Nesomyrmex evelynae ( Forel, 1916 )

Garcia, Francisco Hita, Mbanyana, Nokuthula, Audisio, Tracy Lynn & Alpert, Gary D., 2017, Taxonomy of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Afrotropical region, with a review of current species groups and description of a new species of the N. angulatus group from Mozambique, European Journal of Taxonomy 258, pp. 1-31 : 19

Nesomyrmex evelynae ( Forel, 1916)

Figs 2D , 4A , 10A , 16

Leptothorax (Goniothorax) evelynae Forel, 1916: 423 (w.q.), D.R. Congo.

Nesomyrmex evelynae – Bolton 2003: 272 (see also Bolton 1982: 328).

Diagnosis

The following character combination distinguishes N. evelynae from the other species of the group: in profile mesosomal dorsum with conspicuously impressed metanotal groove; petiolar peduncle long; dorsum of propodeum without standing hairs; first gastral tergite lacking standing hairs except for single transverse row on posterior end of tergite.

Diagnostic comments

The recognition of this species within the N. angulatus group is fairly straightforward, since it is the only one that lacks standing hairs on most of the first gastral tergite while all other group species have standing hairs evenly distributed throughout this tergite. It also lacks standing hairs on the propodeum, a character shared only with N. inhaca sp. nov., whereas the other five species have short, standing pilosity on the propodeum.

Biology

It prefers rain forests where it lives in the canopy stratum. Based on canopy fogging samples from Kenya available to the first author, it appears that this species is found commonly on trees, even though in small individual numbers, suggesting smaller colony sizes.

Distribution

Nesomyrmex evelynae is found in Equatorial Africa ranging from Burkina Faso and Ghana in the west through the Central African Republic and the D.R. Congo to Uganda and Kenya in the east. The known distribution is disjunctive since N. evelynae is not known from the countries between Ghana and the Central African Republic and the D.R. Congo. We consider this more of a sampling artefact though, and expect the species to be collected from the countries in between in future sampling projects.

Figures

Fig. 2. Part of head in full-face view showing the antennae (antennal segments are counted in Roman numerals) and dorsum of mesosoma. A–B. Nesomyrmex cataulacoides (Snelling, 1992) (CASENT0172593, CASENT0178301). C. N. humerosus (Emery, 1896) (CASENT0906196). D. N. evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). E. N. stramineus (Arnold, 1948) (CASENT0922011). F. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).

Fig. 4. Body in profile. A. Nesomyrmex evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0178298). B. N. angulatus (Mayr, 1862) (CASENT0922010). C. N. simoni (Emery, 1895) (CASENT0904790). D. N. braunsi (Forel, 1912) (CASENT0909209).

Fig. 10. Body in profile. A. Nesomyrmex evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0413068). B. N. denticulatus (Mayr, 1901) (CASENT0908992).

Fig. 16. Nesomyrmex evelynae (Forel, 1916) (CASENT0413068). A. Body in profile view. B. Body in dorsal view. C. Head in full-face view. D. Map of Africa and Madagascar showing currently known distribution.