Anoplolepis tenella
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
| Anoplolepis tenella | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Plagiolepidini |
| Genus: | Anoplolepis |
| Species: | A. tenella |
| Binomial name | |
| Anoplolepis tenella (Santschi, 1911)
| |
Contents
Identification
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Cameroon, Congo (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
The root feeding Hemipteran Stictococcus Vayssierei is a cassava plant pest that can cause significant damage to this important food crop in some parts of Africa. Anoplolepis tenella tend this scale insect to access the honeydew they produce (Fotso et al. 2008). Ant colonies will establish nests under cassava plants infested with Stictococcus Vayssierei. The ants also transport the scale insects to new plants (Fotoso et al. 2015b). Anoplolepis tenella has also been found tending this same Hemipteran on other plants as well (Fotoso et al. 2015a).
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- tenella. Plagiolepis tenella Santschi, 1911c: 364 (w.) CONGO. [Also described as new by Santschi, 1911g: 210.] Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 214 (q.m.). Combination in Plagiolepis (Anoplolepis): Santschi, 1914b: 123; in Anoplolepis: Emery, 1925b: 18.
Description
References
- Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 18, combination in Anoplolepis)
- Fotso, A. K., R. Hanna, M. Tindo, A. Doumtsop, and P. Nagel. 2015a. How plants and honeydew-producing hemipterans affect ant species richness and structure in a tropical forest zone. Insectes Sociaux. 62:443-453. doi:10.1007/s00040-015-0423-5
- Fotso, A. K., R. Hanna, M. Tindo, and P. Nagel. 2015b. Transport and Dispersal of Stictococcus Vayssierei (Hemiptera, Stictococcidae) by Anoplolepis Tenella (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Journal of Insect Behavior. 28:426-435. doi:10.1007/s10905-015-9513-5
- Santschi, F. 1911c [1910]. Nouvelle fourmis d'Afrique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr. 79: 351-369 (page 364, worker described)
- Santschi, F. 1911g. Nouvelles fourmis du Congo et du Benguela. Rev. Zool. Afr. (Bruss.) 1: 204-217 (page 210, also described as new)
- Santschi, F. 1914b. Voyage de Ch. Alluaud et R. Jeannel en Afrique Orientale, 1911-1912. Résultats scientifiques. Insectes Hyménoptères. II. Formicidae. Paris: Libr. A. Schulz, pp. 41-148. (page 123, combination in Plagiolepis (Anoplolepis))
- Wheeler, W. M. 1922b. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. II. The ants collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 39-269 (page 214, queen, male described)
