Technomyrmex modiglianii

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Technomyrmex modiglianii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dolichoderinae
Genus: Technomyrmex
Species: T. modiglianii
Binomial name
Technomyrmex modiglianii
Emery, 1900

Technomyrmex modiglianii casent0616940 p 1 high.jpg

Technomyrmex modiglianii casent0616940 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

T. modiglianii is most frequently collected from tree trunks and canopy although some records of workers on rotten logs are known. Worker-queen intercastes have not been recorded in this species. (Bolton 2007) Heterick & Kitching (2022) collected this species in the canopy of a lowland dipterocarp forest in Brunei.

Identification

Bolton (2007) - A member of the T. modiglianii complex in the Technomyrmex albipes group. This size-variable species is close to Technomyrmex elatior but in that species the dorsum of the head does not have any setae present between the level of the posterior margin of the eye and the posterior margin of the head. Also, the setae on the first gastral tergite are always much shorter than the maximum diameter of the eye in elatior series from Laos has gastral setae that are shorter than usual for modiglianii, but even here they are distinctly longer than in elatior.

Another close relative is the poorly known Technomyrmex yamanei, from North Thailand and Vietnam, but this is easily separated from both modiglianii and elatior by its presence of setae at the posterior margin of the head, deeply U-shaped median clypeal incision that meets the anterior clypeal margin in a sharp angle on each side and extremely short and sparse gastral setae.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 19.780489° to -7.502778°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia.
Oriental Region: Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand.

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

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Technomyrmex modiglianii casent0249795 h 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0249795 p 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0249795 d 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0249795 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0249795. Photographer Shannon Hartman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by PSWC, Philip S. Ward Collection.
Technomyrmex modiglianii casent0905065 h 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0905065 p 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0905065 d 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex modiglianii casent0905065 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Technomyrmex modiglianiiWorker. Specimen code casent0905065. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.

Nomenclature

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

  • modiglianii. Technomyrmex modiglianii Emery, 1900d: 696, fig. 12 (w.) INDONESIA (Sumatra). Senior synonym of javanus: Bolton, 2007a: 92.
  • javanus. Technomyrmex modiglianii r. javanus Forel, 1905c: 23 (w.) INDONESIA (Java). [Unresolved junior secondary homonym of javanum Forel, above.] Junior synonym of modiglianii: Bolton, 2007a: 92.

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

Description

Worker

Bolton (2007) - TL 2.5 - 3.8, HL 0.67 - 0.96, HW 0.65 - 0.96, SL 0.60 - 0.74, PW 0.38 - 0.57, WL 0.82 -1.08 (20 measured). Indices: CI 95 - 103, SI 77 - 95, OI 19 - 24, EPI 54 - 66, DTI 116 -133.

Frontal carina with 2 (very rarely 3) setae: in profile the posteriormost at about the level of the anterior margin of the eye. Dorsum of head above the eye with 0 - 2 pairs of setae; if present (usually only in largest workers) these setae are much shorter than those on the frontal carinae. Behind level of posterior margin of eye a single pair of dorsal setae present, in profile located about two-thirds the distance to the posterior margin of the head. With head in full-face view the anterior clypeal margin with a conspicuous median notch; inner margin of notch rounds into the anterior clypeal margin without an acute angle or tooth. Posterior margin of head broadly and strongly emarginate. As worker size Increases the sides of the head become more strongly convex, the clypeal notch becomes more pronounced and the posterior emargination becomes deeper and more extensive. Eyes small and locate well in front of the midlength, the outer margins of the eyes are set well in from the outline of the sides in full-face view. With mesosoma in profile the mesonotal outline is evenly curved, without a distinct step or angle in the outline that defines conspicuous dorsal and declivitous faces. Propodeal dorsum short, in profile the straight-line length of the dorsum less than the depth of the declivity to the spiracle; dorsum and declivity meet in an angle. Number of setal pairs on mesosoma: pronotum 2 - 5; mesonotum 1 - 4; propodeal dorsum 0; lateral margins of propodeal declivity 2 - 3. Gastral tergites 1 – 4 each with numerous setae all over the sclerites, the longest of which on the first gastral tergite are equal to, or only fractionally shorter than, the maximum diameter of the eye. Head, mesosoma, petiole and gaster brown to dark brown; leg segments approximately the same shade of brown or slightly lighter, except for the trochanters and tarsi which are dull yellow to yellowish brown.

Type Material

Bolton (2007) - Syntype workers, Indonesia, Sumatra, D. Tolong and Balighe (E. Modigliani) (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa) [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 2007. Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35(1): 1-150.
  • Bolton, B. "Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste." Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35, no. 1 (2007): 1-149.
  • 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
  • Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
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  • Emery C. 1913. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50.
  • Emery C. Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 40: 661-722.
  • Emery, C. "Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 20, no. 40 (1900): 661-722.
  • Forel A. 1905. Ameisen aus Java. Gesammelt von Prof. Karl Kraepelin 1904. Mitt. Naturhist. Mus. Hambg. 22: 1-26.
  • Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.
  • Hannan M.A. 2008. New ant records fro Bangladesh. Asian Myrmecology 2: 95-98.
  • Jaitrong W.; Nabhitabhata, J. 2005. A list of known ant species of Thailand. The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(1): 9-54.
  • Katayama M., K. Kishimoto-Yamada, H. O. Tanaka, T. Endo, Y. Hashimoto, Sk. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2015. Negative correlation between ant and spider abundances in the canopy of a Bornean tropical rain forest. Biotropica (in press).
  • Kishimoto-Yamata K., F. Hyodo, M. Matsuoka, Y. Hashimoto, M. Kon, T. Ochi, S. Yamane, R. Ishii, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of remnant primary forests on ant and dung beetle species diversity in a secondary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Journal of Insect Conservation DOI 10.1007/s10841-012-9544-6
  • Mezger D., and M. Pfeiffer. 2011. Partitioning the impact of abiotic factors and spatial patterns on species richness and community structure of ground ant assemblages in four Bornean rainforests. Ecography 34: 39-48.
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  • Pfeiffer M., D. Mezger, and J. Dyckmans. 2013. Trophic ecology of tropical leaf litter ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) - a stable isotope study in four types of Bornean rain forest. Myrmecological News 19: 31-41.
  • 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.0041023
  • 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
  • Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.
  • Tanaka H. O., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2012. Effects of a fern-dwelling ant species, Crematogaster difformis, on the ant assemblages of emergent trees in a Bornean tropical rainforest. Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 105(4): 592-598.
  • Tanaka H.O., S. Yamane, and T. Itioka. 2010. Within-tree distribution of nest sites and foraging areas of ants on canopy trees in a tropical rainforest in Borneo. Popul. Ecol 52: 147-157.
  • Yamane S., T. Itino, and A.R. Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.
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  • Yamane Sk., T. Itino, and A. Rahman Nona. 1996. Ground ant fauna in a Bornean dipterocarp forest. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 44(1): 253-262.