Dolichoderus albamaculus

Dolichoderus albamaculus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Dolichoderini
Genus:	Dolichoderus
Species group:	scrobiculatus
Species:	D. albamaculus
Binomial name
Dolichoderus albamaculus Shattuck & Marsden, 2013

Although rarely encountered, D. albamaculus is widespread across semi-arid southern Australia, occurring from the Western Australian coast to eastern South Australia. It has been found in open scrub and Acacia woodland habitats.

Identification

Pale markings present near lower margin of eye; sculpturing on head consisting of large, shallow to moderately deep fovea; pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; posterior face of the propodeum strongly concave, separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina; dorsum of propodeum weakly convex and elongate (longer than posterior); pubescence on first gastral tergite sparse, the individual hairs generally not overlapping, or hairs absent.

This species is easily confused with Dolichoderus semiorbis. It can be distinguished from this species by the presence of erect or suberect hairs on the tibiae and the more distinctive carina protruding upwards separating the dorsal and posterior face of the propodeum.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

• Key to Australian Dolichoderus Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -26.81666667° to -26.81666667°.

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.

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

• albamaculus. Dolichoderus albamaculus Shattuck & Marsden, 2013: 106, fig. 1 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Billabong, Western Australia, Australia, 26°49′0″S 114°37′0″E, 12 August 1984, B.B. Lowery, ANIC32-066614, Australian National Insect Collection; sand, scrub.
• Paratype, 5 workers, Billabong, Western Australia, Australia, 26°49′0″S 114°37′0″E, 12 August 1984, B.B. Lowery, ANIC32-061315, Australian National Insect Collection; sand, scrub.
• Paratype, 2 workers, Billabong, Western Australia, Australia, 26°49′0″S 114°37′0″E, 12 August 1984, B.B. Lowery, ANIC32-061315, Museum of Comparative Zoology; sand, scrub.

Description

The available material shows little variation.

Measurements (n=5). CI 74–79; EI 41–43; EL 0.30–0.34; HL 0.92–1.05; HW 0.72–0.78; ML 1.24–1.53; MTL 0.69–0.83; PronI 68.82–78.05; PronW 0.51–0.61; SI 112–128; SL 0.82–0.99.

References

• Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
• Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
• Shattuck, S.O. & Marsden, S. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716, 101–143 (doi 10.11646/zootaxa.3716.2.1) PDF