YoshimuraMasashiFisherBrian L.A revision of the ant genus Mystrium in the Malagasy region with description of six new species and remarks on Amblyopone and Stigmatomma (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Amblyoponinae)Zookeys3132014201439419910.3897/zookeys.394.6446 Mystrium camillae http://species-id.net/wiki/Mystrium_camillae Emery, 1889Figs 33D, 34DMystrium camillae Emery, 1889. MYANMAR, Bhamo. Syntype: workers and queen [The lectotype is designated below].Lectotype of <italic><tp:taxon-name>Mystrium camillae</tp:taxon-name></italic>

[here designated]. Worker: CASENT0102123, MYANMAR, Bhamo, iv.1886, Fea leg. [MSNG: examined].

Remarks.

The lectotype for Mystrium camillae is designated here. We confirm that five workers collected from vi.1885 to iv.1886 are part of the syntype series: two workers in MSNG [CASENT0102123, CASENT0102124]; one worker in MNHN [CASENT0101450]; and two workers in MHNG [CASENT0101809, CASENT0101784]. Although Emery (1889) described a queen in his original description, we could not find the syntype queen. According to the original description (Emery 1889), the queen is dealate, and was not collected from the same colony as any of the syntype workers.

According to the revision of Mystrium in the Indo-Australian region (Bihn and Verhaagh 2007), Mystrium camillae is widely distributed in the Indomalaya, and Australian regions: from Australia to Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Singapore. We find that specimens currently determined as Mystrium camillae display remarkable morphological variation, some of which appears not to be intra-specific but rather due to differences among species. For example, we found a small-sized queen with vestigial wings in Indonesian material (CASENT0009854), workers with longer setae on the anteromedial portion of the clypeus in specimens from New Guinea, a large queen with simple setae on the pronotal dorsum in specimens from China (CASENT0275389), and a strange yellow male from Australia (CASENT0172083).

We have found that clarifying species boundaries in the genus Mystrium is much more complicated than would be expected from previous studies. The differences among some sibling species similar to Mystrium camillae could be recognizable only in a particular sex, caste, or phenotype, as in the case of Mystrium camillae and Mystrium barrybressleri. A reexamination of the species boundaries of Mystrium camillae based on a detailed comparative study using comprehensive colony samples from each local region will be necessary.

Workers of camillae species group. A, C Mystrium barrybressleri sp. n. (CASENT0129838) B Mystrium barrybressleri sp. n. (CASENT0129840) D Mystrium camillae (CASENT0102123) E Mystrium labyrinth sp. n. (CASENT0003281). A, C major worker (holotype) B minor worker (paratype) D major worker (lectotype) E minor worker (holotype). A, B, E head to abdomen in lateral view C, D mesosoma in oblique dorsal view C the lateral portion of the propodeum is gently and weakly convex D the lateral portion of the propodeum is steeply and strongly convex.

Head of workers of camillae species group. A Mystrium barrybressleri sp. n. (CASENT0129838) B Mystrium barrybressleri sp. n. (CASENT0129840) C Mystrium barrybressleri sp. n. (CASENT0045009) D Mystrium camillae (CASENT0102123) E Mystrium labyrinth sp. n. (CASENT0003281). A major worker (holotype) B minor worker (paratype) C major worker D major worker (lectotype) E minor worker (holotype) A, B, E in full-face view C, D clypeus in oblique anterior view C a pair of spatulate setae on the anteromedial portion of clypeus is long D a pair of spatulate setae on the anteromedial portion of clypeus is short.

EmeryC (1889) Formiche di Birmania e del Tenasserim raccolte da Leonardo Fea (1885–87). [part].Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 27: 485-512.BihnJHVerhaaghM (2007) A review of the genus Mystrium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Indo-Australian region.Zootaxa 1642: 1-12.