Aenictus exilis
Aenictus exilis | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
Genus: | Aenictus |
Species: | A. exilis |
Binomial name | |
Aenictus exilis Wilson, 1964 |
Workers were found (in Karema) running in a very diffuse single file over the top of the ground and under leaf litter in a small, recently made clearing at the edge of virgin lowland rain forest. The time was noon of a sunny day (note that 3 colonies of the closely related Aenictus ceylonicus were found foraging in New Guinea between 9 and 11 in sunny mornings, or, in other words, at nearly the same time and under similar condition). The file was very inconspicuous and could not be traced more than a few feet. The Busu River workers were collected in a soil-litter berlesate from the floor of virgin lowland rain forest, in close company with such distinctive Papuan ant species as Dacetinops cibdelus, Strumigenys mayri, Eurhopalothrix biroi, and Eurhopalothrix brevicornis.
Identification
A member of the ceylonicus group.
Key to Aenictus species groups
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -6.633333206° to -6.633333206°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea (type locality).
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
Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- exilis. Aenictus exilis Wilson, 1964a: 462, fig. 33 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Papua New Guinea).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 11 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Papua New Guinea: Karema, Brown River, nr Port Moresby, 8.iii.1955, no. 569 (E.O. Wilson); paratypes: 9 workers with same data, 2 workers Papua New Guinea: Huon Peninsula, lower Busu River, 14.v.1955, no. 1052 (E.O. Wilson).
- Type-depository: MCZC.
- Status as species: Bolton, 1995b: 59.
- Distribution: Papua New Guinea.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Holotype: HW 0.40 mm, HL 0.48 mm, SL 0.31 mm. Antenna 10-segmented. Very similar to workers from sympatric series of ceylonicus (Mayr), differing chiefly in its smaller size, lighter coloration, and weaker sculpturing. (The name exilis means weak or feeble and refers to these characteristics). Mandibles thin and 4-toothed, as in ceylonicus. Cephalic structure as in ceylonicus. Propodeum angulate. Subpetiolar process large, consisting of a forward-directed lobe surmounted by a thin, acutely angulate flange which is directed straight downward. Pilosity moderately abundant; the length of the longest pronotal hairs only about 0.10 mm.
Head shining. Pronotum shining. Propodeal dorsum very weakly microreticulate, feebly shining. Meso-, metapleuron, and sides of propodeum longitudinally rugose, the interspaces weakly microreticulate and subopaque to feebly shining. Dorsa and most of sides of pedicel shining, the remainder weakly microreticulate and subopaque. Concolorus light brownish yellow.
Paratypes: 9 workers from same colony as holotype. Also, 2 workers from lower Busu River, Huon Peninsula, NE New Guinea, 14.V.1955 (Wilson, ace. no. 1052). HW of Karema workers 0.38-0.41 mm, of Busu River workers 0.37, 0.42 mm. The Busu River workers differ from holotype nest series in having propodeal dorsum strongly shining.
References
- Jaitrong, W. & Yamane, S. 2011. Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. currax and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae). Zootaxa, 3128, 1–46. PDF
- Wilson, E. O. 1964a. The true army ants of the Indo-Australian area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Pac. Insects 6: 427-483 (page 462, fig. 33 worker described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.
- CSIRO Collection
- Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
- Wilson E. O. 1964. The true army ants of the Indo-Australian area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Pacific Insects 6: 427-483.