Monomorium minutum r. ebeninum Forel 1891
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.25674/441 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C887CF-FFAE-FFFF-FF4B-FB3A4DCFFE7B |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Monomorium minutum r. ebeninum Forel 1891 |
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Monomorium minutum r. ebeninum Forel 1891 View in CoL
[types investigated]
The species has been described from the Caribbean islands St. Vincent and St. Thomas. Investigated were the lectotype gyne labelled “Typus”, “ Monomorium minutum Mayr r. ebeninum Forel St. Vincent ”, “ Monomorium ebeninum Forel Lectotype M. DuBois 1983”, “ANTWEB CASENT0908695”; 9 paratype workers labelled “Typus”, “ebeninum Forel ”, “ Monomorium St.Thomas (Antille) 14 X 78”, “ANTWEB CASENT0908696”; all material deposited in MHN Genève .
All material examined. Numeric phenotypical data were taken in the lectotype gyne from St. Vincent and 4 worker samples with 9 individuals from St. Thomas and Barbados. For details see supplementary information SI1, SI2, SI3 .
Geographic range. Probably entire Caribbean and, so far, not reliably confirmed from outside this region. Images in www.antweb.org (CASENT0729633, CASENT0318457) showing worker specimens from the Grenadines can be referred to this species. DuBois (1986) reported the species from over 40 localities in the Caribbean and Middle America but it is unclear how he could determine these samples based on the useless characters given in his key and species description.
Diagnosis: --Worker ( Tab. 2, Figs. 1, 12 View Figure 12 , key). Very small, CS 445 µm. Head longer than in most species of the group, CL/CW 1.263 ± 0.025. Dents on clypeal margin rather short (ExCly/CS 3.11 ± 0.49%), not very acute and moderately distant (ClSpD/CS 10.36 ±1.26%). Frontal carinae more approached (FR/ CS 0.244 ± 0.006) and more diverging frontad than in related species (FL/CS 0.268 ± 0.006, FL/FR 1.099 ± 0.021). Eye and preocular distance moderately large (EL/CS 0.206 ± 0.009, PrOc/CS 0.231 ±0.003). Scape and funiculus segments moderately long (SL/CS 0.834 ± 0.011, Fu2/CS 6.47 ± 0.37 %, Fu3/CS 5.07 ± 0.11%). Mesosoma moderately long and wide (ML/CS 1.230 ± 0.028, MW/CS 0.566 ± 0.007). Metanotal groove very deep, MGr/CS 7.20 ± 0.68%. Propodeum edged, its dorsal profile and posterior slope rather straight and forming a blunt angle of ± 130° ( Fig. 12 View Figure 12 ). Petiole rather wide and high (PeW/CS 0.289 ± 0.015, PeH/CS 0.377 ± 0.008). Postpetiole wide and rather high (PpW/CS 0.356 ± 0.009, PpH/CS 0.289 ±0.017). All body surfaces with exception of few rugulae on frontal lobes, ventrolateral area of metapleuron and genae glabrous and shiny. All body parts homogenously dark brown to jet black.
--Gyne ( Tab. 5; Figs. 27 View Figure 27 , 28): According to the morphometric data of the lectotype gyne given in Tab. 5, there is hope that this species could be well separable in this caste as a combination of small FR/CS, MW/ CS, MH/CS and large EL/CS as well as by the overall shape.
Taxonomic comments. The lectotype is in a PCA well separated from all other wingless gynes ( Figs. 5 View Figure 5 , 6). Based on the characters underlined in the description above, the worker is comparably easy to determine. With all measurements in mm, a discriminant 152.22*FR-206.87*MGr-113.08*ExCly-69.2*PpW/CS-3.0 <0 separates the nine available Monomorium ebeninum specimens fully from the 390 workers of all other species of the M. carbonarium group.
Biology. Wheeler (1905) reported nesting under stones, in cavities of Tillandsia species and dry twigs of buttonwood bushes with up to 12 queens per nest. According to Smith (1936) its colonies are populous and polygynous with the nests found in both soil and wood, back of the leaf sheaths of corn and bananas, in cabbage heads, Tillandsia plants and in Hibiscus sabdariffa fruits. The same author reported exceeding trophobiosis with scale insects and aphids and strong predatory activity. According to Wolcott & Martorell (1937) it predates on eggs of the sugarcane moth borer Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius. Males were observed in Jamaica 14 March 1911 and in the Bahama Islands 31 May 1904 ( DuBois 1986). The species is assumed to have only wingless gynes (S. Cover pers. comm.).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.