Mystrium
| Mystrium | |
|---|---|
 | |
| M. oberthueri worker from Madagascar | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Amblyoponinae |
| Tribe: | Amblyoponini |
| Genus: | Mystrium Roger, 1862 |
| Type species | |
| Mystrium mysticum | |
Mystrium is a rare genus of ants in the subfamily Amblyoponinae.[1] First described by Roger (1862) with the description of the queen of M. mysticum, the genus contains 10 species, all of which occur in the rainforests of the Old World.[2]
Description
The genus is morphologically very peculiar within the poneromorph subfamily group and has the following combination of characteristics: the very wide head; spatulate or squamate hairs on the head; and long, narrow mandibles with a double row of teeth on the inner margins. Monophyly of the genus is strongly supported by a recent molecular phylogenetic study by Saux et al. (2004). Besides their bizarre morphology Mystrium ants have also evolved some unique biological traits. They have a unique defense mechanism in which they snap their mandibles to generate a powerful strike (Gronenberg et al. 1998; Moffett 1986). Molet et al. (2006) demonstrated that, in some species of Mystrium known from Madagascar, normal queens are replaced by wingless reproductives which are smaller than workers. Because Mystrium are rarely encountered, information on their general biology, ecology and behavior remains sparse. They are presumably predaceous like other species of the subfamily Amblyoponinae, although no direct evidence is available.[2] Species in Madagascar show two distinct reproductive strategies and relevant colony structures. In some species each colony has a single dealate queen with a larger thorax than workers but with mandibles similar to those of the workers. In colonies of other species winged queens are missing and half of the female adults belong to wingless reproductives which are smaller and allometrically distinct from workers.[3]
Distribution
All species occur in the rainforests of the Old World, with most found in tropical Africa: six of them are restricted to Madagascar (and its adjacent islands) and one is recorded from continental Africa. M. camillae is widespread in the Indo-Australian region,[2] and M. leonie and M. maren are known from Indonesia.[4][3]
Species
- Mystrium camillae Emery, 1889
- Mystrium fallax Forel, 1897
- Mystrium leonie Bihn & Verhaagh, 2007
- Mystrium maren Bihn & Verhaagh, 2007
- Mystrium mysticum Roger, 1862
- Mystrium oberthueri Forel, 1897
- Mystrium rogeri Forel, 1899
- Mystrium silvestrii Santschi, 1914
- Mystrium stadelmanni Forel, 1895
- Mystrium voeltzkowi Forel, 1897
References
- Bihn, Jochen H.; Verhaagh, Manfred (2007), "A review of the genus Mystrium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Indo-Australian region.", Zootaxa 1642: 1–12
- Brown, W.L. (1960) Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. III. Tribe Amblyoponini (Hymenoptera). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 122, 145–230.
- Gronenberg, W., Hölldobler, B. & Alpert, G.D. (1998) Jaws that snap: control of mandible movements in the ant Mystrium. Journal of Insect Physiology, 44, 241–253.
- Moffett, M. (1986) Mandibles that snap: notes on the ant Mystrium camillae Emery. Biotropica, 18, 361–362.
- Roger, J. (1862) Einige neue exotische Ameisen-Gattungen und Arten. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift, 6, 233–254.
- Saux, C., Fisher, B.L. & Spicer, G.S. (2004) Dracula ant phylogeny as inferred by nuclear 28S rDNA sequences and implications for ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Amblyoponinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 33, 457–468.
External links
Media related to Mystrium at Wikimedia Commons
This article incorporates text from a scholarly publication published under a copyright license that allows anyone to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute the materials in any form for any purpose: Bihn, Jochen H.; Verhaagh, Manfred (2007), "A review of the genus Mystrium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Indo-Australian region.", Zootaxa 1642: 1–12 Please check the source for the exact licensing terms.