Taxonomy of the ant genus Nesomyrmex Wheeler (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) in the Afrotropical region, with a review of current species groups and description of a new species of the N. angulatus group from Mozambique Author Garcia, Francisco Hita B7ADF56F-935D-4BD8-ADB3-50E96F8BB463 Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan. & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: B 7 ADF 56 F- 935 D- 4 BD 8 - ADB 3 - 50 E 96 F 8 BB 463 & Corresponding author: fhitagarcia @ gmail. com fhitagarcia@gmail.com Author Mbanyana, Nokuthula 157A51ED-7C85-4CA3-84E4-B7BD1E2A7E8F Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa. & Email: nmbanyana @ iziko. org. za & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 157 A 51 ED- 7 C 85 - 4 CA 3 - 84 E 4 - B 7 BD 1 E 2 A 7 E 8 F nmbanyana@iziko.org.za Author Audisio, Tracy Lynn C821F482-744F-467A-A480-1E353001A51F Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan. & Email: tracy @ troglophile. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: C 821 F 482 - 744 F- 467 A-A 480 - 1 E 353001 A 51 F tracy@troglophile.com Author Alpert, Gary D. 5BD71BB5-1EDA-4E05-84E1-FE71EA366767 Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U. S. A. & Email: garydalpert @ gmail. com & urn: lsid: zoobank. org: author: 5 BD 71 BB 5 - 1 EDA- 4 E 05 - 84 E 1 - FE 71 EA 366767 garydalpert@gmail.com text European Journal of Taxonomy 2017 2017-01-06 258 1 31 journal article 22478 10.5852/ejt.2017.258 35792d9c-db1a-45f1-b983-f52105f8d004 2118-9773 3776244 Nesomyrmex humerosus species group Definition Antennae with 12 segments; anterior clypeal lobe short, flat-margined, and never convex, with small median triangular projection; frontal carinae present, but weakly developed; propodeal spines very well developed, long and spiniform; petiole and postpetiole without lateral spines; all dorsal surfaces of body with short, blunt pilosity. Comments This group contains only one species, which is morphologically quite unique in the Afrotropical region. Of special importance are the short, flat-margined anterior clypeal lobe with a small median triangular projection and the barrel-shaped petiolar node with its small, triangular node. These characters are in slightly modified ways also seen in several Neotropical and Malagasy species, while they are absent in the other Afrotropical species groups. However, the fact that N. humerosus shares these characters with species from other regions does not necessarily mean that N. humerosus is more closely related to them. It could also be an independent African lineage and similarities with species from other regions might be based on convergence. Despite the fact that N. humerosus does not resemble most species from the N. simoni group, it still shares characters with some species, such as the large eyes and the shape of the dorsal mesosomal outline, and it could be that N. humerosus is just an aberrant N. simoni group member. At present, it is not possible to deduce the biogeographical and phylogenetic affinities of this peculiar species. Currently, N. humerosus is known to occur in Kenya , Tanzania and Yemen . It is a rather rarely collected species and our scarce knowledge is based on just four collection events. Based on a sample collected in Kenya by the first author, it seems to live on vegetation, but it was also sampled from the ground in Tanzania and Yemen . It is possible that the species also occurs in other East African countries, such as Somalia and Mozambique , which are greatly under-sampled.