Protanilla rafflesi

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Protanilla rafflesi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Leptanillinae
Tribe: Leptanillini
Genus: Protanilla
Species: P. rafflesi
Binomial name
Protanilla rafflesi
Taylor, 1990

Protanilla rafflesi casent0102375 profile 1.jpg

Protanilla rafflesi casent0102375 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Protanilla rafflesi.

Identification

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 4.95° to 1.343611°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia (type locality), Singapore (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

ProtanillaEconomo-header (arilab.unit.oist.jp).png  X-ray micro-CT scan 3D model of Protanilla rafflesi (worker) prepared by the Economo lab at OIST.

Protanilla rafflesi. Rarely enountered, small, subterranean ant from Singapore. These ants a specialised predators of millipeds (OIST: CASENT0742972). See on Sketchfab. See list of 3D images.

Nomenclature

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

  • rafflesi. Protanilla rafflesi Taylor, in Bolton, 1990b: 279 (w.) SINGAPORE. See also: Xu, 2012c: 488.

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

Description

Worker

Xu 2012 Furcotanilla Fig 21-24.jpg

Xu (2012) - Holotype: TL 2.7, HL 0.52, HW 0.40, CI 77, SL 0.43, SI 108, PW 0.36, AL 0.80 (Bolton, 1990); ML 0.26, PNL 0.17, PNH 0.29, PNW 0.24, PPNL 0.18, PPNH 0.33, PPNW 0.25.

In full face view, head longer than broad, anterior 1/3 of the head distinctly narrowed forward. Lateral sides weakly convex, anterolateral corners prominent and tooth-like. Occipital margin weakly concave, occipital corners roundly prominent. Mandibles elongate and down-curved apically, dorsolateral surface with a longitudinal groove, basal corners rounded, masticatory margin with about 14 peg-like teeth. Labrum with a pair of peg-like teeth. Clypeus roughly trapezoidal, anterior margin slightly concave. Antennae 12-segmented, scapes surpassed occipital corners by about 1/10 of its length, flagella segments 2-8 about as broad as long.

In profile view, pronotum slightly convex. Promesonotal suture complete but not depressed. Dorsum of mesonotum straight, almost horizontal. Metanotal groove widely shallowly notched. Dorsum of propodeum straight, slightly slope down backward; posterodorsal corner roundly strongly convex; declivity weakly convex, about 1/2 length of the dorsum. Propodeal spiracle small and circular, lower down on side. Metapleural bulla elongate elliptical and horizontal, close to the spiracle. Petiolar node roughly trapezoidal, weakly narrowed upward; anterior face weakly concave, dorsal face strongly convex, posterior face nearly straight; anterodorsal corner roundly protruding, higher than posterodorsal corner, the latter rounded; the shapes of ventral face and subpetiolar process are not clear because concealed by the hind coxa and femur. Postpetiole moderately inclined forward, dorsal face roundly convex, anterior face weakly convex, anterodorsal corner roundly extruding; anteroventral corner roundly protruding, posteroventral face weakly convex. Sting strong and extruding.

In dorsal view, petiolar node roughly rectangular and slightly widened backward, distinctly broader than long, lateral sides weakly convex. Postpetiolar node weakly widened backward, slightly wider than petiolar node, lateral sides weakly convex.

Mandibles, head, and body smooth and shining. Dorsa of head and body with sparse suberect hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence. Scapes with sparse subdecumbent hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence. Tibiae with abundant decumbent pubescence, but without standing hairs. Mouthparts with abundant longer hairs, apex of mandible with a long stout hair. Color brownish yellow. Mandibles, antennae, and legs yellowish.

Type Material

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 1990. The higher classification of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 15: 267-282
  • CSIRO Collection
  • Eguchi K., and S. Yamane. 2003. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in a lowland rainforest, northwestern Borneo. New Entomol. 52(1,2): 49-59.
  • Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040741
  • Pfeiffer M., and D. Mezger. 2012. Biodiversity Assessment in Incomplete Inventories: Leaf Litter Ant Communities in Several Types of Bornean Rain Forest. PLoS ONE 7(7): e40729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040849
  • Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
  • Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
  • Xu Z.-H. 2012. Furcotanilla, a new genus of the ant subfamily Leptanillinae from China with descriptions of two new species of Protanilla and P. rafflesi Taylor (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology 59: 477-491.