Eurhopalothrix philippina

Eurhopalothrix philippina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Eurhopalothrix
Species:	E. philippina
Binomial name
Eurhopalothrix philippina Brown & Kempf, 1960 Specimen Labels

The types were collected at ~ 600 m in the Cuernos de Negros Mountains on Negros Islands in the Philippines.

Identification

This species is easily recognized by means of its oddly-shaped head and reduced pilosity.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Old World Basicerotini

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 9.333333333° to 6.733167°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Philippines (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

Explore Overview of Eurhopalothrix biology  Little is known about the biology of most species in this genus. Nests are rarely found, and queens and males have not been collected for many species. Longino (2013) summarized their biology "Eurhopalothrix specimens are encountered almost exclusively in samples from mass extraction techniques that recover small arthropods in sifted litter, rotten wood, and soil. Densities, at least in the northern Neotropics, are usually low, with workers occurring in < 10% of quantitative samples of 1 m2 litter plots, but occasionally may reach densities as high as 40% of samples. Live colonies of Old World Eurhopalothrix were observed by Wilson (1956) and Wilson and Brown (1984), and a Costa Rican colony of Basiceros manni was observed by Wilson and Hölldobler (1986). All basicerotines, including Eurhopalothrix, are thought to be predators in tropical leaf litter, relying on stealth or sit-and-wait techniques. Sampled specimens are often coated with a thin layer of clay, especially on the face, which is thought to function as camouflage, enhancing crypsis (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1986). Highly specialized spatulate setae may be instrumental in acquisition and adherence of the clay layer (Hölldobler & Wilson, 1986)." ‎

Castes

.	Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Queen

.	Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

• philippina. Eurhopalothrix philippina Brown & Kempf, 1960: 224, figs. 47, 50 (w.q.) PHILIPPINES.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype: TL 2.9, HL 0.66, HW 0.71 (CI 108), scape L 0.31, greatest diameter of eye ca. 0.05, WL 0.78 mm. Paratype workers (3): TL 2.8-3.0, HL 0.65-0.68, HW 0.70-0.74 (CI 108-109), scape L 0.39-0.40, greatest diameter of eye ca. 0.05, WL 0.77-0.83 mm.

This species is distinct in the shape of its head note especially the occipital lobes, with sharply converging posterolateral borders and gently rounded posterior angles, giving the head a roughly pentagonal outline. The lateral mandibular borders are very feebly concave to approximately straight, depending on how they are viewed.

The alitrunk is like that of Eurhopalothrix biroi, except that the propodeal lamellae are much wider in philippina. Petiolar node cuboidal, about as high as it is long seen from the side; seen from above, almost as long as wide. Petiolar peduncle with a low, rounded anteroventral process. Postpetiole elliptical, with a faint median impression, almost twice as broad as long and almost twice as wide as the petiolar node.

Erect specialized hairs limited to a single pair of slender clavate ones on the middle of the occiput, a fringe of spatulate ones along the anterior scape margins, and a few clavate ones on the apical gastric segments. Appressed, fine to spatulate ground pilosity very poorly developed, dilute and inconspicuous, only that of legs, gastric dorsum, upper surfaces of scapes and parts of the cephalic dorsum visible under ordinary light at 72X. Color deep reddish-brown, antennae and legs lighter.

Variation among the few paratypes, all from the same series and somewhat attacked by mold, is inconsequential.

Type Material

Holotype worker Museum of Comparative Zoology 3 paratype workers with the female paratype MCZ, National Museum of Natural History from the vicinty of Dr. J. W. Chapman's vacation "camp" in the Cuernos Mountains, near Dumaguete, Negros, Philippine Islands, altitude about 600 M. (Chapman leg.).

References

• Brown, W. L., Jr.; Kempf, W. W. 1960. A world revision of the ant tribe Basicerotini. Stud. Entomol. (n.s.) 3: 161-250 (page 224, figs. 47, 50 worker, queen d*General, D.E.M. 2021. A preliminary checklist of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the Mt. Pantaron Range, Bukidnon Province, Mindanao Island, Philippines. Halteres, 12:4-14 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.5371745).
• General, D.E.M., Buenavente, P.A.C., Rodriguez, L.J.V. 2020. A preliminary survey of nocturnal ants, with novel modifications for collecting nocturnal arboreal ants. Halteres 11: 1-12 (doi:10.5281/ZENODO.3707151).

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