Monomorium hospitum Viehmeyer, 1916

Monomorium hospitum Viehmeyer, 1916 View in CoL

Material examined. None available.

Material not physically examined. Syntypes – 4 queens, 4 males ( MNHU). Types – queen, male, workers, FOCOL1727-1730 ( ZMHB) .

Literature. Type – Viehmeyer (1916), Overbeck (1924) [both as Monomorium (Corynomyrmex) hospitum ]. Bolton (1987).

Localities. Bukit Timah Road

Habitat/Ecology. The type series of this species was found with M. floricola workers in a garden, specifically inside the narrow passages of a branch stump.

Remarks. Type locality in Singapore. Based on images on AntWeb, the worker of M. hospitum resembles the more widespread M. flori- cola, but with subtle differences ( M. floricola traits in parentheses): 1) posterior margin of head broadly convex, transitions to lateral margin in a smooth curve without apparent angle (posterior margin almost flat with weak median depression, posterior corners roundly angulate), 2) propodeal junction distinctly angulate (propodeal junction indistinct and obtusely rounded).

Monomorium hospitum was originally described based only on queens and males. Viehmeyer (1916) surmised that M. hospitum appeared ‘parasitic’ on M. floricola , as alates of the former species were collected from the latter’s nest. The author also felt that the alates of M. hospitum were distinct enough to warrant the establishment of a new subgenus — the now-defunct ‘ Corynomyrmex ’. The queen of M. hospitum is easily distinguished from that of M. floricola by its relatively convex mesosomal dorsum, such that mesosoma appears ovate in profile (in M. floricola queens, mesosomal dorsum is almost entirely flat and straight, mesosoma more cylindrical in profile).