Aenictus bidentatus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Aenictus bidentatus
Scientific classification (junior synonym of Aenictus decolor)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dorylinae
Genus: Aenictus
Species group: decolor
Species: A. bidentatus
Binomial name
Aenictus bidentatus
Donisthorpe, 1942

Aenictus decolor casent0281966 p 1 high.jpg

Aenictus decolor casent0281966 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Identification

The three sibling species found in the decolor complex are almost identical in any morphological aspect except size and relative length of scapes. This fact led GOTWALD & LEROUX (1980) to propose the synonymy between Aenictus batesi, Aenictus bidentatus and Aenictus decolor, although “the type specimens of A. decolor and batesi are larger than those of bidentatus, but in all other characteristics [...] appear identical” (GOTWALD & LEROUX, 1980). Aenictus villiersi could also easily be included in the statement except for its poorly developed subpetiolar process.

Morphometrical analysis regarding SL and HL clearly separates the three species. Aenictus bidentatus is consistently smaller (0.54<HL<0.7) and with smaller scapes (63<SIL<76), while A. decolor is larger (0.7<HL<0.76) with much longer scapes (83<SIL<89). These two species present a developed subpetiolar process with lamella, while the third sibling species A. villiersi is similar in size to A. decolor, but with a small subpetiolar process and very long scapes (95<SIL<102).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 8° to -0.317°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Cameroun, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda.

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

Nomenclature

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

  • bidentatus. Aenictus bidentatus Donisthorpe, 1942e: 701 (w.) GHANA.
    • Junior synonym of decolor: Gotwald & Leroux, 1980: 600.
    • Status as species: Gomez, 2022: 19.

Type Material

  • Holotype, GHANA: Tafo. ix-1940, ex. cocoa. Nº 1352 (G.S. Cotterell) (1w) [BMNH(E)1015729, CASENT0902685] BMNH [Examined by Gomez, 2022].
  • Paratypes, same data (3w each) [NHMUK012849178, NHMUK012849179], BMNH [Examined by Gomez, 2022].

Description

References