Nesomyrmex medusus (lat.) Is a species of small ants of the genus Nesomyrmex ( Formicidae ) from the subfamily Myrmicinae [1] .
Nesomyrmex medusus | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Latin name | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Nesomyrmex medusus Csösz & Fisher, 2015 |
Content
- 1 Distribution
- 2 Description
- 3 notes
- 4 Literature
Distribution
Madagascar (Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa, Forêt de Bemanateza and Mahafaly Plateau) [1] .
Description
The species name N. medusus ( other Greek Μέδουσα ) is given by the presence of numerous long spikes on the dorsal side of the body, due to which the working ants resemble the jellyfish Gorgon from Greek mythology, which has snakes instead of hair on its head. They live in forests in the southwestern part of the island. They have three pairs of dorsal spines: pronotal spines, propodeal spines, and anterodorsal spines on the petiol nodule (a sign of the hafahafa species group). Antennae 12-segmented with a mace of 3 segments. 5-pronged mandibles . The propodeum is armed with spines. The abdomen is smooth and shiny. The stalk between the breast and the abdomen consists of two segments: the petiolus and postpetiolus (the latter is clearly separated from the abdomen), the sting is developed. Small soil ants (length about 3 mm) are brown in color, similar to representatives of the genus Leptothorax [1] . The species was first described in 2015 by American entomologists Sándor Cszsz and Brian L. Fisher ; Entomology, California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco , California, USA ) based on materials from Madagascar [1] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Csősz S., Fisher BL (2015). Diagnostic survey of Malagasy Nesomyrmex species-groups and revision of hafahafa group species via morphology based cluster delimitation protocol. ZooKeys 526: 19-59 (08 Oct 2015) doi: 10.3897 / zookeys.526.6037
Literature
- Bolton B. (1982). Afrotropical species of the myrmecine ant genera Cardiocondyla, Leptothorax, Melissotarsus, Messor and Cataulacus (Formicidae). - Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology, 46: 307-370.
- Csösz, S. & Fisher, BL 2016. Taxonomic revision of the Malagasy members of the Nesomyrmex angulatus species group using the automated morphological species delineation protocol NC-PART clustering. PeerJ 4: e1796; DOI 10.7717 / peerj. 1796.
- Kempf, WW (1959). A synopsis of the New World species belonging to the Nesomyrmex-group of the ant genus Leptothorax Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). - Studia Entomologica (ns), 2: 391-432.