Metapone emersoni

Most often found in wet forest habitats, specimens have been collected from rotten logs and, for one nest, in a dead branch above the ground.

Identification
Lateral margins of raised median portion of clypeus markedly convergent anteriorly from the level of the antennal insertions. Petiolar dorsum from above approximately twice as wide as long. Postpetiolar sternite in profile view appearing as a long, slender process (Madagascar).

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Biology
Alpert (2007) - Gregg based his description on two workers found within a series of termites collected 12 miles from Perinet, Madagascar on June 28, 1935 by Harold Kirby. Kirby attached a locality code T-4503, his record label T specifying a collection of termites. Many of Kirby’s termite collections were later identified to species in a series of papers including Moszkowski’s 1955 paper on Malagasy termites. T-4503 however has never been listed as a locality code for Cryptotermes kirbyi, or any other termite, leaving in question the identification of the host termite for M. emersoni. One worker of M. emersoni has been collected subsequently from a more northern location, (Toamasina, P.N. Mantadia, 18°47’30”S, 48°25’36”E, 895m, rainforest, 25 Nov-1Dec 1998, coll. H.J. Ratsirarson, HJR020, CASENT0003116, CASC).

Queen
A single queen assigned to M. emersoni was collected from the Andohahela Special Reserve (24°46’35”S, 45°42’19”E), in southern Madagascar (P. Rabeson, 4.II. 1993, MCZC). When M. emersoni is rediscovered and queens are collected in association with workers, then the status of this single queen can be confirmed.

Nomenclature

 *  emersoni. Metapone emersoni Gregg, 1958: 115, fig. 2 (w.) MADAGASCAR. See also: Alpert, 2007: 10.

Description
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - General and diagnostic features as illustrated and in key (note especially the entire anterior clypeal border without median denticles, anteriorly converging lateral clypeal margins, relatively very wide petiolar node, and extended postpetiolar sternite appearing spinous in lateral view). Eyes structured similarly to those of Metapone madagascarica but a little larger. Subpetiolar process more-or-less basic in structure, the posterior face triangular, subpetiolar angle obtuse in side view, without spinose extension. Subpetiolar extension lamellate, approximately semi-circular, its base about two-thirds as long as the subpetiolar edge.

Type Material
Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Worker. 12 miles from Perinet [18°55'S, 48°25'E], Madagascar.