Paraparatrechina kongming

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Paraparatrechina kongming
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Paraparatrechina
Species: P. kongming
Binomial name
Paraparatrechina kongming
(Terayama, 2009)

Paraparatrechina kongming side (www.niaes.affrc.go.jp).jpg

Paraparatrechina kongming top (www.niaes.affrc.go.jp).jpg

Specimen labels

This species is confined to the altitudes higher than 3,000 m.

Identification

Terayama (2009) - Resembles Paraparatrechina sauteri, by the small body size, short antennal scape, and a pair of erect hairs on the dorsum of propodeum, however, easily separated from the latter by the blackish brown body and larger body size (body yellowish brown and HL ca. 0.40 mm, HW ca. 0.32 mm, TL ca. 1.1 mm in sauteri).

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Taiwan (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.

  • kongming. Paratrechina kongming Terayama, 2009: 212, fig. 327 (w.) TAIWAN.
    • Combination in Paraparatrechina: Williams & LaPolla, 2016: 250.

Type Material

  • Holotype, worker, Tayulin (3,000 m asl), Nantou Pref., Taiwan, 21 September 1999, Sk. Yamane, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan.
  • Paratype, 1 worker, Tayulin (3,000 m asl), Nantou Pref., Taiwan, 21 September 1999, Sk. Yamane, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan.

Taxonomic Notes

This species was described before LaPolla et al. (2010a) revived Paraparatrechina and was never formally moved to the appropriate genus. It bears a strong resemblance to Paraparatrechina sauteri and has morphological features consistent with other Paraparatrechina species, including the distinct 2, 1 (pronotum, mesonotum) pattern of pairs of macrosetae on the mesosoma and shallow and incomplete mesosomal sutures. (Williams & LaPolla, 2016)

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HL 0.53, HW 0.51, SL 0.56, WL 0.65, PL 0.13, PH 0.13, DPW 0.10, TL 1.7.

Head almost as long as wide, with straight posterior margin and convex sides in full face view. Mandible with 5 teeth. Antenna relatively short; scape short, exceeding posterior margin of head by 1/5 its length, with short decumbent hairs, but without long erect or sub erect hairs; 3rd segment as long as wide; 4th and 5th segments each wider than long. Eye 0.10 in maximum diameter.

Pronotum with weakly convex dorsal margin, and with 2 pairs of erect hairs; mesonotum with 2 pairs of erect hairs; metanotal groove shallowly incised dorsally; popodeum with convex dorsal margin and with a pair of erect hairs. Petiole small and low, scale acute triangular in profile.

Color. Blackish brown; antennal 1-3 segments yellowish brown, 4-12 segments brown; legs yellowish brown.

Etymology

The specific epithet is the Chinese noun Kongming, which is the name of a Taiwanese god.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Ran H., and S. Y. Zhou. 2012. Checklist of chinese ants: formicomorph subfamilies (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) II. Journal of Guangxi Normal University: Natural Science Edition 30(4): 81-91.
  • Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
  • Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
  • Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.