Meranoplus armatus

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Meranoplus armatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Meranoplus
Species: M. armatus
Binomial name
Meranoplus armatus
Smith, F., 1862

Meranoplus armatus casent0904686 p 1 high.jpg

Meranoplus armatus casent0904686 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

Identification

Distribution

Taylor (2006) - Widespread in Western Melanesia and the Moluccas. Probably indigenous to northern Australia. ===Latitudinal Distribution Pattern=== Latitudinal Range: -5.26569° to -12.7°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), New Guinea.

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=

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Meranoplus armatus casent0902042 h 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902042 p 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902042 d 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902042 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0902042. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Meranoplus armatus F21.jpgMeranoplus armatus 23.jpgMeranoplus armatus 24.jpgMeranoplus armatus F22.jpg
.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Meranoplus armatus casent0902041 h 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902041 p 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902041 d 1 high.jpgMeranoplus armatus casent0902041 l 1 high.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0902041. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

  • armatus. Meranoplus armatus Smith, F. 1862d: 413, pl. 12, fig. 7 (w.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi or Sumatra).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: locality equivocal, Sumatra or Sulawesi (no collector’s name).
    • [Note: Smith states “Hab. Sumatra”. However, his material was collected,“by a friend who took a few insects at Celebes (= Sulawesi) and also at Sumatra; all the ants he believed were from the latter locality”. Discussed in Taylor, 1990c: 35; Taylor, 2006: 28, says, “Sulawesi seems the more likely”.]
    • Type-depository: not in BMNH or OXUM, presumed lost..
    • Status as species: Mayr, 1886c: 362; Dalla Torre, 1893: 136; Emery, 1924d: 228; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 112; Taylor, 1990c: 35; Bolton, 1995b: 250; Taylor, 2006: 28.
    • Senior synonym of rugifrons: Taylor, 1990c: 35; Bolton, 1995b: 250; Taylor, 2006: 28.
    • Distribution: Australia, Indonesia (Sulawesi or Sumatra), Papua New Guinea.
  • rugifrons. Meranoplus spinosus subsp. rugifrons Emery, 1897d: 569, pl. 1, figs. 13-15 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
    • Type-material: holotype (?) worker.
    • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
    • Type-locality: Papua New Guinea: Paumomu River, Moroka, Ighibirei (L. Loria).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Viehmeyer, 1914c: 525 (q.).
    • Subspecies of spinosus: Viehmeyer, 1914c: 525; Emery, 1924d: 228.
    • Status as species: Donisthorpe, 1941c: 136; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 113.
    • Junior synonym of armatus: Taylor, 1990c: 35; Bolton, 1995b: 251; Taylor, 2006: 28.

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

Description

Type Material

Taylor (2006) - Worker. Either Sumatra or Celebes (=Sulawesi), Indonesia. Sulawesi seem the more likely of the alternative original localities.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • CSIRO Collection
  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Donisthorpe H. 1941. Descriptions of new species of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)7: 129-144.
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Lucky A., L. E. Alonso, E. Sarnat, and J. Hulr. 2015. Ants and scolytine beetles. In: Richards, S.J. and N. Whitmore (editors) 2015. A rapid biodiversity assessment of Papua New Guinea's Hindenburg Wall region. Wildlife Conservation Society Papua New Guinea Program. Goroka, PNG.
  • Snelling R. R. 1998. Insect Part 1: The social Hymenoptera. In Mack A. L. (Ed.) A Biological Assessment of the Lakekamu Basin, Papua New Guinea, RAP 9. 189 ppages
  • Taylor R. W. 1990. The nomenclature and distribution of some Australian and New Caledonian ants of the genus Meranoplus Fr. Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). General and Applied Entomology 22: 31-40.
  • Taylor R. W. 2006. Ants of the genus Meranoplus F. Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): three new species and others from northeastern Australian rainforests. Myrmecologische Nachrichten 8: 21-29.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1914. Papuanische Ameisen. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 1914: 515-535.