253 research outputs found
Genetic Diversity in Pioneer Ants: The Cardiocondyla shuckardi Group
The myrmicine ant genus Cardiocondyla consists of around 80 species of small, inconspicuous ants, which live mainly in subtropical and tropical Africa, Eurasia, and Australia. Several species have been accidentally introduced to America and have also invaded numerous originally ant-free islands around the world. The diversity of life histories in this genus, with lethally fighting wingless males, dominance hierarchies among queens, and considerable variation in the sociogenetic organization of colonies across species, has made it an interesting model to investigate the evolution and behavioral ecology of reproductive strategies. Taxa of the African Cardiocondyla shuckardi group are of particular interest, as in a phylogeny they lie between facultatively polygynous species with fatal male competition and monogynous species with mutually tolerant males. Studies on male behavior and sociogenetics in C. “venustula,” a widespread member of the C. shuckardi group, showed that males defend small territories inside their subterraneous nests. At the same time, they revealed a surprisingly large variability in mtDNA haplotypes both within and between populations in South Africa, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire. As the different lineages are very similar in morphology and nuclear markers, more research is needed to clarify the very confused taxonomic situation in this fascinating group of ants
A new species of Asphinctopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from Tanzania
Asphinctopone is a rarely encountered genus of ponerine ants, previously known only from the wet forest zones of West and central Africa. In the most recent revision of the genus Bolton & Fisher synonymised the three previously described species under A. sylvestrii Santschi and described one new but very closely related species, A. differens Bolton & Fisher. A very distinctive new species, Asphinctopone pilosa sp. n., is described from Tanzania and represents the first record of this genus from East Africa. Modifications to the diagnosis of the genus and an updated key to the species of Asphinctopone are presented. An analysis of the distribution records of Asphinctopone, using BIOCLIM and DOMAIN as implemented in DIVA-GIS 7.1 to provide preliminary predictions of the potential range of the genus, is also provided.Funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/index.htm
A new species of Asphinctopone (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae) from Tanzania
Asphinctopone is a rarely encountered genus of ponerine ants, previously known only from the wet forest zones of West and central Africa. In the most recent revision of the genus Bolton & Fisher synonymised the three previously described species under A. sylvestrii Santschi and described one new but very closely related species, A. differens Bolton & Fisher. A very distinctive new species, Asphinctopone pilosa sp. n., is described from Tanzania and represents the first record of this genus from East Africa. Modifications to the diagnosis of the genus and an updated key to the species of Asphinctopone are presented. An analysis of the distribution records of Asphinctopone, using BIOCLIM and DOMAIN as implemented in DIVA-GIS 7.1 to provide preliminary predictions of the potential range of the genus, is also provided.Funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/index.htm
Monograph of Nylanderia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the world, Part I : Nylanderia in the Afrotropics
The taxonomy of the Afrotropical Nylanderia fauna is revised for the first time. Fourteen native species are revealed, of which
eight are described as new: N. boltoni LaPolla and Fisher, N. brevisetula LaPolla and Fisher, N. impolita LaPolla and Fisher, N.
luteafra LaPolla and Fisher, N. scintilla LaPolla and Fisher, N. silvula LaPolla and Fisher, N. umbella LaPolla and Fisher, and
N. usambarica LaPolla, Hawkes and Fisher. Two species, N. jaegerskioeldi and N. natalensis, have workers that are indistinguishable
from each other, and males are the only reliable way to separate these two species. Three non-native Nylanderia species
are thought to have been introduced to Africa: N. bourbonica, N. vaga, and N. vividula. An identification key to the worker
caste is provided.Funds for JSL to travel to Tanzania were provided
in part by the Towson University Office of University Research Services through a faculty development grant. This
research was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. DEB-0743542 awarded to JSL. Funding
in support of this research was provided to BLF by WWF-US and National Science Foundation under Grant
No. INT 9998672 and DEB-0344731.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ab201
Taxonomic review of the ant genus Paratrechina, with a description of a new species from Africa
With the recent finding of Paratrechina (broad sense) paraphyly, only Paratrechina longicornis remained
in a redefined genus. As one of the most widely distributed ant species due to human transfer around the
world, there is much interest in the biology of P. longicornis. One issue concerning P. longicornis has been
as to where exactly the species is native, with both African and Asian native ranges being invoked in the
literature. Here we report the discovery of a second species within Paratrechina. This species, P. zanjensis, is
native to Africa (known from Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania), where it appears to be a dry miombo
woodland species. Given the discovery of this new species, a reevaluation of the morphological definition
of Paratrechina is provided; also provided is an updated generic level identification key. Given the available
distribution information on P. longicornis, we conclude that P. longicornis remains most likely native to
southeastern Asia, and that the discovery of a new species native to Africa makes Paratrechina yet another
example of an ant genus that possesses an Afro-Asian distribution.This study was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grants DEB-
0743542 (awarded to JSL).http://www.pensoft.net/journals/jhram201
Taxonomy of the ant genus Proceratium Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Afrotropical region with a revision of the P. arnoldi clade and description of four new species
The taxonomy of the genus Proceratium Roger is updated for the Afrotropical region. We give an overview
of the genus in the region, provide an illustrated identification key to the three clades (P. arnoldi, P. stictum
and P. toschii clades) and revise the P. arnoldi clade. Four new species from the P. arnoldi clade are described
as new: P. sokoke sp. n. from Kenya, P. carri sp. n. from Mozambique, and P. nilo sp. n. and P. sali sp. n.
from Tanzania. In order to integrate the new species into the existing taxonomic system we present an illustrated
identification key to distinguish the seven Afrotropical species of the P. arnoldi clade. In addition,
we provide accounts for all members of the P. arnoldi clade including detailed descriptions, diagnoses,
taxonomic discussions, distribution data and high quality montage images.GDA was financially supported by the E.O. Wilson Foundation and Carr
Foundation. FHG wants to thank Marcell Peters (University of Würzburg, Germany),
the BIOTA East Africa project funded by the German Ministry of Education
and Research (BMBF). FHG was granted two Ernst Mayr Travel Grants in Animal
Systematics from the MCZ to visit the collections at BMNH and MCZ. The surveys
during which the P. nilo and P. sali specimens were collected formed part of a project
run by PGH investigating ground-living ant and beetle diversity in Tanzania, funded
by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF).http://www.pensoft.netam201
A new species of Zambedania (Acari : Heterostigmatina : Pygmephoridae) from the two rivers platinum mine in South Africa and notes on the life-cycle of the genus
A new species of relatively poorly known genus Zambedania Mahunka, 1972 was
found on the baboon spider, Harpactirella overdijki Gallon, 2010 (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in South Africa.
Besides the abundantly available phoretic females, several males and one larva of this species in the spiders’
nests were also collected. Zambedania sekhukhunensis n. sp. is described and illustrated based on the phoretic
females, males and larva. Improved diagnosis of the genus and a new key to species are also supplied. The
descriptions and illustrations of the male and larva of this species represent the first ones of these stages in the
genus Zambedania. Due to their discovery the generic diagnosis has been significantly improved.This paper is part
of a South Africa/ Poland Research Cooperation
Programme.The National Research Foundation
of South Africa through the University of the
Witwatersrand and Polish Ministry of Science
and Higher Education through the A. Mickiewicz
University (Poznań).http://www.zoologicalstudies.comam2017Zoology and Entomolog
Search for the Standard Model Higgs Boson with the OPAL Detector at LEP
This paper summarises the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in e+e-
collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV performed by the OPAL
Collaboration at LEP. The consistency of the data with the background
hypothesis and various Higgs boson mass hypotheses is examined. No indication
of a signal is found in the data and a lower bound of 112.7GeV/C^2 is obtained
on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson at the 95% CL.Comment: 51 pages, 21 figure
Colour reconnection in e+e- -> W+W- at sqrt(s) = 189 - 209 GeV
The effects of the final state interaction phenomenon known as colour
reconnection are investigated at centre-of-mass energies in the range sqrt(s) ~
189-209 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Colour reconnection is expected to
affect observables based on charged particles in hadronic decays of W+W-.
Measurements of inclusive charged particle multiplicities, and of their angular
distribution with respect to the four jet axes of the events, are used to test
models of colour reconnection. The data are found to exclude extreme scenarios
of the Sjostrand-Khoze Type I (SK-I) model and are compatible with other
models, both with and without colour reconnection effects. In the context of
the SK-I model, the best agreement with data is obtained for a reconnection
probability of 37%. Assuming no colour reconnection, the charged particle
multiplicity in hadronically decaying W bosons is measured to be (nqqch) =
19.38+-0.05(stat.)+-0.08 (syst.).Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Euro. Phys. J.
- …