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  1. 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. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available May 19, 2024
  2. 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. 
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  3. Abstract

    Morphometric research is being applied to a growing number and variety of organisms. Discoveries achieved via morphometric approaches are often considered highly transferable, in contrast to the tacit and idiosyncratic interpretation of discrete character states. The reliability of morphometric workflows in insect systematics has never been a subject of focused research, but such studies are sorely needed. In this paper, we assess the reproducibility of morphometric studies of ants where the mode of data collection is a shared routine.

    We compared datasets generated by eleven independent gaugers, that is, collaborators, who measured 21 continuous morphometric traits on the same pool of individuals according to the same protocol. The gaugers possessed a wide range of morphometric skills, had varying expertise among insect groups, and differed in their facility with measuring equipment. We used intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) to calculate repeatability and reproducibility values (i.e., intra‐ and intergauger agreements), and we performed a multivariate permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) using the Morosita index of dissimilarity with 9,999 iterations.

    The calculated average measure of intraclass correlation coefficients of different gaugers ranged fromR = 0.784 toR = 0.9897 and a significant correlation was found between the repeatability and the morphometric skills of gaugers (p = 0.016). There was no significant association with the magnification of the equipment in the case of these rather small ants. The intergauger agreement, that is the reproducibility, varied betweenR = 0.872 andR = 0.471 (meanR = 0.690), but all gaugers arrived at the same two‐species conclusion. A PERMANOVA test revealed no significant gauger effect on species identity (R2 = 0.69,p = 0.58).

    Our findings show that morphometric studies are reproducible when observers follow the standard protocol; hence, morphometric findings are widely transferable and will remain a valuable data source for alpha taxonomy.

     
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