Melophorus marius

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Melophorus marius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Melophorini
Genus: Melophorus
Species: M. marius
Binomial name
Melophorus marius
Forel, 1910

Melophorus marius antweb1008661 p 1 high.jpg

Melophorus marius antweb1008661 d 1 high.jpg

Synonyms

Identification

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -16.3895° to -16.8608°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Melophorus marius antweb1008661 h 2 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code antweb1008661. Photographer Lucinda Gibson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MVMA, Melbourne, Australia.

Nomenclature

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

  • marius. Melophorus marius Forel, 1910b: 66 (s.) AUSTRALIA.
    • Combination in M. (Erimelophorus): Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 250.
    • Junior synonym of biroi: Heterick, et al. 2017: 162.
    • Status as species: Heterick, 2021: 18.
  • propinquus. Melophorus fieldi var. propinqua Viehmeyer, 1925a: 36 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
    • Subspecies of fieldi: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 123; Bolton, 1995b: 250.
    • Junior synonym of biroi: Heterick, et al. 2017: 162.
    • Junior synonym of marius: Heterick, 2021: 18.

Type Material

Taxonomic Notes

Heteric (2021): Syntype specimen code ANT44020 (Melophorus biroi) illustrated on AntWeb and regarded by Heterick et al. (2017) as a senior synonym of M. marius and Melophorus fieldi propinquus is identical with what is ‘castanopus’ in Heterick et al. (2017). The former names were synonymised under Melophorus biroi based on a less detailed image of the same ant, and the new evidence reveals ‘marius’ and ‘fieldi propinqua’ are not in fact conspecific with ‘biroi’. Melophorus biroi is here treated as a senior synonym of Melophorus castanopus, and M. marius is given revived status as a senior synonym of M. fieldi propinqua. ‘Melophorus marius’ needs to be revisited as the molecular data indicate a species complex still exists under this name.

Description

References