Monomorium ebeninum

Nomenclature

Species: Monomorium ebeninum Forel 1891

Usage: valid
Page number: 165

External links

Antweb | Antwiki | EOL

Diagnostic description

Diagnosis of worker among Antkey species

Worker caste monomorphic. Head shape ovoid. Antenna 12-segmented. Antennal club 3-segmented. Antennal scrobe lacking. Antennal insertions at least partly covered by frontal lobes; not surrounded by a raised sharp-edged ridge. Frontal lobes do not obscure face outline between mandible and eye. Antennal scapes not conspicuously short; easily extended beyond eye level. Posterolateral corners of head unarmed, without spines. Eyes medium to large (greater than 6 facets); distinctly less than half head length. Mandibles triangular. Mesosoma with erect hairs; shining smooth lacking any areas covered with punctate sculpture. Pronotal spines absent. Propodeum lacking spines or teeth. Waist 2-segmented. Petiole with peduncle; lacking large subpetiolar process. Petiole length greater than petiole height. Postpetiole not swollen, in dorsal view not distinctly broader than long or distinctly wider than petiole. Color shiny dark brown to black.

Among introduced and commonly intercepted Monomorium, M. ebeninum can be distinguished from M. destructor, M. pharaonis and the M. salomonis group by its glassy smooth integument that lacks sculpture even on the mesosoma. Among smooth and shining Monomorium, M. ebeninum is distinguished from M. liliuokalanii by the petiole shape (which is distinctly longer than tall in profile) and from M. floricola by the uniformly dark brown to black color (versus bicolor with dark brown to black head and gaster and paler red or yellow mesosoma, waist and appendages).

Distribution

Click here for updated occurrence data and map on antmaps.org
Click here for updated occurrence data and map on GBIF.org

Lateral view of body, entire, adult worker.  Photo by April Nobile,  Antweb.org .
Lateral view of body, entire, adult worker. Photo by April Nobile, Antweb.org.
Dorsal view of body, entire, adult worker.  Photo by April Nobile,  Antweb.org .
Dorsal view of body, entire, adult worker. Photo by April Nobile, Antweb.org.
Lateral view of body, surface characters, adult worker. The entire body is uniformly brown to black. Used in Antkey to separate  Monomorium ebeninum, Monomorium liliuokalanii , members of the  Monomorium salomonis -group and some specimens of  Monomorium floricola  from all other  Monomorium  species.
Lateral view of body, surface characters, adult worker. The entire body is uniformly brown to black. Used in Antkey to separate Monomorium ebeninum, Monomorium liliuokalanii, members of the Monomorium salomonis-group and some specimens of Monomorium floricola from all other Monomorium species.
Anterior view of head, adult worker.  Photo by April Nobile,  Antweb.org .
Anterior view of head, adult worker. Photo by April Nobile, Antweb.org.
Lateral view of thorax / mesosoma, adult worker. The mesosoma is entirely smooth and shining, with at most a few isolated punctures, but never with the propodeum, mesonotum or pronotum entirely punctate. Used in Antkey to separate  Monomorium ebeninum, Monomorium floricola  and  Monomorium liliuokalanii  from other  Monomorium .
Lateral view of thorax / mesosoma, adult worker. The mesosoma is entirely smooth and shining, with at most a few isolated punctures, but never with the propodeum, mesonotum or pronotum entirely punctate. Used in Antkey to separate Monomorium ebeninum, Monomorium floricola and Monomorium liliuokalanii from other Monomorium.
Lateral view of petiole, adult worker. The petiole, in profile, is distinctly longer than it is tall. The length is measured from the most anterior section of the petiolar peduncle to the most posterior section of the petiolar node, and the height is measured from the apex of the petiolar node to its ventral margin. Used in Antkey to separate  Monomorium ebeninum  and  Monomorium floricola  from  Monomorium liliuokalanii .
Lateral view of petiole, adult worker. The petiole, in profile, is distinctly longer than it is tall. The length is measured from the most anterior section of the petiolar peduncle to the most posterior section of the petiolar node, and the height is measured from the apex of the petiolar node to its ventral margin. Used in Antkey to separate Monomorium ebeninum and Monomorium floricola from Monomorium liliuokalanii.