Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi

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Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Amblyoponinae
Tribe: Amblyoponini
Genus: Stigmatomma
Species: S. zwaluwenburgi
Binomial name
Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi
(Williams, 1946)

Amblyopone zwaluwenburgi casent0173925 profile 1.jpg

Amblyopone zwaluwenburgi casent0173925 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Known from volcanic islands (Hawaii, Christmas Island, and Fiji) in the Pacific and Indian oceans and Hong Kong, China.

At a Glance • Limited invasive  

Identification

  • Hamer et al. (2023), Fig. 17. Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi, comparing A) CASENT0173925 (April Nobile); B) a specimen from the type locality to the original representation by Williams (1946); C) the newly collected specimens from Hong Kong (ANTWEB1010859). Pictures available from www.antweb.org.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Christmas Island, Fiji, Hawaii (type locality).
Palaearctic Region: China.

  • Hamer et al. (2023), Fig. 2. Distribution map of Amblyoponinae species in Hong Kong (SAR), iNat = iNaturalist. A) Prionopelta kraepelini; B) Stigmatomma amblyops, S. crypticum, S. draconis; C) Stigmatomma luyiae, S. pagei, S. zwaluwenburgi; D) Stigmatomma nr. quadratum. Dark green zones indicate greater tree cover.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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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Biology

Hamer et al. (2023) - Two specimens were collected from southern Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui) from Signal Hill Gardens, one of the most urbanised areas of Hong Kong. Individuals were collected within the same Winkler sample from a single transect. The sample comprised loose vegetation and soil, with some leaf litter hummus. No other specimens have been collected from the nine additional Winkler samples taken at the same site. Type material of Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi was collected via hypogaeic sampling within ‘a field of sugar cane’ in Honolulu, Hawaii (Williams, 1946). Several additional specimens are known from Christmas Island, collected mostly near human made roads (Wilson & Taylor 1967; Taylor 1990; Framenau & Thomas 2008). Further specimens have been collected on Fiji via leaf litter sampling within an area with large populations of introduced ant species (Sarnat & Economo, 2012). The cryptobiotic nature of this species makes it one of the most rarely collected ants in the world, but probably even more surprisingly, one for which at this point, the native range remains completely unknown, with only records from remote islands (Hawaii, Christmas Island, Fiji). The record for Hong Kong thus represents the first inland record of this species. Whether or not this species is native to China is difficult to discern. Considering the flow of goods to and from Hong Kong it could easily have been introduced to the region or exported from it. Nevertheless, the small size (TL 1.88-1.94), clearly soil dwelling habits, cryptobiotic nature and tolerance of anthropogenic disturbance in this species would undoubtedly aid its ability to spread via human commerce.

Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi thus represents a biogeographic conundrum. Assuming all specimens are correctly identified as S. zwaluwenburgi, it is known exclusively from volcanic islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans and now Hong Kong, China. The type locality is Hawaii, but it was probably introduced from elsewhere, possibly Melanesia or the East Indies (Brown, 1960; Wilson & Taylor, 1967; Sarnat & Economo, 2012).

Castes

  • Hamer et al. (2023), Fig. 16. Stigmatomma zwaluwenburgi worker (ANTWEB1010860); A) head view B) lateral view C) dorsal view.

Nomenclature

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

  • zwaluwenburgi. Stigmatomma (Fulakora) zwaluwenburgi Williams, F.X. 1946: 639 (w.) HAWAII.
    • Type-material: holotype worker (lacks head), 1 paratype worker.
    • [Note: originally 5 workers but Williams states that “three of the five specimens collected are not now available.]
    • Type-locality: holotype Hawaii: Oahu. Honolulu, Experiment Station H.S.P.A., ii.1941(R.H. Van Zwaluwenburg); paratype with same data but 26.x.1945.
    • Type-depository: BPBM.
    • Combination in Amblyopone: Brown, 1960a: 169;
    • combination in Stigmatomma: Yoshimura & Fisher, 2012a: 19;
    • combination in Bannapone: Eguchi, et al. 2015: 84;
    • combination in Stigmatomma: Ward & Fisher, 2016: 691.
    • Status as species: Brown, 1960a: 169, 213; Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 19; Bolton, 1995b: 63; Onoyama, 1999: 158 (redescription); Framenau & Thomas, 2008: 57; Sarnat & Economo, 2012: 22; Eguchi, et al. 2015: 85 (in key).
    • Distribution: Christmas I., Fiji Is, Hawaii.

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

Taxonomic Notes

Hamer et al. (2023) found inconsistencies in how the morphology of the species is noted in available literature records, published images and new material. See Hamer et al. 2023, pages 27-29.

Description

Worker

Hamer et al. (2023) - (n=2); HL 0.38-0.39; HW1 0.39-0.39; HW2 0.37-0.38; SL 0.19-0.2; ML 0.29-0.29; WL 0.51-0.53; PPW 0.19-0.21; DPW 0.21-0.21; DPL 0.14-0.14; GL 0.54-0.56; TL 1.88-1.94; CI 101.56-102.3; MI 75-77.99; SI 51-51.15; PI 149.31-150.34

Type Material

Eguchi et al. (2015) - Holotype: worker, USA: Hawaii: Honolulu, ii/1941, R. H. Van Zwaluwenburg leg., not examined (but images examined: CASENT0249113 at AntWeb). Paratypes: 3 workers, same data as the holotype, not examined; 1 worker, USA: Hawaii: Honolulu, 26/x/1945, F. X. Williams leg., not examined.

References

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