Technomyrmex madecassus

Probably the most common endemic species of Technomyrmex in Madagascar madecassus, like all its close relatives, has a fully developed set of worker-queen intercastes as well as alate queens. The species nests and forages in a wide range of habitats and has been found on the forest floor in leaf litter, in fallen twigs and branches and in rotten logs and tree stumps, as well as being caught in pitfall traps. It also forages extensively on vegetation and nests in twigs and branches on trees. (Bolton 2007)

Identification
A member of the T. pallipes complex in the Technomyrmex albipes group.

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

Nomenclature

 *  madecassus. Technomyrmex madecassus Forel, 1897c: 199 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Senior synonym of fusciventris: Bolton, 2007a: 53.
 * fusciventris. Technomyrmex madecassus var. fusciventris Forel, 1907g: 86 (w.) COMORO IS. Junior synonym of madecassus: Bolton, 2007a: 53.

Worker
Bolton (2007) - TL 2.2 - 3.1, HL 0.54 - 0.71, HW 0.48 - 0.65, SL 0.50 - 0.64, PW 0.35 - 0.46, WL 0.68 -0.90 (30 measured). Indices: CI 89 - 95, SI 97 - 105, OI 24 - 27, EPI 64 -74, DTI 124 - 134.

Frontal carina with 2 - 3 setae: in profile the posterior of these is located at about the level of the anterior margin of the eye and is the longest on the dorsum. Dorsum of head posterior to this with a pair of shorter setae at about the level of the posterior margin of the eye and sometimes with an additional short pair anterior to this, above the eye. Behind the level of the posterior margin of the eye the dorsum with 2 - 3 pairs of setae, of which the pair about two-thirds the distance to the posterior margin is the longest. Posterior margin itself rarely also with an additional, more laterally placed pair of short setae. All setal pits conspicuous in dorsal view. Anterior clypeal margin with a small, shallow median impression. With head in full-face view the sides shallowly convex and the posterior margin with a shallow median concavity. Eyes located well in front of midlength, EPI 64 - 74; outer margin of eye just fails to touch, or just touches, the outline of the side in full-face view. Number of setal pairs on mesosoma: pronotum 1 - 4 (usually 2 - 3, only rarely 1 or 4), pits very conspicuous; mesonotum 2 - 4 (usually 2, less commonly 3, uncommonly 4), these setae conspicuous and usually about as long as those on the pronotum, and with very conspicuous pits; propodeal dorsum 0; lateral margins of propodeal declivity 2 - 3 (rarely with 2 on one side and 3 on the other), with very obvious pits in dorsal view. In dorsal view the metathoracic spiracles are very close to, or actually abut, the metanotal groove (distance separating them is usually distinctly less than the diameter of the metathoracic spiracle). Dorsum of mesonotum evenly curved in profile, more steeply sloped posteriorly than anteriorly. Dorsum of propodeum meets the declivity in a blunt angle; length of dorsum less than depth of declivity to spiracle. Gastral tergites 1 - 4 each with setae distributed everywhere on the sclerites; maximum length of setae on first gastral tergite varying from slightly less than, to slightly greater than, the maximum diameter of the eye. Head, mesosoma, petiole and gaster yellow to brownish yellow, often with head and/or the gaster somewhat infuscated with respect to the mesosoma; legs yellow to brownish yellow throughout.

Type Material
Bolton (2007) - Holotvpe worker, Madagascar: Nossi-Be (Voeltzkow) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Baroni Urbani C. 1977. Katalog der Typen von Formicidae (Hymenoptera) der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums Basel (2. Teil). Mitt. Entomol. Ges. Basel (n.s.) 27: 61-102.
 * Bolton B. 2007. Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35(1): 1-150.
 * Bolton, B. "Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste." Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35, no. 1 (2007): 1-149.
 * Celini L., V. Roy, J. Delabie, S. Frechault, A. Pando, and P. Mora. 2014. Première mention de Technomyrmex difficilis (Forel, 1892) à Saint-Barthélemy, Petites Antilles (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dolichoderinae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France 119 (3), 2014 : 293-298.
 * Emery C. 1913. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50.
 * 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. 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.
 * Ravelomanana A., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Diversity of ants in burned and unburned grassland, and dry deciduous forest in the Beanka Reserve, Melaky Region, western Madagascar. Malagasy Nature 7: 171-183.
 * Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.
 * 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