Pristomyrmex fuscipennis

Pristomyrmex fuscipennis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Pristomyrmex
Species:	P. fuscipennis
Binomial name
	Pristomyrmex fuscipennis; (Smith, F., 1861) Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Pristomyrmex fuscipennis. It is only known from a single queen that was described in 1861.

Identification

Wang (2003) - This species, described from a single queen, obviously belongs to the umbripennis group by possessing the following characters: (1) masticatory margin of mandible with four teeth (an apical + a preapical + two broad-based short teeth of similar size), lacking a distinct diastema; (2) basal margin of mandible with a central, broad-based, prominent lobe; (3) frontal lobes partially covering the condylar bulbs of holding antennal scapes; (4) lamella that encircles the base of antennal scape with a broad and deep notch on the center of the dorsal surface; (5) a coarse transverse carina present on the ventral surface of clypeus; and (6) anterodorsal angle of petiole node in profile on approximately the same level as the posterodorsal.

A member of the Umbripennis species group

Keys including this Species

Key to Pristomyrmex workers

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

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

Distribution based on AntMaps

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.

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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Pristomyrmex biology

The biology of most Pristomyrmex species is poorly known. From Wang (2003): Most species of Pristomyrmex dwell in the rainforest, foraging as predators or scavengers. An Asian species, Pristomyrmex punctatus, however, occurs in open and disturbed habitats (e.g., bare hills, agricultural areas, and beaches). These ants prefer to nest in soil, litter, or rotten wood; in rotten parts of living trees; in dead standing trees; or around plant roots.

Pristomyrmex is of great interest because it exhibits several unusual biological and evolutionary phenomena. The absence of morphologically normal queens and reproduction primarily by unmated workers in P. punctatus {=P. pungens) is a highly unusual life history in the Formicidae. Ergatoid queens, a special wingless female caste morphologically intermediate between the queen and the worker, are present in at least four species: Pristomyrmex punctatus, Pristomyrmex africanus, Pristomyrmex wheeleri, and Pristomyrmex mandibularis; two of them (P. africanus and P. wheeleri) possess both queen and ergatoid queen castes.

Simulating death, slowness of movement, and nocturnal foraging has been recorded in Pristomyrmex (Donisthorpe, 1946; Taylor, 1965; Weber, 1941). Colony size varies greatly among species, ranging from about a dozen to several thousand workers (Donisthorpe, 1946; Itow et al, 1984; Mann, 1919; Taylor, 1965, 1968). ‎

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Holotype of Pristomyrmex fuscipennis. Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0901380. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by OUM, Oxford, UK.

Nomenclature

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

fuscipennis. Myrmica fuscipennis Smith, F. 1861b: 46 (q.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi). Combination in Pristomyrmex: Emery, 1901g: 567; Donisthorpe, 1932c: 468. See also: Wang, M. 2003: 517.

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

Description

Queen

Wang (2003) - TL 6.92, HL 1.62, HW 1.64, CI 101, SL 1.46, SI 89, EL 0.32, PW 1.32, AL 1.98 (n = 1).

Type Material

Wang (2003) - Holotype queen , Indonesia: Cele bes, Tondano (A. R. Wallace) (Oxford University Museum of Natural History) [examined].

The following notes on F. Smith type specimens have been provided by Barry Bolton (details):

Myrmica fuscipennis Holotype queen in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Labelled “Tond.” (= Tondano, Sulawesi).

References

Donisthorpe, H. 1932c. On the identity of Smith's types of Formicidae (Hymenoptera) collected by Alfred Russell Wallace in the Malay Archipelago, with descriptions of two new species. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(10): 441-476 (page 468, Combination in Pristomyrmex)
Emery, C. 1901i. Formiciden von Celebes. Zool. Jahrb. Abt. Syst. Geogr. Biol. Tiere 14: 565-580 (page 567, Combination in Pristomyrmex)
Smith, F. 1861b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. [part]. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 6: 36-48 (page 46, queen described)
Wang, M. 2003. A Monographic Revision of the Ant Genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6): 383-542 (page 517, figs. 245-246 queen described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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
Emery C. 1901. Formiciden von Celebes. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 14:565-580.
Smith F. 1861. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects collected by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the islands of Ceram, Celebes, Ternate, and Gilolo. [part]. Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London. Zoology 6: 36-48.
Wang M. 2003. A Monographic Revision of the Ant Genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6): 383-542.
Wang M. 2003. A monographic revision of the ant genus Pristomyrmex (Hymenoptera:Formicidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 157(6):383-542