Cardiocondyla bicoronata

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Cardiocondyla bicoronata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Cardiocondyla
Species: C. bicoronata
Binomial name
Cardiocondyla bicoronata
Seifert, 2003

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Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Cardiocondyla bicoronata.

Identification

Seifert (2003) - A member of the Cardiocondyla batesii group. Cardiocondyla bicoronata is morphometrically almost identical with Cardiocondyla nigra, a parapatric sibling species. Structural differences in the workers are the well-demarcated, usually bicoronate foveolae on paramedian vertex (in C. nigra the foveolae have diffuse margins and a microcormgated inner surface) and the more rough pubescence on head, mesosoma, waist, and gaster.

The C. bicoronata gynes differ from Cardiocondyla batesii, Cardiocondyla kushanica and C. nigra by the well-demarcated, dense, and bicoronate vertex foveolae, by the paramedian area of vertex densely and clearly longitudinally carinulate, by the longitudinally carinulate-mgulose mesonotum and scutellum, and by strongly rugulose lateral metapleuron.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 37.383333° to 29.566667°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
Palaearctic Region: Israel, Jordan (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

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Nomenclature

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

  • bicoronata. Cardiocondyla bicoronata Seifert, 2003a: 242, figs. 21, 22 (w.q.) JORDAN, ISRAEL, TURKESTAN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, YEMEN.
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 5 paratype workers, 6 paratype queens.
    • Type-locality: holotype Jordan: Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, 31.47°N, 36.42°E, 21.iii.1996, no. 5 (Dietrich); paratypes: 2 workers, 1 queen with same data, 3 workers, 5 queens with same data but no. 6.
    • Type-depositories: SMNG (holotype); NHMW, SMNG (paratypes).
    • Status as species: Collingwood, et al. 2011: 421; Borowiec, L. 2014: 45; Borowiec, L. & Salata, 2020: 4.
    • Distribution: Israel, Jordan, “Turkestan”, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.171. Postocular index very small, PoOC/CL 0.365. Occipital margin slightly concave. Scape rather long, SL/CS 0.812. Eyes large, EYE 0.261. Frontal carinae immediately posterior of FRS level slightly converging. Dorsum of head with fine longitudinal microsculpture on median and paramedian areas of vertex. Small median stripe frequently smooth. Vertex with shallow, but well-demarcated and usually bicoronate foveolae of 17 - 19 mm diameter; interspaces shining, about as wide as foveolar diameter and with reduced microrugulae. Mesosoma moderately shining, finely microreticulate-carinulate; dorsal area of promesonotum with shallow foveolae; lateral area of metapleuron with relatively strong longitudinal rugosity. Propodeal spines acute and rather steep. Petiole profile with a short anterior peduncle, an ample node that is weakly produced caudad and, compared to C. batesii, usually with more concave anterior face. Petiole in dorsal view with elongated node, which more or less gradually merges with anterior peduncle. Postpetiolar sternite without any flat bulge. Colour polymorphism. Most frequent colour pattern in the Near East: dorsal head and gaster blackish brown; mesosoma and petiole reddish brown; postpetiole, coxae, femora and tibiae dark brown. Concolorous blackish brown (most similar in general appearance to Cardiocondyla nigra) or concolorous dirty yellowish brown samples (those from Turkestan) may occur.

Queen

Head moderately elongated, CL/CW 1.178. Postocular index small, PoOc/CL 0.374. Occipital margin slightly concave. Scape long SL/CS 0.786. Lateral clypeus, frontal laminae, and paramedian area of vertex longitudinally carinulate-rugulose; small median stripe of vertex usually glabrous. Vertex with well-demarcated, bicoronate foveolae of 19 mm diameter; interspaces narrower than foveolar diameter and with fine microcarinulae. Pronotum, mesonotum, and praescutellum rather deeply foveolate-carinulate-rugulose. Scutellum with few long rugae. Anepistemite weakly and lateral metapleuron strongly longitudinally rugulose. Propodeal spines shorter and more acute than in C. batesii. Petiole shape similar to situation in the type of C. nigra: in dorsal view with globular node and long and distinct anterior peduncle. Occiput, mesosoma, waist, and gaster with rough pubescence erected at 30 - 45°. Head and gaster dark brown. Mesonotum frequently blackish brown, then with contrasting, lighter brown, V-shaped area; mesonotum less frequently concolorous light-brown; remaining mesosoma and petiole usually light-brown. Darker, rather concolorous specimens may occur, but contrasting V-pattern on mesonotum often visible. Gynes from Israel: Mikhmoret-1980.10.21 and UAE: Alain Zoo-1996 brachypterous, unable to fly, length of forewing 1300 mm, 1220 mm.

Type Material

Holotype worker, 2 paratype workers, 1 paratype gyne labelled “JORDANIA: 1996.03.21, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, 31.47N 36.42E, leg. Dietrich No 5” and 3 worker paratypes labelled “JORDANIA: 1996.03.21, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, 31.47N 36.42E, leg. Dietrich No 6”; Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz. 5 paratype gynes labelled “JORDANIA: 1996.03.21, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, 31.47N 36.42E, leg. Dietrich No 6”; Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Vienna.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Borowiec L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
  • Collingwood C. A., D. Agosti, M. R. Sharaf, A. Van Harten, 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod Fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474
  • Collingwood C.A., D.Agosti, M.R. Sharaf, and A. van Harten. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 4: 405–474
  • Seifert B. 2003. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica, C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 104: 203-338.
  • Seifert, B.. "The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a taxonomic revision of the C. elegans, C. bulgarica. C. batesii, C. nuda, C. shuckardi, C. stambuloffii, C. wroughtonii, C. emeryi, and C. minutior species groups." Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien 104B (2003): 203-338.
  • Vonshak M., and A. Ionescu-Hirsch. 2009. A checklist of the ants of Israel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Israel Journal of Entomology 39: 33-55.