Royidris
{{Short description|Genus of ants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Monomorium_robertsoni_casent0077935_profile_1.jpg
|image_caption = Royidris robertsoni worker
|display_parents = 2
|taxon = Royidris
|authority = Bolton & Fisher, 2014
|diversity_link = #Species
|diversity = 15 species
|diversity_ref = {{AntCat|461740|Royidris|2014|accessdate=3 July 2014}}
|type_species = Monomorium robertsoni
|type_species_authority = Heterick, 2006
}}
Royidris is a Malagasy genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. Described in 2014, the genus contains 15 species endemic to Madagascar.
Description
Queens are known for R. admixta, R. diminuta, R. notorthotenes, R. peregrina, and R. shuckardi, plus two unassociated forms. Alate when virgin, considerably larger than the worker. Males are known only for R. notorthotenes and R. peregrina. About the same size as the worker or slightly smaller, much smaller than the queen.
Taxonomy
The species included in this genus exhibit a habitus that is convergent on some groups of Monomorium. In his study of the Afrotropical members of that genus Bolton (1987) noted two indeterminate Madagascan species which had a high palp formula (5,3), the highest attributed to Monomorium, but did no further analysis of these odd species because the focus of the survey was the extensive Afrotropical fauna. Heterick (2006), in his revision of the Malagasy species of Monomorium, recognised the peculiarity of the high palp formula and utilised it, together with some other characters, to define his M. shuckardi group, all members of which are now transferred to Royidris. No unambiguous apomorphy can be stated for Royidris, and in fact its habitus is similar to that commonly seen in Monomorium.
Species
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;admixta group
- Vitsika admixta Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika depilosa Bolton & Fisher, 2014
;robertsoni group
- Vitsika anxietas Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika clarinodis (Heterick, 2006)
- Vitsika pallida Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika pulchra Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika robertsoni (Heterick, 2006)
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;notorthotenes group
- Vitsika diminuta Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika etiolata Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika gravipuncta Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika longiseta Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika notorthotenes (Heterick, 2006)
- Vitsika peregrina Bolton & Fisher, 2014
- Vitsika shuckardi (Forel, 1895)
- Vitsika singularis Bolton & Fisher, 2014
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References
{{Reflist|refs
{{citation |last1=Bolton |first1=Barry|last2=Fisher |first2=Brian L.| year=2014 |title=The Madagascan endemic myrmicine ants related to Eutetramorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): taxonomy of the genera Eutetramorium Emery, Malagidris nom. n., Myrmisaraka gen. n., Royidris gen. n., and Vitsika gen. n. |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3791 |issue=1 |pages=1–99 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3791.1.1 |pmid=24869996|url=https://zenodo.org/record/11433|doi-access=free }}
}}
{{refbegin|2}}
- {{cite journal | last1 = Bolton | first1 = B | year = 1987 | title = A review of the Solenopsis genus-group and revision of Afrotropical Monomorium Mayr | journal = Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology | volume = 54 | pages = 263–452 }}
- {{cite journal | last1 = Heterick | first1 = B.E. | year = 2006 | title = A revision of the Malagasy ants belonging to genus Monomorium Mayr, 1855 | journal = Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences | volume = 57 | pages = 69–202 }}
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{{refbegin}}
- {{OA-attribution| {{citation |last1=Bolton |first1=Barry|last2=Fisher |first2=Brian L.| year=2014 |title=The Madagascan endemic myrmicine ants related to Eutetramorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): taxonomy of the genera Eutetramorium Emery, Malagidris nom. n., Myrmisaraka gen. n., Royidris gen. n., and Vitsika gen. n. |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3791 |issue=1 |pages=1–99 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3791.1.1 |pmid=24869996|url=https://zenodo.org/record/11433|doi-access=free }} }}
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Category:Hymenoptera of Africa