Aenictogiton sulcatus

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Aenictogiton sulcatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Aenictogiton
Species: A. sulcatus
Binomial name
Aenictogiton sulcatus
Santschi, 1919

Aenictogiton sulcatus casent0903961 p 1 high.jpg

Aenictogiton sulcatus casent0903961 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Aenictogiton sulcatus is only known from males, as is the case for all its congeners. The biology of this enigmatic genus remains a mystery. Brown (1975) mentioned the possibility that these ants are subterranean or otherwise strongly cryptobiotic; no foraging worker nor any trace of a colony has ever been found. Phylogenetic and morphological affinities to the army ant genus Dorylus suggest an army-ant-like lifestyle, although there is no current evidence for this. Most males were collected from light traps close to forest localities, indicating that Aenictogiton might prefer forested habitats. (Garcia, Wiesel and Fischer 2013)

Identification

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Democratic Republic of Congo (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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Distribution based on AntWeb specimens

Check data from AntWeb

Countries Occupied

Number of countries occupied by this species based on AntWiki Regional Taxon Lists. In general, fewer countries occupied indicates a narrower range, while more countries indicates a more widespread species.
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Estimated Abundance

Relative abundance based on number of AntMaps records per species (this species within the purple bar). Fewer records (to the left) indicates a less abundant/encountered species while more records (to the right) indicates more abundant/encountered species.
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Biology

Castes

Known only from males.

Images from AntWeb

Aenictogiton sulcatus casent0903961 p 2 high.jpgAenictogiton sulcatus casent0903961 d 2 high.jpgAenictogiton sulcatus casent0903961 p 3 high.jpg
Holotype of Aenictogiton sulcatusMale (alate). Specimen code casent0903961. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMB, Basel, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.

  • sulcatus. Aenictogiton sulcatus Santschi, 1919c: 247, fig. 2a (m.) DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.
    • Type-material: holotype male.
    • Type-locality: Democratic Republic of Congo (“Congo belge”): Kataki, 1913 (Gérard).
    • Type-depository: NHMB.
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 750; Santschi, 1924b: 200 (in key); Brown, 1975: 45; Bolton, 1995b: 58.
    • Distribution: Democratic Republic of Congo.

Description

References

  • Brown, W.L. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agriculture Entomology (Ithaca) 5: 1–115.
  • Hita Garcia, F.; Wiesel, E.; Fischer, G. 2013. The ants of Kenya (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - faunal overview, first species checklist, bibliography, accounts for all genera, and discussion on taxonomy and zoogeography. Journal of East African Natural History 101:127-222. DOI: 10.2982/028.101.0201
  • Santschi, F. 1919c. Fourmis nouvelles du Congo. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 6: 243-250 (page 247, fig. 2 male described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.