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Abstract The genus Ponera includes over 60 extant species worldwide. These tiny, endogeic predator ants are predominantly distributed in the Indomalaya and Australasia regions, with a few additional Holarctic species. Herein, we explore and describe the diversity of the Malagasy Ponera fauna through an integrative taxonomic approach. We obtained our morphological species hypotheses from multivariate analyses of ten continuous morphometric characters. Species boundaries and reliability of morphological clusters were tested via confirmatory Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), cross-validation (LOOCV), and analyses of a mitochondrial COI gene fragment. According to the combined application of the analyses, altogether, three species are inferred in the Malagasy region, Ponera petila Wilson (1957), P. swezeyi Wheeler (1933), and P. adumbrans Csősz & Fisher sp. n. Ponera petila and P. swezeyi belong to the Indo-Australian Ponera tenuis group; the third species, P. adumbrans sp. n., is morphologically similar to the Papua New Guinean P. clavicornis Emery (1900). Furthermore, Linear Discriminant Analysis classified the type specimens of P. bableti Perrault (1993), along with a P. petila cluster with posterior p  = 1. Therefore, we propose the new junior synonymy of P. bableti with P. petila . Madagascar’s extant biodiversity is predominantly explained by colonization events from the African continent across the Mozambique channel via rafting. However, since no native Ponera species are known from the Afrotropical continent, and the closest congeners have an almost exclusively Indo-Australian distribution, the likelihood of an Indo-Australian origin of the Malagasy Ponera fauna is implied. 

The male of the myrmicine genus Erromyrma is described for the first time on the basis of two specimens of Erromyrma latinodis (Mayr, 1872) collected in northern Madagascar. We used COI barcoding to confirm the identification of the male specimens as conspecific with Erromyrma latinodis . We provide an illustrated male-based key to the four Myrmicinae tribes (Attini, Crematogastrini, Solenopsidini, Stenammini) and to the Solenopsidini genera ( Adelomyrmex , Erromyrma , Solenopsis , Syllophopsis and Monomorium ) for the Malagasy region. 

The collection of Volodymyr Opanasovych Karawajew, stored at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (SIZK, Kiev), is one of the richest ant collections of the world. It contains more than 20,000 dry mounted specimens, collected mostly in Southeast Asia and the Palaearctic, as well as in the Afrotropics, Australia, and North and South America. Among them, we found type specimens of 509 taxa, described by Karawajew and other myrmecologists. The compiled Catalogue includes data on types of 80 taxa belonging to the subfamilies Dorylinae, Amblyoponinae, Ectatomminae, Ponerinae, Proceratiinae and Pseudomyrmecinae. 

The Camponotus subgenus Myrmosaga subgen. rev. from the Malagasy region is revised based on analysis of both qualitative morphological characters and morphometric traits. The multivariate analysis used the Nest Centroid (NC)-clustering method to generate species hypotheses based on 19 continuous morphological traits of minor workers. The proposed species hypotheses were confirmed by cumulative Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). Morphometric ratios for the subsets of minor and major workers were used in species descriptions and redefinitions. The present study places the subgenus Myrmopytia syn. nov. in synonymy to Myrmosaga . It recognizes 38 species, of which 19 are newly described: C. aina sp. nov. , C. aro sp. nov. , C. asara sp. nov. , C. atimo sp. nov. , C. bemaheva sp. nov. , C. bozaka sp. nov. , C. daraina sp. nov. , C. harenarum sp. nov. , C. joany sp. nov. , C. karsti sp. nov. , C. kelimaso sp. nov. , C. lokobe sp. nov. , C. mahafaly sp. nov. , C. niavo sp. nov. , C. rotrae sp. nov. , C. sambiranoensis sp. nov. , C. tapia sp. nov. , C. tendryi sp. nov. , C. vano sp. nov. Eleven species are redescribed: C. aurosus Roger, C. cervicalis Roger, C. dufouri Forel, C. gibber Forel, C. hagensii Forel, C. hova Forel, C. hovahovoides Forel, C. immaculatus Forel, C. quadrimaculatus Forel, C. roeseli Forel, C. strangulatus Santschi. The following are raised to species and redescribed: C. becki Santschi stat. nov. , C. boivini Forel stat. rev. , C. cemeryi Özdikmen stat. rev. , C. mixtellus Forel stat. nov. , C. radamae Forel stat. nov. Camponotus maculatus st. fairmairei Santschi syn. nov. , is synonymized under C. boivini . The following are synonymized under C. cervicalis : Camponotus cervicalis gaullei Santschi, syn. nov. ; Camponotus perroti Forel, syn. nov. ; Camponotus perroti aeschylus Forel, syn. nov. ; Camponotus gerberti Donisthorpe, syn. nov. Camponotus dufouri imerinensis Forel, syn. nov. is a synonym of C. dufouri , Camponotus hova var. obscuratus Emery, syn. nov. is a synonym of C. hova , Camponotus quadrimaculatus opacata Emery, syn. nov. is a synonym of C. immaculatus , Camponotus maculatus st. legionarium Santschi, syn. nov. is a synonym of C. roeseli , Camponotus hova maculatoides Emery, syn. nov. is a synonym of C. strangulatus . The following are synonymized under C. quadrimaculatus : Camponotus kelleri Forel, syn. nov. , Camponotus kelleri var. invalidus Forel, syn. nov. , Camponotus quadrimaculatus sellaris Emery, syn. nov. As C. imitator Forel, C. liandia Rakotonirina & Fisher, and C. lubbocki Forel have been recently described and redescribed, only diagnoses and taxonomic discussions are provided. This revision also includes an illustrated species identification key, taxonomic discussions, images, and distribution maps for each species superimposed on the ecoregions of Madagascar. 

Global socioeconomic systems exacerbate disparities that leave a disturbing proportion of the human population malnourished, making conventional food sources such as animal livestock unsustainable at global scales. Edible insects have the potential to solve both malnourishment and the unsustainability of conventional livestock agriculture. The sustainability and accessibility of farmed, edible insects, however, depends on their feed source. Future expansion of farming rests on developing locally available and affordable insect feeds. This article presents a literature review of studies which evaluate the performance of edible crickets (Orthoptera) in response to alternative feed sources such as weeds and the byproducts of agricultural and food industries. For each insect species evaluated, we analyze measurements of feed and insect performance, feed composition, effects of diet on cricket growth and survivorship, as well as other sources of performance differences. The aim of this review is to assess the current state of alternative feed research for farmed crickets and to provide guidelines for future studies on alternative feeds. 

The subgenus Mayria of the genus Camponotus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is revised. The subgenus is endemic to Madagascar where it occupies a broad range of habitats, from deciduous and dry forest to rainforest. A taxonomic review is provided of this subgenus, integrating multiples lines of evidence including qualitative morphology and quantitative morphometry. Species hypotheses are formed by Nest Centroid clustering. In total, 36 species are treated, of which eleven are newly described: Camponotus andrianjaka sp. nov. , Camponotus antsaraingy sp. nov. , Camponotus chrislaini sp. nov. , Camponotus claveri sp. nov. , Camponotus ivadia sp. nov. , Camponotus jjacquia sp. nov. , Camponotus maintilany sp. nov. , Camponotus norvigi sp. nov. , Camponotus ihazofotsy sp. nov. , Camponotus tsimelahy sp. nov. , Camponotus zoro sp. nov. Five species are redescribed. Camponotus themistocles Forel stat. nov. , is raised to species. In addition, the subgenus is redefined to include 39 species. Twenty-two previously described species are transferred to this subgenus and thirteen species previously placed in the subgenus are transferred out of the subgenus. Nine morphologically consistent species groups are delineated to facilitate species identification within the subgenus. This revision includes a classification, a key to species groups, and an updated key to species based on the minor worker caste. 

Background The Malagasy Region, one of the top megadiversity regions, hosts one of the highest numbers of endemic and threatened organisms on earth. One of the most spectacular examples of ant radiation on the island has occurred in the hyperdiverse genus Pheidole . To this date, there are 135 described Madagascan Pheidole divided into 16 species-groups, and 97% of Malagasy species are endemic to the island. This study is a taxonomic revision of the Pheidole megacephala group, one of only two species-groups comprising a combination of native, endemic taxa and widely distributed introduced species. Methods The diversity of the Malagasy members of the megacephala group was assessed via application of qualitative morphological and DNA sequence data. Qualitative, external morphological characteristics ( e.g., head shape, gaster sculpture, body colouration) were evaluated in order to create a priori grouping hypotheses, and confirm and improve species delimitation. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene fragments were analyzed to test the putative species previously delimited by morphological analyses. Results We recognize three species belonging to the megacephala group: P. megacephala (Fabricius, 1793), P. megatron Fischer & Fisher, 2013 and P. spinosa Forel, 1891 stat. nov. Pheidole spinosa is redescribed and elevated to the species level. The following names are recognized as junior synonyms of P. spinosa : P. megacephala scabrior Forel, 1891 syn. nov. , P. picata Forel, 1891 syn. nov. , P. picata gietleni Forel, 1905 syn. nov. , P. picata bernhardae Emery, 1915 syn. nov. , and P. decepticon Fischer & Fisher, 2013 syn. nov. The results are supplemented with an identification key to species for major workers of the megacephala group, high-resolution images for major and minor workers, and comments on the distribution and biology of all Malagasy members of the group. Our study revealed that Pheidole megacephala , a species listed among the 100 worst invasive species worldwide, occurs in both natural and disturbed sites in the Malagasy region. The two remaining members of the megacephala group, most likely endemic to this region, are also present in anthropogenic habitats and often co-occur with P. megacephala . It appears that the Malagasy members of the group are generalists and dominant in anthropogenic habitats. Additionally, we documented the presence of supermajors in colonies of P. spinosa —a phenomenon previously not known for this group. 

This study describes the worker and queen castes of the Neotropical ponerine Corrieopone nouragues gen. nov. , sp. nov. , an ant from the tropical rainforest in French Guiana. Worker morphology of the taxon is compared with those of other Ponerinae and the similarities between them are discussed, refining the definition of character states for some diagnostic characters at the generic level, providing an identification key to the Neotropical genera, and making some adjustments to the taxonomic framework within the subfamily. Descriptions, diagnosis, character discussion, identification key, and glossary are illustrated with more than 300 images and line drawings. Open science is supported by providing access to measurement data for specimens of the new genus, a matrix of character states for all ponerine taxa evaluated in this study, and specimen data for all examined material. The new or revived combinations presented here are Pachycondyla procidua Emery, comb. rev. , Neoponera curiosa (Mackay and Mackay), comb. nov. , Leptogenys butteli (Forel), comb. nov. , and Bothroponera escherichi (Forel), comb. nov. In addition, Leptogenys butteli is synonymized with Leptogenys myops (Emery), syn. nov.