| Malagidris | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Crematogastrini |
| Genus: | Malagidris Bolton & Fisher, 2014 |
| Type species | |
| Aphaenogaster belti Forel, 1895 | |
| Diversity [1] | |
| 6 species | |
| Synonyms | |
BrunellaForel, 1917 | |
Malagidris is a Malagasy genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2014, the genus contains six species. [2]
The type species of this genus, M. belti (Forel, 1895), has had a moderately varied taxonomic history. It was originally described in the genus Aphaenogaster (Mayr, 1853), even though Forel remarked on its 3-segmented antennal club, rather than 4 as is usual in that genus. This character, coupled with the presence of angulate humeri and a queen with a depressed mesosoma, caused Emery (1915) to exclude M. belti from Aphaenogaster and transfer it to Atopula (Emery, 1912). Forel (1917) decided that Atopula was artificial, "composed of disparate species," and established the genus Brunella to include only M. belti. The component species of Atopula were later dispersed to other genera by Bolton (1976), who retained genus Brunella as its "affinities are unclear." Later however, Bolton (1982) synonymised Brunella under Aphaenogaster, thus returning M. belti to its original generic combination. [2]
More extensive recent sampling of the Madagascan ant fauna has made it clear that this synonymy was incorrect. The discovery of several species referable to Forel's Brunella has allowed the diagnosis of a distinct group of Madagascan endemics, which are convergent in some characters with Aphaenogaster but certainly not congeneric with it. The final act of this history has been the realisation that Brunella (Forel, 1917) is the junior homonym of a crustacean genus Brunella (G.W. Smith, 1909), from Tasmania. No replacement name was essential for Brunella (Forel, 1917) while it was a junior synonym, but after it was revived from synonymy a replacement name was necessary: Malagidris. [2]
The larger, more gracile species (e.g. M. alperti, M. galokoa, M. jugum, M. sofina) of Malagidris are remarkably convergent on the widely distributed genus Aphaenogaster. However, all species of Malagidris have two critical features never exhibited by Aphaenogaster species. First, the midpoint of the anterior clypeal margin of Malagidris has a single, stout, unpaired seta. In Aphaenogaster there is always a conspicuous pair of setae, one on each side of the midpoint of the anterior clypeal margin. Second, Aphaenogaster species do not have the characteristic structure of the anteroventral peduncle of the petiole. In addition to these, Malagidris always has the following: a transverse crest present on the stipes of the maxilla; a 3-segmented antennal club; a subpetiolar process present; a strongly developed sting; the anterior clypeal margin convex at the midpoint. In Aphaenogaster, by contrast, the stipes usually lacks a crest (a crest is incompletely and weaky developed in a few species, strong only in A. relicta , from Haiti, which may not be properly referable to Aphaenogaster), usually has a 4-segmented antennal club (5-segmented to gradually incrassate in some species but never 3-segmented), lacks a subpetiolar process, has a very weakly developed or vestigial sting, and usually (but not always) has the midpoint of the anterior clypeal margin concave or indented. [2]
The Formicinae are a subfamily within the Formicidae containing ants of moderate evolutionary development.
Ponerinae, the ponerine ants, is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including Dinoponera gigantea - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the functional egg-layers in several species of ponerine ants. In such queenless species, the reproductive status of workers can only be determined through ovarian dissections.
Myrmicinae is a subfamily of ants, with about 140 extant genera; their distribution is cosmopolitan. The pupae lack cocoons. Some species retain a functional sting. The petioles of Myrmicinae consist of two nodes. The nests are permanent and in soil, rotting wood, under stones, or in trees.
Aphaenogaster is a genus of myrmicine ants. About 200 species have been described, including 18 fossil species. They occur worldwide except in South America south of Colombia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Antarctica.
Megalomyrmex is a genus of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. The genus is known only from the Neotropics, where some of the species are specialized parasites or predators of Attini.
Crematogastrini is a tribe of myrmicine ants with 64 genera and 8 fossil genera.
Diaphoromyrma is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains the single species Diaphoromyrma sofiae, known only from workers from the type locality in Bahia, Brazil. The genus is apparently close to Allomerus and Diplomorium in the Solenopsidini, but its tribal attribution remains uncertain.
Eutetramorium is a small genus of ants within the subfamily Myrmicinae. To date it contains three species found in Madagascar and Comoros.
Tatuidris, or armadillo ant, is a rare genus of ants consisting of a single species, Tatuidris tatusia. The ants are small in size and inhabit the leaf litter of Neotropical forests in Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil. Workers are ferruginous-colored to dark red and present a distinctive morphology, consisting of a shield-like head with a broad vertex, ventrally-turned heavy mandibles which do not overlap at full closure, and unique among ants – an antenna socket apparatus sitting upside-down. Little is known about the biology of the ants, but they are likely nocturnal and specialist predators.
Simopone is a genus of predominantly arboreal ants in the subfamily Dorylinae. The genus is widely distributed in the Old World tropics, with the majority of species in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa.
Carebara is a genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is one of the largest myrmicine genera with more than 200 species distributed worldwide in the tropics and the Afrotropical region. Many of them are very tiny cryptic soil and leaf-litter inhabitants. They nest in rotten wood to which the bark is still adherent in the Afrotropical region, or may be lestobiotic nesting near other ant species. Some species are known to exist parasitically within termite nests. Little is known about the biology of the genus, but they are notable for the vast difference in size between queens and workers.
Euprenolepis is a Southeast Asian genus of ants in the subfamily Formicinae with eight recognized species.
Meranoplus is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. With over 80 valid species, it is predicted that over half of the Meranoplus diversity remains undescribed, most of these from Australia.
Myrmisaraka is a Malagasy genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2014, the genus contains two species.
Vitsika is a Malagasy genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2014, the genus contains 14 species.
Royidris is a Malagasy genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2014, the genus contains 15 species endemic to Madagascar.
Stenammini is a tribe of Myrmicine ants with 6 genera and 1 fossil genus. Many genera in this tribe are known to collect seeds.
Novomessor ensifer is a species of ant endemic to Mexico. A member of the genus Novomessor in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was first described by Swiss entomologist Auguste Forel in 1899. N. ensifer was originally a part of the genus Aphaenogaster until a recent phylogenetic study concluded that Novomessor was genetically distinct and should be separated. The ant is a medium-sized species, measuring 5.5 to 10 millimetres. The ant is ferruginous-colored in some certain parts of the body, and small workers (nanitics) in incipient colonies are noticeably different in color and body structure.
This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Bolton, Barry; Fisher, Brian L. (2014), "The Madagascan endemic myrmicine ants related to Eutetramorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): taxonomy of the genera Eutetramorium Emery, Malagidris nom. n., Myrmisaraka gen. n., Royidris gen. n., and Vitsika gen. n.", Zootaxa , 3791 (1): 1–99, doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3791.1.1, PMID 24869996 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.