Simopone mayri

Known only from the male caste. The male caste is poorly known in the genus Simopone and this species may be the male of a species that presently has no associated males.

Identification
A member of the emeryi species group.

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar.

Nomenclature

 * . Simopone ? mayri Emery, 1911d: 16 (m.) MADAGASCAR.
 * Type-material: 2 syntype maless.
 * Type-locality: Madagascar: Baia d’Antongil, 1897-98 (A. Mocquerys).
 * Type-depository: MSNG.
 * [Note: originally incorrectly described as males of Cerapachys mayri Forel, 1892: 244, by Emery, 1899f: 264; misidentification.]
 * Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 1006; Brown, 1975: 36; Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 57.
 * Senior synonym of satagia (unnecessary replacement name): Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 57.
 * Distribution: Madagascar.
 * satagia. Simopone satagia Bolton, 1995b: 383.
 * Unnecessary replacement name for mayri Emery, 1899f: 264.
 * Junior synonym of mayri: Bolton & Fisher, 2012: 57.

Description
Bolton and Fisher (2012) note: This species was described from a couple of large Madagascan males that were originally thought by Emery (1899) to be the males of Lioponera mayri, a species previously described from workers by Forel (1892). Emery (1911) realised that he had probably placed them in the wrong genus, and transferred them to Simopone but indicated his reservations about this choice with a question mark in his 1911 citation. From the description alone, it is impossible to tell what the correct generic combination should be, as characters critical at genus-rank were all omitted. Examination of the two specimens has revealed that all the genus-rank characters of male Simopone are present in combination and the inclusion of mayri in Simopone is confirmed. However, these males have yet to be matched to any worker-based species as the syntypes of mayri differ from all other male samples, worker-associated or isolated, that are currently available. All that can be said at the moment is that S. mayri is a member of the emeryi group and appears to be related to Simopone rex, but differs by the characters given in the provisional key to males.

Type Material
Bolton and Fisher (2012) - Syntype males, Madagascar: Baia di Antongil, 1897–98 (A. Mocquerys) [examined].

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

 * Bolton B., and B. L. Fisher. 2012. Taxonomy of the cerapachyine ant genera Simopone Forel, Vicinopone gen. n. and Tanipone gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3283: 1-101.
 * Brown W. L., Jr. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agric. (Ithaca N. Y.) 5(1): 1-115.
 * Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
 * 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.
 * 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