Aphaenogaster gracillima

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Aphaenogaster gracillima
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Attini
Genus: Aphaenogaster
Species: A. gracillima
Binomial name
Aphaenogaster gracillima
Watanabe & Yamane, 1999


Common Name
Kubinaga-ashinaga-ari
Language: Japanese

This species nests in the soil or rotting wood (Japanese Ant Image Database).

Identification

Total length of workers around 3.5 - 8 mm. Head and mesosoma reddish brown; mandibles lighter; scapes, legs and gaster dark brown. Scapes, mesosoma and legs distinctly long and slender. Head elongate behind eyes, in full face view strongly but gradually narrowed posteriorly. The funicular segments each elongate; the apical four lighter in color than the others. Mesonotum weakly raised and covered with irregular striation and punctation. Propodeal spines varying in shape from long and slender to short and broad. Similar to Aphaenogaster donann, but distinguished by worker coloration and male morphology. (Japanese Ant Image Database)

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Japan (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

Chromosome number 2n=28.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • gracillima. Aphaenogaster gracillima Watanabe & Yamane, 1999: 735, figs. 4, 16 (w.q.m.) JAPAN.
    • Status as species: Imai, et al. 2003: 179; Eguchi, 2003: 340.

Description

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Eguchi K. 2003. A study on the male genitalia of some Asian species of Pheidole (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae). Sociobiology 41: 317-355.
  • Terayama M., S. Kubota, and K. Eguchi. 2014. Encyclopedia of Japanese ants. Asakura Shoten: Tokyo, 278 pp.
  • Watanabe H., and S. Yamane. 1999. New species and new status in the genus Aphaenogaster (Formicidae) from Japan. Pp. 728-736 in: Yamane, S.; Ikudome, S.; Terayama, M. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp.
  • Yamane S., S. Ikudome, and M. Terayama. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp, 138-317.
  • Yamane S.; Ikudome, S.; Terayama, M. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp138-317.