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Meranoplus Dimidiatus
''Meranoplus'' is an Old World genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. With over 80 valid species, it is predicted that over half of the ''Meranoplus'' diversity remains undescribed, most of these from Australia. Classification ''Meranoplus'' is a unique and charismatic myrmicine genus of hairy, slow-moving, and armored ants. The genus was previously classified in its own tribe, the Meranoplini, with one fossil genus, '' Parameranoplus'', from Baltic amber (44.1 ± 1.1 mya), but was moved to Crematogastrini by Ward ''et al.'' (2015). The historic shuffling of ''Meranoplus'' through higher taxa — Cryptoceridae, Cataulacinae, Tetramoriini, Meranoplini — reflects our poor understanding of the phylogenetic position of ''Meranoplus'' within the Formicidae. Brady et ''al''. (2006) recovered a clade of ''Meranoplus'' and ''Cataulacus'', although this relationship was not supported in Moreau ''et al''. (2006). Distribution The extant species of ''Meranoplus'' are distribu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meranoplus Mayri
''Meranoplus mayri'' is a Malagasy species of ant in the genus ''Meranoplus''. Distribution ''Meranoplus mayri'' is distributed throughout the drier regions of Madagascar from the Southwestern region near Andohahela National Park all the way north into the Mahajanga Province. The elevational range of ''M. mayri'' is 20–1345 m. Description This species displays subtle variation in morphometric and most sculptural characters across its range except for the sculpture of the base of abdominal tergum IV. This character varies from extremely smooth and shining in the southwest to strongly, dense-punctate and costate along the western edge of the High Plateau. Intergrades are common, however, occurring all along the western coast and into the High Plateau. Both smooth and punctate specimens may be found at the same locales, including Ampotoampoto, Ejada, Tsihombe and Ambinanitelo. The variation of this character indicates that although the two extremes are reproductively isolated b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |