Monomorium havilandi

The few collections of this species with habitat data show it has been collected in open areas.

Identification
Bolton (1987) - A member of the M. setuliferum species group. Easily diagnosed as this is the only Afrotropical Monomorium except for the very distinctive Monomorium abyssinicum (=Trichomyrmex abyssinicus) which has only three teeth present on the mandible. All other Afrotropical species have 4 teeth, 3 teeth plus a basal denticle, or in one species (Monomorium latinode), 5 teeth.

The synonymized Monomorium distinctum shows slightly stronger promesonotal sculpture and has more sharply defined and denser hair-pits on the cephalic dorsum. This is regarded as a very minor character variation.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: South Africa.

Nomenclature

 *  havilandi. Monomorium havilandi Forel, 1910e: 443 (w.q.) SOUTH AFRICA. Combination in M. (Parholcomyrmex): Santschi, 1917b: 282. Subspecies of australe: Santschi, 1917b: 282. Revived status as species and senior synonym of distinctum, leviceps: Bolton, 1987: 368.
 * distinctum. Monomorium (Xeromyrmex) distinctum Arnold, 1944: 11, fig. 18 (w.m.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of havilandi: Bolton, 1987: 368.
 * leviceps. Monomorium distinctum var. leviceps Arnold, 1958: 119 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA. Junior synonym of havilandi: Bolton, 1987: 368.

Worker
Bolton (1987) - TL 2.8-3.1, HL 0.72-0.76, HW 0.62-0.67, CI 86-90, SL 0.49-0.55, SI 78-82, PW 0.40-0.43, AL 0.74-0.80 (14 measured).

Mandibles with three teeth only, without trace of a reduced fourth tooth or offset denticle as is usual in this group. Eyes not reniform but their ventral margins flat to very shallowly concave, their dorsal margins broadly convex, so that the anterior angle of the eye is narrower and much more narrowly rounded than the posterior angle. Maximum diameter of eye 0.27-0.30 x HW and with 10-12 ommatidia in the longest row. Head relatively short and broad in full-face view, and the scapes short (CI 90 or less, SI <85). Metanotal groove weakly impressed. Short standing hairs present on all dorsal surfaces of head and body, numerous on the first gastral tergite but sparse or rarely absent on the propodeum. Occipital surface of head with superficial reticular patterning at least medially, and dorsum usually with a patch of similar or even fainter patterning in the area immediately behind the frontal lobes, but otherwise the head entirely featureless and smooth except for small hair-pits. Promesonotum dorsally finely superficially reticulate, the surface appearing weakly shagreenate to feebly punctulate in places. Propodeal dorsum finely reticulate-punctate. Sides of alitrunk with faint vestiges of sculpture on the pronotum, the remainder densely reticulate-punctate. First gastral tergite unsculptured and smooth from base to apex, highly polished. Colour uniform blackish brown to black, the gaster often shiny jet black.

Type Material
Bolton (1987) - Syntype workers, female, South Africa: Natal (Haviland) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Arnold G. 1916. A monograph of the Formicidae of South Africa. Part II. Ponerinae, Dorylinae. Annals of the South African Museum. 14: 159-270.
 * Arnold G. 1944. New species of African Hymenoptera. No. 5. Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia. 2: 1-38.
 * Arnold G. 1958. New species of African Hymenoptera. No. 13. Occasional Papers of the National Museum of Southern Rhodesia. B. Natural Sciences. 3: 119-143.
 * Bolton B. 1987. A review of the Solenopsis genus-group and revision of Afrotropical Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 54: 263-452.
 * Dean, W. R. J. and Bond, W. J. 1990. Evidence for Rapid Faunal Changes on Islands in a Man-Made Lake. Oecologia. 83:388-391.
 * Ettershank G. 1966. A generic revision of the world Myrmicinae related to Solenopsis and Pheidologeton (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Aust. J. Zool. 14: 73-171.
 * Forel A. 1910. Note sur quelques fourmis d'Afrique. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 54: 421-458.
 * Hanrahan S. A., M. J. Steinbauer, and F. D. Duncan. 2014. Ant assemblages in a poorly sampled part of the arid Nama Karoo. African Entomology 22(2): 448453.
 * IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
 * Prins A. J. 1967. The ants of our National Parks. Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science 10(1): 63-81.
 * Santschi F. 1923. Descriptions de nouveaux Formicides éthiopiens et notes diverses. I. Revue Zoologique Africaine (Brussels) 11: 259-295.
 * Tshinguvho T. E., W. R. J. Dean, and H. G. Robertson. 1999. Conservation value of road verges in the semi-arid Karoo, South Africa: ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as bio-indicators. Biodiversity and Conservation 8: 16831695
 * Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004
 * Willis C. K., J. D. Skinner, and H. G. Robertson. 1992. Abundance of ants and termites in the False Karoo and their importance in the diet of the aardvark Orycteropus afer. Afr. J. Ecol. 30: 322-334.