''Ravavy'' is a
Malagasy genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
ant
Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
in the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
Dolichoderinae
Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the wor ...
containing the single
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
''Ravavy miafina''.
Description
The genus is only known from males from Madagascar.
The males are distinguished from all other described males in the dolichoderine genera by its unique
mandibular
In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla).
The jawbone i ...
shape. The elongate basal margin and reduced masticatory margin is considered
apomorphic for the genus. The shape of the
clypeus, length of scape and form of
petiole, together form an inclusive diagnosis that isolates ''Ravavy'' from all other genera in the subfamily. No other described male is even superficially similar to ''Ravavy''. The shape of the mandible in ''
Bothriomyrmex
''Bothriomyrmex'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Dolichoderinae.
Distribution and habitat
The genus is widely distributed in the Old World and Australia, where it is found nesting in a wide range of habitats (including grasslands, savanna w ...
'', however, is reminiscent in some respects. The mandible in ''Bothriomyrmex'' is not triangular as in ''
Tapinoma'' for example, but like ''Ravavy'', has a short masticatory margin compared to the basal margin. In ''Bothriomyrmex'', however, the masticatory margin includes at least three teeth, while in ''Ravavy'' a single tooth is present.
References
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External links
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Dolichoderinae
Monotypic ant genera
Hymenoptera of Africa
{{Dolichoderinae-stub