Euponera daraina

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Euponera daraina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Euponera
Species complex: sikorae
Species: E. daraina
Binomial name
Euponera daraina
(Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013)

Pachycondyla daraina casent0043301 p 1 high.jpg

Pachycondyla daraina casent0043301 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Specimens have been recorded foraging mostly under leaf litter and rarely on the forest floor.

Identification

Rakotonirina and Fisher (2013) - Worker. Anterior margin of clypeus broadly convex medially; anterior surface of third abdominal segment straight, not forming shallow impression to lodge posterior surface of petiole; posterolateral margins of propodeum and petiolar node without a series of sharp teeth or tubercles, lamellae may be present on posterior margin of propodeum. In dorsal view, petiole node broader, almost twice as broad as long; in profile, subpetiolar process simple with only an anterior triangular lobe.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Euponera daraina is known only from northern Madagascar, between 800 m and 1100 m elevation, in the forest habitats of Binara near Daraina .

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -13.2633° to -13.2633°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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

Known only from the worker caste.

Images from AntWeb

Pachycondyla daraina casent0043301 d 2 high.jpgPachycondyla daraina casent0043301 h 2 high.jpgPachycondyla daraina casent0043301 p 2 high.jpgPachycondyla daraina casent0043301 d 3 high.jpg
Holotype of Euponera darainaWorker. Specimen code casent0043301. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • daraina. Pachycondyla daraina Rakotonirina & Fisher, 2013: 461, figs. 18, 20, 34, 35, 36, 72 (w.) MADAGASCAR. Combination in Euponera: Schmidt & Shattuck, 2014: 86.

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

Description

Worker

(6 specimens): HW: 1.41–1.54, HL: 1.55–1.72, CI: 88–91, SL: 1.20–1.29, SI: 84–85, PW: 1.13–1.25, WL: 2.13–2.26, NH: 0.89–0.97, NL: 0.62–0.63, NW: 0.87–0.98, DNI: 139–156, LNI: 142–155.

With head in full-face view, slightly longer than broad with weakly concave posterior margin and feebly convex lateral margins which converge progressively toward the base of mandibles and without obtuse angle at or strong curve from the insertion of eye. Frontal lobe anteriorly more or less broad, outer margin medially bluntly angulate. Head capsule densely and finely reticulate-punctate, superimposed with small punctures. Eye medium-sized and protruding, with its diameter approximately as large as the widest part of scape. Antennal scape weakly surpassing posterior cephalic margin. Clypeus with weak anteriorly protruding median lobe and bluntly angulate or medially convex anterior margin. Mandible smooth and shiny between sparse piliferous punctulae; masticatory margin equipped with 12 teeth or denticles.

With mesosoma in dorsal view, metanotal groove indistinct; dorsum of mesosoma densely and finely reticulate-rugose, superimposed with small punctures. In profile, mesopleural suture indistinct; lower portion of mesopleuron and propodeum coarsely rugose interspersed with punctures. Posterior margin of propodeum emarginate, without series of sharp teeth or tubercles. Petiole node higher than long in profile; series of sharp teeth absent from convex posterior margin; anterodorsal angle weakly overhanging the anterior face; subpetiolar process anteriorly hook-like and posteriorly subquadrate, separated by a concavity. In dorsal view, node roughly twice as broad as long, with effaced reticulate-punctate sculptures. Anterior face of first gastral segment truncate, without cavity to lodge the posterior surface of petiolar node.

Dorsum of head and seosoma with fewer golden short erect hairs than petiolar node and gaster; pubescence profuse over body dorsum. Integument blackish dark brown with brown ferruginous appendages and tip of gaster.

Type Material

Holotype worker: Antsiranana, Forêt de Binara, 9.4km 235° SW Daraina, -13.2633, 49.6, 1100 m, montane rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), 5 Dec 2003 (Fisher et al.), collection code: BLF09800, specimen code: CASENT0043301 (California Academy of Sciences). Paratypes: 2 workers with same data as holotype but specimens coded as: CASENT0043300, CASENT0043302 (CASC).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Rakotonirina J. C., and B. L. Fisher. 2013. Revision of the Pachycondyla sikorae species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Madagascar. Zootaxa 3683 (4): 447-485.