Vollenhovia benzai

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Vollenhovia benzai
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Vollenhovia
Species: V. benzai
Binomial name
Vollenhovia benzai
Terayama & Kinomura, 1997

Terayama and Kinomura 1997 F6.jpg


Common Name
Tatenashi-umematsu-ari
Language: Japanese

This species is polygynous. It nests in decaying wood or in the soil in forests. Wingless ergatoid females are known from the Amami-oshima Island population, in which normal winged females are also present. Further studies are needed to clarify their possible taxonomic implications and biological significance. [1]

At a Glance • Polygynous  

Identification

Terayama & Kinomura (1997) - Among the 4 described species is distinguishable as follows: differs V. benzai from Vollenhovia emeryi of Japan and Vollenhovia pyrrhoria of China by having a low and small subpetiolar process, dully angulate posterodorsal corner of propodeum, lacking large brown spot on frons, and smaller body size (HL 0.50-0.53 mm and HW 0.43-0.48 mm in benzai workers; HL 0.55-0.59 mm and HW 0.50-0.54 mm in emeryi workers (n = 10), and HL 0.60 mm and HW 0.55 mm in pyrrhoria worker (one paratype is measured): V. benzai differs from Vollenhovia satoi, from Taiwan by having less incised metanotal groove (deeply incised dorsally in satoi); and V. benzai differs from Vollenhovia nipponica, which is a workerless social parasitic species by having a low and small subpetiolar process and a dully angulate posterodorsal corner of the propodeum in female. It is also distinguished from the other Japanese congeners in workers by the following characteristics: 1) frons without large brown spot; 2) dorsum of promesonotum coarsely punctate, without unsculptured longitudinal band medially; 3) propodeal teeth absent; 4) subpetiolar process low, longer than high; 5) postpetiole highest at midlength in profile.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 31.96666667° to 29.54°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Japan (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

Nomenclature

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

  • benzai. Vollenhovia benzai Terayama & Kinomura, 1997: 2, figs. 2, 6 (w.q.) JAPAN.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. Worker. HL 0.53 mm; HW 0.48 mm; SL 0.29 mm; CI 90; SI 60; WL 0.60 mm; PL 0.23 mm; PH 0.21 mm: DPW 0.14 mm: TL 2.0 mm.

Head slightly longer than wide, with subparallel sides and weakly concave posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles with 7 teeth; basalmost tooth minute. Clypeal carinae subparallel. Antennae with 12 segments; scape 0.55 x head length. Eyes 0.13 mm in diameter.

Dorsum of promesonotum straight in profile: metanotal groove not incised dorsally; posterodorsal corner of propodeum dully angulated, without a dorsal tooth in profile.

Petiole higher than long, with convex dorsal outline in profile; anterodorsal corner rounded, not forming distinct angle. Subpetiolar process low and small; its thin lamellar wall ca. 0.12 mm in height. Postpetiole as long as high and highest at midlength, with convex dorsal outline in profile; posterodorsal margin convex.

Head shagreened with large coarse punctures; space between punctures less than 0.5 x their own diameters; dorsum of alitrunk coarsely punctated with numerous longitudinal ruglae and without unsculptured longitudinal band medially; mesopleura. Propodeum and petiole reticulate; sculpture on petiole weaker than that on propodeum; postpetiole smooth in most part gaster and legs smooth and subopaque.

Color: reddish brown; mandibles, antennae, and legs yellowish brown; frons without dark brown spot.

Queen

Paratype. HL 0.53 mm: HW 0.50 mm; SL 0.35 mm: CI 95; SI 70; WL 0.78 mm: PL 0.25 mm; PH 0.24 mm; DPW 0.35 mm; TL 2.5 mm (one measured).

Head slightly longer than wide. with weakly concave posterior margin in frontal view; eyes 0.13 mm in diameter; ocelli small. forming a right angled triangle.

Alitrunk 0.48 mm in maximum dorsal width; dorsum of metanotum coarsely punctated with longitudinal unsculptured band medially; interspaces among punctures smooth; posterodorsal corner of propodeum dully angulate, not forming a distinct tooth in profile.

Petiole almost as long as wide, with strongly convex dorsal margin in profile: subpetiolar process low and small. Postpetole with convex dorsal margin highest at midlength in profile: posterodorsal margin convex.

Color: reddish brown: ocellar triangular area blackish brown: frons without dark brown spot.

Variation. Five paratype workers with the following measurements and indices: HL 0.50-0.53 mm; HW 0.43-0.48 mm: SL 0.29-0.31 mm; CI 93-95; SI 63-64; WL 0.60-0.63 mm; PL 0.2D-0.24 mm; PH 0.19-0.21 mm: DPW 0.14-0.16 mm: TL 2.0-2.2 mm.

Eye diameter varied from 0.12 to 0.13 mm.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, Onoma, Yaku-shima. Kagoshima Pref., 16.VIII.1986, K. Kinomura leg. Paratypes. 2 females, 4 workers, same data as holotype; 2 females 4 workers, same locality, 17.VIII.1986, K. Kinomura leg.; 1 female, 2 workers, Nagata, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 14.VIII.1986, K. Kinomura leg.; 3 workers, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 19.III.1991, T. Satoh leg.; 1 female, 3 workers, Yaku-shima, Kagoshima Pref., 25.III.1981, M. Terayama leg.

The holotype and some paratypes are deposited in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities. Hyogo. and the other paratypes are in the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, and National Science Museum, Tokyo.

Etymology

One of the seven deities of good fortune in Japanese folklore.

Determination Clarifications

This species corresponds to Vollenhovia sp. 6 ("Tatenashi-umematsuari" in Japanese) in Terayama and Yamauchi (1992).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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  • Fukumoto S., R. Satria, T. Maeda, and S. Yamane. 2014. Ant fauna of Gaja-jima, Tokara Islands, southwestern Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 40: 127–131.
  • Fukumoto S., Sk. Yamane, and M. Hira. 2016. Records of ants from Yoro-Shima, Amami Gunto, Japan (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Nature of Kagoshima 42: 461–464.
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  • Harada Y., Y. Matsumoto, S. Maeda, A. Oyama, and S. Yamane. 2009. Comparison of ant fauna among different habitats of Yaku-shima Island, southern Japan. Bull. Biogeogr. Soc. Japan 64: 125-134.
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  • Katayama M., T. Hosoya, and W. Toki. 2013: First survey of ground-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on the uninhabitedGaja-jima Island, theRyukyu archipelago, Japan.—Entomol. Fennica 24: 216–222.
  • Kobayashi K., H. Tamura, M. Okamoto, E. Hasegawa, K. Ohkawara. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships among populations of Vollenhovia ants, with particular focus on the evolution of wing morphology. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 105(3):454-461.
  • Matsumura S. and Yamane Sk. 2012. Species composition and dominant species of ants in Jigenji Park, Kagoshima City, Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 38: 99–107
  • Matsumura S., and S. Yamane. 2012. Species composition and dominant species of ants in Jigenji Park, Kagoshima City, Japan. Nature of Kagoshima 38: 99-107.
  • Park S. H., S. Hosoishi, K. Ogata, and Y. Kuboki. 2014. Clustering of ant communities and indicator species analysis using self-organizing maps. Comptes Rendus Biologies http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2014.07.003
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  • Terayama M., S. Kubota, and K. Eguchi. 2014. Encyclopedia of Japanese ants. Asakura Shoten: Tokyo, 278 pp.
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  • Yamane S. 2019. Seasonal change in the foraging activity of ants in a residential area of mainland Kagoshima, Southwest Japan (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Nature of Kagoshima 45: 361–366.
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