Monomorium minutum subsp. ergatogyna Wheeler, 1904

Seifert, Bernhard, 2025, The Monomorium carbonarium species group in the Nearctic and Europe (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Soil Organisms (Toronto, Ont.) 97 (1), pp. 55-84 : 72

Monomorium minutum subsp. ergatogyna Wheeler

1904 [type investigation]

This species has been described from Catalina Island near Los Angeles based on “numerous workers and eight females taken from three different nests” ( Wheeler 1904). Morphometrically investigated were 5 syntype wingless gynes and 6 syntype workers from AMNH New York labelled: “Catalina I Cala. C.F. Bak- er”, “TYPE nO A.M.N.H.” “ Monomorium ergatogyna Wheeler Paralectotype M. DuBois 1981” .

The workers from the type sample are allocated to the Monomorium ergatogyna cluster with p = 0.9936 in a wild-card run of a 3-class LDA considering the species Monomorium carbonarium , M. ergatogyna and M. gallicum n.sp. and all 19 numeric characters of workers ( Tab. 1). The five wingless type gynes are well separated in a PCA from the two next similar species ( Fig. 7 ).

Monomorium wheelerorum DuBois 1986

[syn. nov., type investigation]

This taxon has been described from Wheeler Spring in the Spring Mountains , Clark County in Nevada , 2012 m based on material collected by G.C & J. Wheeler. Investigated was the holotype wingless gyne labelled “ NEVADA: Clark Co. WHEELER SPRING SPRING Mts., 6600’, APRIL 1 1971 G. + J. Wheeler 1561”, “LACM ENT 164441” and “ Monomorium wheelerorum Holotype M. DuBois 1983”; 1 paratype worker from holotype nest on another pin with same collecting data and “LACM ENT 275330”, and “ Monomorium wheelerorum Paratype M. DuBois 1983”; depository Los Angeles Country Natural History Museum. 1 paratype wingless gyne and 2 paratype workers labelled “ NEVADA: STOREY Co. OPHIR GRADE, 2 mi WSW VIRGINIA CITY, 8 JULY 1971 6500’, G. + S. WHEELER 2280”, “ Monomorium wheelerorum Paratype M.DuBois 1983”, depository NMNH Washington .

The worker of the holotype sample is allocated to the Monomorium ergatogyna cluster with p = 0.9999 in a wild-card run of a 3-class LDA considering the species Monomorium carbonarium , M. ergatogyna and M. gallicum n.sp. ( Tab. 1). A similarly clear allocation with p = 0.9969 is also given for a sample of four workers from Wheeler Springs summit (close to the holotype locality) and the two paratype workers from Ophir Grade (p = 1.0000). The wingless holotype gyne was placed in a PCA within the cluster of wingless M. ergatogyna gynes considering all numeric characters ( Fig. 7 ).

Figures

Figure 7. Principal component analysis of wingless gynes of Monomorium carbonarium (black dots), M. ergatogyna (white rhombs) and M. gallicum n.sp. (black crosses). Acronyms indicate the placement of type specimens: W – holotype of M.wheelerorum, C – paratype of M. cyaneum, T – types from holotype nest of M. trageri, G – types from holotype nest of M. gallicum n.sp., E – types from holotype nest of M. ergatogyna.