Crematogaster masokely Blaimer, 2013

Blaimer, Bonnie B. & Fisher, Brian L., 2013, Taxonomy of the Crematogaster degeeri-species-assemblage in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 51, pp. 1-64 : 46-48

Crematogaster masokely Blaimer sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:44FEB42B-C008-4831-BA5B-47AFF14CC7D9 Fig. 18

Diagnosis

Crematogaster masokely sp. nov. can be distinguished from the rest of the C. degeeri -assemblage by a combination of the following characters: small eyes (OI 0.17 - 0.20), short antennal scapes (SI 0.67 - 0.75) and a tuberculate or denticulate mesonotum.

Etymology

Crematogaster masokely sp. nov. is named after the species’ small eyes: maso is Malagasy for “eye” and kely means “small.” The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Type specimens

Holotype

Worker: pinned, CASENT0068954 , BLF12840(9), ex sifted litter [imaged on Antweb]; original locality label: MADG’R: Toamasina: Ambohidena , 20 m, 24 Nov. 2005, 16º49.46’S, 49º57.85’E, littoral forest, Fisher et al., BLF12840; deposited at CASC.

Paratypes

Workers not designated, due to the small number of existing specimens.

Type locality

MADAGASCAR: Toamasina: Ile St. Marie, Forêt Ambohidena : -16.82433, 49.96417, 20 m, littoral forest.

Other material examined

( CASC, PSWC): refer to Supplementary Material 1.

Worker

Measurements

(n = 11) [holotype] HW 0.72 - 0.91 [0.85]; HL 0.66 - 0.91 [0.83]; EL 0.13 - 0.18 [014]; SL 0.48 - 0.62 [0.60]; WL 0.74 - 0.95 [0.88]; SPL 0.01 - 0.06 [0.03]; PTH 0.15 - 0.19 [0.15]; PTL 0.21 - 0.29 [0.27]; PTW 0.23 - 0.34[0.27]; PPL 0.12 - 0.19 [0.15]; PPW 0.19 - 0.28[0.24]; LHT 0.49 - 0.67 [0.63]; CI 0.99 - 1.09 [1.02]; OI 0.17 - 0.20 [0.17]; SI 0.67 - 0.75 [0.72]; SPI 0.01 - 0.06 [0.04]; PTHI 0.57 - 0.74 [0.57]; PTWI 1.01 - 1.23 [1.01]; PPI 1.39 - 1.75 [1.59]; LBI 1.33 - 1.68 [1.39].

Description

( Fig. 18A , C-D) Small (HW 0.72 - 0.91, WL 0.74 - 0.95).

Masticatory margin of mandibles with four teeth; head shape more or less quadrate (CI 0.99 - 1.09); posterior margin of head in full-face view laterally angular or subangular, sometimes medially depressed; occipital carinae usually distinct; antennal scapes usually short, not reaching or surpassing head margin; midline of eyes situated at midline of head in full-face view; eyes small (OI 0.17 - 0.20), and confluent with lateral head margin in full-face view.

Pronotum laterally angular; promesonotal suture usually indistinct, mesonotum more or less forming one plane with pronotum; mesonotum usually without distinct posterior face; laterally mesonotum angular, ending in small posterolateral denticles or tubercules, that set mesonotum off from propodeum; metanotal groove fairly shallow, laterally constricted; propodeum with small denticles or tubercules (SPI 0.01 - 0.06); dorsal face of propodeum short to indistinct, posterior face of propodeum gently sloping; petiole in dorsal view broadly oval, concave, without dorsolateral carinate margins and posterolateral tubercules or denticles; subpetiolar process variable, usually small angular dent; postpetiole bilobed with a narrow median impression; subpostpetiolar process absent.

Head sculpture aciculate; promesonotum reticulate to aciculate; mesopleuron areolate, dorsal face of propodeum carinulate to reticulate; otherwise sculpture reticulate to aciculate; erect pilosity on face sparse, usually <four longer setae, and regular, short, appressed to suberect pubescence; promesonotum usually with <ten long erect setae, and very sparse, appressed to subdecumbent pubescence; petiole and postpetiole usually with a pair of short erect setae posterolaterally, and sparse appressed pubescence; abdominal tergites four to seven with scattered short erect pilosity, ventrally more abundant, and regular appressed to decumbent pubescence throughout. Color medium to dark brown.

Queen and male

Queens and males of this species are unknown.

Distribution and biology

MADAGASCAR. Crematogaster masokely sp. nov. is highly endemic to the littoral forests of eastern Madagascar, with the exception of one peculiar disjunct distribution in the tsingy of the SF Beanka on the west coast ( Fig. 18B ). The species co-occurs with C. tricolor stat. rev., C. maina sp. nov., C. dentata stat. nov. and C. ramamy sp. nov. No colony collections of this species have been made, therefore nothing is known of its biology.

Figures

Fig. 18. Crematogaster masokely sp. nov., worker and distribution. A, C-D. Worker (CASENT0068954). A. Full-face. C. Profile. D. Dorsal. B. Species distribution.