Anonychomyrma procidua
Anonychomyrma procidua | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
Tribe: | Leptomyrmecini |
Genus: | Anonychomyrma |
Species: | A. procidua |
Binomial name | |
Anonychomyrma procidua (Erichson, 1842) |
Identification
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (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
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 Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- procidua. Formica procidua Erichson, 1842: 259 (q.) AUSTRALIA (Tasmania).
- Type-material: holotype queen.
- Type-locality: Australia (“New Holland”): Tasmania (“Vandiemansland”), Woolnorth (A. Schayer).
- Type-depository: MNHU.
- Combination in Liometopum: Roger, 1863b: 14;
- combination in Iridomyrmex: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 169;
- combination in Anonychomyrma: Shattuck & McArthur, 1995: 122.
- Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 41; Mayr, 1863: 419; Roger, 1863b: 14; Dalla Torre, 1893: 169; Emery, 1913a: 26; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 101; Taylor, 1987a: 33; Shattuck, 1992a: 16; Shattuck, 1994: 109; Bolton, 1995b: 66; Shattuck & McArthur, 1995: 122.
- Distribution: Australia.
Type Material
- Formica procidua Erichson, 1842: Holotype, queen, Tasmania, Australia, Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität.
Description
References
- Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 169, combination in Iridomyrmex)
- Erichson, W. F. 1842. Beitrag zur Insecten-Fauna von Vandiemensland, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der geographischen Verbreitung der Insecten. Arch. Naturgesch. 8 (1): 83-287 (page 259, worker described)
- Roger, J. 1863b. Verzeichniss der Formiciden-Gattungen und Arten. Berl. Entomol. Z. 7(B Beilage: 1-65 (page 14, combination in Liometopum)
- Shattuck, S. O. 1992a. Review of the dolichoderine ant genus Iridomyrmex Mayr with descriptions of three new genera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 31: 13-18 (page 16, see also)
- Shattuck, S. O.; McArthur, A. J. 1995. Generic placements of Australian ants described by W. F. Erichson (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 34: 121-123 (combination in Anonychomyrma)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Emery C. 1913. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Dolichoderinae. Genera Insectorum 137: 1-50.
- 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.
- Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.
- Taylor R. W., and D. R. Brown. 1985. Formicoidea. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 2: 1-149.