Aenictus weissi
Aenictus weissi | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
Genus: | Aenictus |
Species group: | rotundatus |
Species complex: | rotundatus |
Species: | A. weissi |
Binomial name | |
Aenictus weissi Santschi, 1910 |
Identification
The lack of a developed subpetiolar process and the presence of a horizontal propodeal ridge separates this species from the rest in the rotundatus complex except for Aenictus nyuyi, but both species are separable by the shorter scapes (SIL<75 against SIL>80).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 9° to -1.68333°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps; Gomez, 2022
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroon, Congo (type locality), Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda.
Distribution based on AntMaps
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. |
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. |
Biology
Castes
Images from AntWeb
Syntype of Aenictus rixator congolensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0911445. 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.
- weissi. Aenictus weissi Santschi, 1910c: 354, fig. 2 (w.) CONGO.
- Type-material: holotype male.
- Type-locality: Congo (“Congo français”): Gomba (A. Weiss).
- Type-depository: NHMB.
- Santschi, 1920b: 9 (q.).
- Status as species: Forel, 1913j: 212; Santschi, 1920b: 9; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 755; Menozzi, 1942: 165; Eidmann, 1944: 429; Bolton, 1995b: 61.
- Distribution: Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko I.), Gabon.
Type Material
- Syntype, GABON (as Congo fr.): Gomba (A. Weiss) (1w) [CASENT0911444] NHMB [Examined by Gomez, 2022]; Syntype, GABON, 1914 (F. Faure) (1w) MHNG [Examined by Gomez, 2022].
Gomez (2022): Type material is referred to Congo Francaise, Gomba. I’m assuming this location refers to Gomba city in Gabon. Although different catalogues cite the queen caste as described in SANTSCHI (1920), this reference only cites the species from Gabon, so the queen remains undescribed.
The specimen from Gr. Batanga (Cameroon) labelled as type has two identification labels: Aenictus weissi wasmanni Santschi and Aenictus rixator v. congolensis. Two more workers with the same data seem to belong to the same series and are labelled as Aenictus weissi wasmanni Santschi. This material is referred here to A. weissi, as A. weissi wasmanni seems to be unpublished.
Description
References
- Gomez, K. 2022. A revision of the Afrotropical species of the Dorylinae ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Belgian Journal of Entomology 124: 1–86 (doi:10.5281/zenodo.5898821).
- Mbenoun Masse, P.S., Ebolo, G.L.M., Titti, G.E., Mony, R. 2021. Ant species richness, abundance and functional groups along an elevation gradient in Central Cameroon. Biodiversity Journal 12(1): 179-194 (doi:10.31396/biodiv.jour.2021.12.1.179.194).
- Santschi, F. 1910c [1909]. Formicides nouveaux ou peu connus du Congo français. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 78: 349-400 (page 354, fig. 2 worker described)
- Santschi, F. 1920b. Formicides nouveaux du Gabon, du Congo, de la Rhodesia et du Natal. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 60: 6-17 (page 9, queen 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.
- Eidmann H. 1944. Die Ameisenfauna von Fernando Poo. 27. Beitrag zu den Ergebnissen der Westafrika-Expedition. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Ökol. Geogr. Tiere 76: 413-490.
- Menozzi C. 1942. Formiche dell'isola Fernando Poo e del territorio del Rio Muni (Guinea Spagnola). 24. Beitrag zu den wissenschaftlichen Ergebnissen der Forschungsreise H. Eidmann nach Spanisch-Guinea 1939 bis 1940. Zoologischer Anzeiger 140: 164-182.
- Santschi F. 1910. Formicides nouveaux ou peu connus du Congo français. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 78: 349-400.
- Santschi F. 1920. Formicides nouveaux du Gabon, du Congo, de la Rhodesia et du Natal. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique 60: 6-17.
- Wheeler W. M. 1922. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VIII. A synonymic list of the ants of the Ethiopian region. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 45: 711-1004