Ponera clavicornis

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Ponera clavicornis
Ponera clavicornis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Ponera
Species: P. clavicornis
Binomial name
Ponera clavicornis
Emery, 1900

Ponera clavicornis side view

Ponera clavicornis top view

Specimen labels

This is an exceptionally adaptable and widespread species. It has been collected from primary lowland rainforest (Espiritu Santo), second-growth lowland rainforest (Bubia), foothills forest (Bisianumu), and true mid-mountain forest (Tumnang), under a variety of local ecological conditions (Wilson, 1957). Wilson (1957) reports a small colony nesting under the bark of a large "passalid-stage" log on the ground; larvae at various sages of development and cocoons were present. In Australia it occurs in rainforest where it has been encountered in leaf litter and under bark.

Identification

Taylor (1967) - Easily recognized by the following combination of characters:

1. Moderately small size (head width 0.43-0.47 mm).

2. Small to medium size eyes, their diameter 0.02-0.05 mm, with 2 to 6 indistinct facets; situated about 0.9 X the distance from lateral occipital border to midpoint of anterior genal border.

3. Distinctive heavy sculpturing, especially the regular dense puncturation of head and mesosomal dorsum.

4. Absence of a distinctly incised mesometanotal suture on mesosomal dorsum (this suture may be represented by a faint impression which does not break the underlying sculpture, but in most specimens it is totally unrepresented).

5. Pilosity very sparse, consisting of a few hairs on mandibles, clypeus, and frontal lobes, the petiolar dorsum, the terminal gastric tergites and all gastric sternites. Erect hairs from cranium and dorsum of mesosoma, and in most samples, from first two gastric tergites.

Ponera augusta has similar sculpturation but it has a wider head, a distinct mesometanotal suture, and normal pilosity. Ponera elegantula has similarly reduced pilosity and lacks the mesometanotal suture; it is, however much less heavily sculptured. Both augusta and elegantula have much larger eyes than clavicornis.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 7.53° to -21.60000038°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia.
Indo-Australian Region: Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.

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

Taylor (1967) - I encountered Ponera clavicornis in mid montane oak, Araucaria klinkii rain forest near Wau, NE New Guinea. Wilson found it to be ecologically very adaptable and collected it in primary and secondary lowland forest, foothill forest, and true midmountain forest under a variety of conditions. Altitudinal range of the collections is from sea level to 1500 m in New Guinea, as well as from high elevation forest on Guadalcanal.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Ponera clavicornis casent0178449 head 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0178449 profile 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0178449 dorsal 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0178449 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0178449. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by BNM, Koror, Palau.
Ponera clavicornis casent0172425 head 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0172425 profile 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0172425 dorsal 1.jpgPonera clavicornis casent0172425 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0172425. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia.

Phylogeny

Ponera

Ponera cf. sinensis (China)

Ponera exotica

Ponera sp. (Malaysia)

Ponera leae

Ponera clavicornis

Ponera (Seychelles)

Ponera incerta

Ponera petila

Ponera swezeyi

Ponera coarctata

Ponera pennsylvanica

Relationships among selected species of Ponera based on Branstetter & Longino (2019). The focus of this study was the species Ponera exotica and Ponera pennsylvanica.

Nomenclature

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

  • clavicornis. Ponera clavicornis Emery, 1900c: 317, pl. 8, figs. 7, 8 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Taylor, 1967a: 74 (q.). Combination in Selenopone: Wheeler, W.M. 1933g: 22; in Ponera (Hypoponera): Santschi, 1938b: 79; in Ponera: Wilson, 1957b: 377; Taylor, 1967a: 73.

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

Wilson (1957) - HW 0.43-0.47 mm, HL 0.52-0.59 mm, SL 0.35-0.42 mm, cr 81-85, SI 80-89, PW 0.32-0.37 mm, dorsal petiole width 0.27-0.32 mm. Mandibles with three well developed teeth occupying about the apical half of the masticatory border ; the basal half occupied by an indeterminate number of minute denticles. Eye as described for P. selenophora. Antennal club relatively slender, 5-jointed. Posterolateral margins of propodeum relatively poorly defined, seen from directly above forming an angle of only slightly less than 90°. Posterior face of petiolar node seen from directly above almost perfectly straight. Subpetiolar process variable in shape, ranging from a rudimentary convexity to a strong right-angular projection.

Taylor 1967 Ponera fig 65-66

Mandibles smooth and shining; clypeus feebly shagreened and shining over most of its surface; entire remainder of the head densely, finely, and evenly punctate (the punctures mostly under 0.01 mm in diameter) and completely opaque. Entire dorsal and lateral alitrunca;l surfaces similarly punctate and opaque, except for the ventral margins of the sides of the pronotum, a limited central longitudinal strip on the sides of the propodeum, and the lower half of the posterior propodeal face, which surfaces are more or less smooth and shining. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of petiolar node somewhat less densely punctate than head and alitrunk, subopaque; anterior and posterior faces more or less smooth and shining. First several gastric tergites also somewhat less densely punctate, subopaque to feebly shining.

Pilosity completely lacking on head and alitrunk except for a few erect hairs on the mandibles, clypeus, and frontal lobe area. Petiolar node and first two gastric tergites bare to sparsely pilose; terminal gastric tergites and all gastric sternites abundantly pilose.

Body (except mandibles and apical gastric segments) piceous brown, approaching jet black. Mandibles, apical gastric segments, and appendages yellowish brown.

Geographic variation. The series from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, have somewhat longer scapes than those from New Guinea (Sr 86-89 as opposed to 80-84).

The series from Bisianumu, Papua, ha.ve the first two gastric tergites pilose; in side view 5-10 standing hairs are visible along the profile of the first tergite. The series from Tumnang, N-E. New Guinea, and from the New Hebrides have the first two gastric tergites bare of pilosity. The series from Bubia, N-E. New Guinea, a geographically intermediate locality, has the tergites intermediately pilose: 1-3 standing hairs are visible along the profile of the first tergite.


Taylor (1967) - Workers of Ponera clavicornis should be easily recognized using the keys, figures and diagnostic details presented here. The following qualifications and additions to Wilson's diagnosis should be noted:

1. Known ranges for dimensions and indices (with exception of 1 small individual discussed below) are: HL 0.52-0.59 mm; HW 0.43-0.47 mm; SL 0.35-0.42 mm; CI 81-85; SI 80-89; PW 0.32-0.37 mm; PNL 0.20-0.22 mm; PH 0.28-0.35 mm; DPW 0.27-0.32 mm; PNI 80-89.

2. Palpal formula: Maxillary 2: Labial 2 (several specimens inspected).

3. Distinct medium clypeal tooth not developed, but a shallow obtuse tumosity may be present in the middle of anterior clypeal border.

4. Scapes failing to reach medium occipital border by a distance of about 1/4 to 1/3 their maximum thickness.

5. The funicular club was said by Wilson to be 5-segmented. Actually the degree of development of the club is quite variable; it may appear to be completely undifferentiated, or rather indistinctly 4- or 5-segmented, even in specimens from a single sample.

6. Lateral mesonotal suture completely absent in most specimens, but a slight, superficial trace of it is present in others. This never completely breaks the sculpturation.

Queen

Taylor (1967) - Based on 2 alates and a dealate, collected in association with workers at Bisianumu, near Sogeri, SE New Guinea by E. O. Wilson, and 2 dealate queens from Tumnang and the lower Busu River, NE New Guinea (E. O. Wilson). The last specimen was not associated with workers, but seems to be satisfactorily placed under clavicornis.

The Bisianumu queens have the following dimensions and indices: HL 0.55-0.57 mm; HW 0.47-0.49 mm; SL 0.38-0.40 mm; CI 85-86; SI 81-83; PW 0.44-0.46 mm; PNL 0.17-0.18 mm; PH 0.36-0.39 mm; DPW 0.31-0.33 mm; PNI 70-72; maximum diameter of compound eye 0.15-0.16 mm; ocular index 31-34; palpal formula: Maxillary 2: Labial 2 (1 specimen inspected). Differing from workers in usual characters of full sexuality, resembling them in color, development of sculpturation, pubescence and pilosity. Wing venation of "coarctata type."

References

  • Csősz, S., Loss, A. C., Fisher, B. L. 2023. Exploring the diversity of the Malagasy Ponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) fauna via integrative taxonomy. Organisms Diversity & Evolution (doi:10.1007/s13127-023-00610-1).
  • Emery, C. 1900b. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio secunda. Természetr. Füz. 23: 310-338 (page 317, pl. 8, figs. 7, 8 worker described)
  • Santschi, F. 1938b. Notes sur quelques Ponera Latr. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 43: 78-80 (page 79, Combination in Ponera (Hypoponera))
  • Taylor, R. W. 1967a. A monographic revision of the ant genus Ponera Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pac. Insects Monogr. 13: 1-112 (page 73, Combination in Ponera)
  • Taylor, R. W. 1967a. A monographic revision of the ant genus Ponera Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pac. Insects Monogr. 13: 1-112 (page 74, queen described)
  • Wheeler, W. M. 1933g. Three obscure genera of ponerine ants. American Museum Novitates 672: 1-23 (page 22, Combination in Selenopone)
  • Wilson, E. O. 1957b. The tenuis and selenophora groups of the ant genus Ponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 116: 355-386 (page 377, Combination in Ponera)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • CSIRO Collection
  • Clouse R. M. 2007. The ants of Micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Micronesica. 39: 171-295.
  • Clouse, R.M. 2007. The ants of Micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Micronesica 39(2): 171-295.
  • Emery C. 1900. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio secunda. Természetrajzi Füzetek 23: 310-338.
  • Emery C. 1911. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125.
  • Field Museum Collection, Chicago, Illinois (C. Moreau)
  • 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., E. Sarnat, and L. Alonso. 2011. Ants of the Muller Range, Papua New Guinea, Chapter 10. In Richards, S. J. and Gamui, B. G. (editors). 2013. Rapid Biological Assessments of the Nakanai Mountains and the upper Strickland Basin: surveying the biodiversity of Papua New Guinea’s sublime karst environments. RAP Bulletin of Biological Assessment 60. Conservation International. Arlington, VA.
  • Mann W. M. 1919. The ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:273-391.
  • Mann, W.M. 1919. The ants of the British Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College 63: 273-391
  • Taylor R. W. 1967. A monographic revision of the ant genus Ponera Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pacific Insects Monograph 13: 1-112.
  • Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.
  • 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.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1933. Three obscure genera of ponerine ants. American Museum Novitates 672: 1-23.
  • Wheeler W.M. 1935. Check list of the ants of Oceania. Occasional Papers of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum 11(11):1-56.
  • Wheeler, William Morton.1935.Checklist of the Ants of Oceania.Occasional Papers 11(11): 3-56
  • Wilson E. O. 1957. The tenuis and selenophora groups of the ant genus Ponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 116: 355-386.
  • Wilson E. O. 1958. Studies on the ant fauna of Melanesia III. Rhytidoponera in western Melanesia and the Moluccas. IV. The tribe Ponerini. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 119: 303-371.
  • Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144