Anonychomyrma extensa
| Anonychomyrma extensa | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Anonychomyrma |
| Species: | A. extensa |
| Binomial name | |
| Anonychomyrma extensa (Emery, 1887)
| |
Type material of this taxon could not be located by Heterick and Shattuck (2011). However, the figure provided by Emery (1887, fig. 26) matches specimens of Anonychomyrma held in Australian National Insect Collection and is unlike species of Iridomyrmex known from the vicinity of this species’ type locality. In this species the pronotum is relatively high and is set off from the mesonotum by an angle, and the propodeum is high and dome-like. This configuration differs from known Indonesian species of Iridomyrmex. Therefore, this name is treated as belonging to Anonychomyrma rather than Iridomyrmex.
Contents
Identification
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (type locality), New Guinea.
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
Anonychomyrma species are common in moist to semi-arid forested areas (and are less common in rain forests). They nest either in soil with or without coverings, or arboreally in living or dead wood. Workers forage in conspicuous trails on the ground and on tree trunks. Although not studied in detail, they seem to be general predators and also collect plant juices. Some species are associated with the caterpillars of selected butterflies. Nest sizes are moderate to large, ranging from 500 to tens of thousands of workers. When disturbed, most species elevate their gasters and release strong, acrid smelling chemicals as a defensive measure. While similar to Iridomyrmex in general habitat preferences and ecology, most Anonychomyrma prefer moister sites and are predominately arboreal. Iridomyrmex species occur in drier sites and are predominantly terrestrial.
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- extensus. Iridomyrmex extensus Emery, 1887a: 251, pl. 4, fig. 26 (w.) NEW GUINEA. Combination in Anonychomyrma: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 165.
Type Material
- Syntype, workers, Hatam (probably SW of Manokwari, Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesia (Zimmerman, 1967)), Indonesia; (not examined by Heterick and Shattuck, 2011).
Description
References
- Heterick, B.E. & Shattuck, S.O. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex. Zootaxa 2845: 1-175.
