Chelaner anthracinus

Chelaner anthracinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Chelaner
Species group:	bicorne
Species:	C. anthracinus
Binomial name
	Chelaner anthracinus; (Heterick, 2001)

The type material was captured in a pitfall trap. Only a few stray workers have been collected and little is known about the biology of this ant.

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the bicorne group. This inconspicuous species strongly resembles minor workers of Chelaner rufoniger, but can be distinguished from them on the basis of eye shape (elongate versus elliptical or ovoid).

Heterick (2009) - Similar in size to many ants in the M. monomorium group, this is an uncommon, elongate-eyed species.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

Heterick (2009) - Most specimens have come from within the semi- arid areas of the SWBP, WA but the ant has also been collected from Bush Bay, in the Carnarvon district, just north of the Province.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -32.11666107° to -32.11666107°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

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

Nomenclature

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

anthracinus. Monomorium anthracinum Heterick, 2001: 370, figs. 21, 55 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 1 paratype worker.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Avondale Reserve, Beverley, 16-23.xi.1983, pitfall trap (K. Brown); paratype with same data.
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); MCZC (paratype).
- Combination in Chelaner: Sparks, et al. 2019: 232.
- Status as species: Heterick, 2009: 160; Sparks, et al. 2019: 232.
- Distribution: Australia.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HML 1.24; HL 0.48; HW 0.44; Cel 90; SL. 0.28; SI 68; PW 0.28. Other. HML 1.28-1.47; HL 0.52-0.57; HW 0.46-0.52; 89-91; SL 0.30-0.33; SI 64-65; PW 0.28-0.33 (2 measured).

As for minor worker of Chelaner rufoniger but with the following apomorphies.

Head. Vertex of head planar; frons smooth and shining with incurved decumbent and subdecumbent setulae. Compound eyes elongate, much longer than wide; (viewed laterally) compound eyes set posterior of midline of head capsule; eye large, eye width greater than 1.5 x greatest width of antennal scape. Posteromedial clypeal margin situated between anterior and posterior surfaces of antennal fossae. Mandibles smooth with piliferous punctures.

Alitrunk. Promesonotal sculpture present in form of uniform microreticulation with few mesopleural striolae; dorsal promesonotal face convex anteriad, otherwise flattened; setulae decumbent and subdecumbent. Propodeal angle present; length ratio of dorsal face to declivitous face near 4:3 to near 1:1. Erect and suberect propodeal setae 5-10; propodeal setulae absent.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar spiracle lateral and slightly anteriad of petiolar node. Petiolar node tumular and inclined anteriad. Ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) near 4:3. Anteroventral process always present as pronounced spur. Ventral lobe always absent. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 1: 1; height-length ratio of postpetiole near 4:3. Sculpture present in form ofmicroreticulation.

General characters. Colour dark chocolate, mandibles orange. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Avondale Reserve, Beverley, Western Australia, Australia, 16-23 xi. 1983, Brown,K., ANIC32-015712, Australian National Insect Collection; pitfall trap.
Paratype, 1 worker, Avondale Reserve, Beverley, Western Australia, Australia, 16-23 xi. 1983, Museum of Comparative Zoology; pitfall trap.

Etymology

Greek: “coal-black”.

References