Acknowledgements
First, we would like to thank Michele Esposito, from CASC, for her
enduring support with databasing, imaging processing, proofreading, and
her overall support in the lab. The fieldwork that provided the
specimens used in this study could not have been completed without the
help of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, the Madagascar National
Parks, and the Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, and the
gracious support of the Malagasy people. The authors wish to thank Dr.
Bethan Davies for her permission to use the graphics in Figure 1.
This study was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant
No. DEB-0072713, DEB-0344731, and DEB-0842395. Finally, SC was partly
supported by the Schlinger Fellowship at the California Academy of
Sciences.
The ant specimens used in this study comply with the regulations for
export and exchange of research samples outlined in the Convention on
Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. For field work conducted in
Madagascar, permits to research, collect, and export ants were obtained
from the Ministry of Environment and Forest as part of an ongoing
collaboration between the California Academy of Sciences and the
Ministry of Environment and Forest, Madagascar National Parks and Parc
Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza (Approval Numbers: N°
0142N/EA03/MG02, N° 340N-EV10/MG04, N° 69 du 07/04/06, N°
065N-EA05/MG11, N° 047N-EA05/MG11, N° 083N-A03/MG05, N° 206
MINENVEF/SG/DGEF/DPB/SCBLF, N° 0324N/EA12/MG03, N° 100
l\fEF/SG/DGEF/DADF/SCBF, N° 0379N/EA11/MG02, N°
200N/EA05/MG02). Authorization for export was provided by the Director
of Natural Resources.