Meranoplus arcuatus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Meranoplus arcuatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Meranoplus
Species: M. arcuatus
Binomial name
Meranoplus arcuatus
Schödl, 2007

Meranoplus arcuatus casent0919715 p 1 high.jpg

Meranoplus arcuatus casent0919715 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Only known from the type locality and few samples in northeastern South Australia, with a wide gap in between.

Identification

Schödl (2007) - M. arcuatus differs from other species by the distinctly incurved propodeal spines in addition to the triangular petiole and the outline of the promesonotal shield.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -29.71666667° to -29.78333333°.

 
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.
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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

Nomenclature

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

  • arcuatus. Meranoplus arcuatus Schödl, 2007: 404, figs. 46, 47, 77, 82 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia, South Australia).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 17 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Western Australia, Lake Marmion, 29°43’S, 121°31’E, 12.iii.1996, pitfall (J.A. Forrest); paratypes: 11 workers with same data, 6 workers nr Lake Marmion, 29°47’S, 121°35’E, 12.ii.1996, pitfalls (J.A. Forrest).
    • Type-depositories: SAMA (holotype); ANIC, NHMW, SAMA (paratypes).
    • 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. TL 5.25, HL 1.20, HW 1.38, FC 1.10, CS 1.29, SL 0.78, SI1 56, SI2 60, PML 1.15, PW 1.33, PMD 1.50, PMI2 113, ML 1.33, PTLL 0.38, PTLH 0.55, PTDW 0.40, PPLL 0.31, PPLH 0.55, PPI 57, PPDW 0.48, PT/PP 84.

Mandible with four teeth. In full face view the clypeal projection very similar to that of preceding species, with the anterior concavity somewhat broader and with anterolateral corners more blunt. Head moderately wider than long (CI 115), preoccipital margin almost straight. Frontal carinae markedly narrower than head width (FI 125), posteriorly almost parallel-sided, evenly curved towards clypeus. With head in profile antennal scrobe distinctly surpassing middle of lateral side of head, distinctly transversely carinulae at the rear, anteriorly with additional oblique carinulae, rather well defined posteriorly against remainder of head. Genae and ventrolateral sides of head rugoreticulate, preoccipital lobes coarsely reticulate. Eyes moderately large (EL 0.31, REL 0.26, with 15 ommatidia in the longest row), situated at about middle of lateral sides of head, the dorsal ocular margin confluent with the ventral scrobal margin. Frons anteriorly rugose, remainder of head coarsely rugoreticulate, interspaces glossy.

Promesonotal shield little wider than long (PMI 115), overhanging lateral sides of mesosoma and propodeal declivity, near lateral margin with translucent fenestra at level of promesonotal projections. Propodeal spines in profile short (PSL 0.43), situated at about middle of lateral sides of the propodeal declivity, broad-based and acute, in dorsal view distinctly curved towards petiole.

Petiole higher than long (PTI 68), in lateral view an equilateral triangle with anterior and slightly convex posterior faces meeting in a crest, posterior face rugose. Postpetiole nodular with well developed anterio-basal tooth.

First gastral tergite entirely microreticulate. Dorsal surfaces covered with shorter decumbent and longer erect more or less setose hairs.

Distinctly bicolored as in preceding species.

(n = 6). TL 4.80 - 5.25, HL 1.06 - 1.23, HW 1.24 - 1.40, FC 1.04 - 1.16, FI 117 - 125, CI 113 - 118, CS 1.15 - 1.31, SL 0.73 - 0.80, SI1 56 - 59, SI2 60 - 64, PML 1.03 - 1.15, PW 1.23 - 1.39, PMI 115 - 129, PMD 1.39 - 1.58, PMI2 113 - 115, ML 1.13 - 1.33, PSL 0.39 - 0.45, PTLL 0.33 - 0.40, PTLH 0.51 - 0.58, PTI 63 - 70, PTDW 0.40 - 0.49, PPLL 0.30 - 0.38, PPLH 0.55 - 0.65, PPI 53 - 63, PPDW 0.47 - 0.50, PT/PP 84 - 99, EL 0.26 - 0.31, REL 0.24 - 0.26, with 14 - 17 ommatidia in the longest row.

Type Material

Etymology

The name refers to the incurved propodeal spines.

References