregg R. E. 1958. Two new species of Metapone from Madagascar (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 60: 111-121.
 * Kusnezov N. 1960. La posición sistemática del género Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Acta Zoologica Lilloana 18: 119-126.
 * Taylor R. W., and G. D. Alpert. 2016. The myrmicine ant genus Metapone Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): a global taxonomic review with descriptions of twelve new species. Zootaxa 4105(6): 501-545.