Myrmecina wesselensis

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Myrmecina wesselensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Myrmecina
Species: M. wesselensis
Binomial name
Myrmecina wesselensis
Shattuck, 2009

Myrmecina wesselensis holotype ANIC32-047233 side.jpg

Myrmecina wesselensis holotype ANIC32-047233 top.jpg

Specimen labels

This species is known from a single worker collected foraging on the ground at night from the Wessel Islands, Northern Territory, Australia.

Identification

Shattuck (2009) - Erect hairs on gaster (and most on mesonotum) strongly curved so their tips are nearly parallel with the surface of the body. These short, curved hairs are unique among the Australian fauna and will separate this species from all others.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -11.01666667° to -11.01666667°.

 
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.

  • wesselensis. Myrmecina wesselensis Shattuck, 2009a: 21, figs. 44-46, 52 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

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

Description

Worker

Antennal scapes smooth. First segment of funiculus cone-shaped. Sides of head behind compound eyes smooth. Sculpturing on dorsal surface of mesosoma running longitudinally and generally with the central carina (or carinae) running nearly the length (the pronotum not differentiated from the mesonotum). Dorsal and lateral surfaces of mesosoma separated by an indistinct angle or ridge which interrupts or breaks the mesosomal sculpturing. Metanotal spines reduced, small. Propodeal spines long. Erect hairs on gaster (and most on mesonotum) strongly curved so their tips are nearly parallel with the surface of the body. Colour dark brown-black, antennae, mandibles, legs and tip of gaster yellow-red.

(n = 1) — CI 100; HL 0.68; HW 0.68; MTL 0.34; SI 81; SL 0.55; WL 0.77.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • CSIRO Collection
  • Shattuck S. O. 2009. A revision the Australian species of the ant genus Myrmecina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2146: 1-21.