Calyptomyrmex beccarii

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Calyptomyrmex beccarii
Calyptomyrmex beccarii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Calyptomyrmex
Species: C. beccarii
Binomial name
Calyptomyrmex beccarii
Emery, 1887
Synonyms

Calyptomyrmex schraderi side view

Calyptomyrmex schraderi top view

This is by far the most widespread species in the genus, occurring from Singapore north-east to the Philippines and south to Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. As with most other species within this genus, beccarii is found in rainforest and is most often encountered in leaf litter samples, although one nest was found in a carton termite nest. (Shattuck 2011)

Identification

Shattuck (2011) - Hairs on head and body spatulate (noticeably narrower near the body and expanded distally and with a rounded tip) and appressed closely to the underlying body surface, gaster finely and indistinctly sculptured, propodeum unarmed, posterior margin of head more rounded, especially its lateral corners. This species is most similar to Calyptomyrmex loweryi but differs in having the head narrower above the level of the antennal scrobe and in being smaller (head width < 1.10mm rather than greater than 1.13mm).

Australian populations do show slight differences when compared to more northern populations. Specifically, the spatulate hairs on the head and mesosoma of northern populations are narrower and more slender compared to the broader and more rounded hairs found in other Australian specimens.

An East Timor specimen differs in having the spatulate hairs on the head and mesosoma more erect and raised distinctly above the surface of the body. In specimens from other regions these hairs are at most only slightly raised above the surface. As with Australian specimens, no other differences were detected and this specimen is here considered to belong to beccarii.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 7.39° to -29.3986°.

   
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).
Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, New Guinea, Palau, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste.
Oriental Region: Thailand.

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

Calyptomyrmex beccari hef.jpgCalyptomyrmex beccari hal.jpgCalyptomyrmex beccari had.jpgCalyptomyrmex beccari lbs.jpgCalyptomyrmex-glabratusH6.3.jpgCalyptomyrmex-glabratusL5x.jpgCalyptomyrmex-glabratusD5x.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Nomenclature

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

  • beccarii. Calyptomyrmex beccarii Emery, 1887b: 472, pl. 2, fig. 23 (w.) INDONESIA (Ambon).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: Amboina (= Ambon I.) (O. Beccari).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Szabó, 1910a: 365 (q.).
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 136; Szabó, 1910a: 365; Emery, 1924d: 225; Brown, 1951: 101; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 111; Baltazar, 1966: 253; Taylor, 1991b: 600; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Clouse, 2007b: 251; Shattuck, 2011a: 5 (redescription); Akbar & Bharti, 2015: 7 (in key); Khachonpisitsak, et al. 2020: 79; Wang, W.Y., Soh, et al. 2022: 69.
    • Senior synonym of emeryi: Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
    • Senior synonym of glabratus: Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
    • Senior synonym of rufobrunnea: Brown, 1951: 101; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
    • Senior synonym of schraderi: Taylor, 1991b: 600; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
    • Distribution: Australia, East Timor, Indonesia (Ambon, Sulawesi), Malaysia (Sarawak), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines (Luzon, Negros), Singapore, Thailand.
  • emeryi. Calyptomyrmex emeryi Forel, 1901h: 51 (q.m.) BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sarawak).
    • Type-material: syntype workers, syntype males (numbers not stated).
    • [Note: Shattuck, 2011a: 5, cites 3w, 1m syntypes MHNG.]
    • Type-locality: Malaysia: Borneo, Sarawak (G.D. Haviland).
    • Type-depositories: MHNG, ZMUH.
    • Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 90 (q.).
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 90; Emery, 1924d: 225; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 112; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 13; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 44.
    • Junior synonym of beccarii: Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
  • glabratus. Calyptomyrmex beccarii var. glabratus Viehmeyer, 1916a: 128 (w.) SINGAPORE.
    • Type-material: 3 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: Singapore: 14 : 73, garden of residence, 7 mi. from the City, (no further data), (xi.1912-vi.1914) (H. Overbeck).
    • Type-depository: MNHU.
    • Subspecies of beccarii: Viehmeyer, 1916b: 285; Emery, 1924d: 225; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 112; Baltazar, 1966: 253.
    • Status as species: Baroni Urbani, 1975a: 410 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 83.
    • Junior synonym of beccarii: Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
  • rufobrunnea. Weberidris rufobrunnea Donisthorpe, 1949a: 281, fig. 1 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Indonesia).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: Irian Jaya (“Dutch New Guinea”), Maffin Bay, 22.vi.1944 (E.S. Ross).
    • Type-depository: BMNH.
    • Combination in Calyptomyrmex: Donisthorpe, 1949f: 186; Brown, 1949f: 84.
    • Status as species: Donisthorpe, 1949c: 754; Donisthorpe, 1949f: 186.
    • Junior synonym of beccarii: Brown, 1951: 101; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Shattuck, 2011a: 5.
  • schraderi. Calyptomyrmex schraderi Forel, 1901h: 50 (q.m.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
    • Type-material: neotype worker (by designation of Taylor, 1991b: 600).
    • Type-locality: neotype Australia: Queensland, Iron Range, rainforest, in rotting log, 9-15.vi.1971, ANIC 7923 (RWT & JEF) (= R.W. Taylor & J.E. Feehan).
    • [Note: original type-data: 1 syntype queen, 1 syntype male, Australia: (no further data) (A.L. Schrader), deposited in Hamburg Museum, destroyed in World War II.]
    • Type-depository: ANIC (neotype).
    • Status as species: Emery, 1924d: 225; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 55; Taylor, 1987a: 10.
    • Junior synonym of beccarii: Taylor, 1991b: 600; Bolton, 1995b: 83; Shattuck, 2011a: 5.

Type Material

Taxonomic Notes

Although this species is not particularly morphologically variable, it has been described no fewer than five times. For example, Taylor (1991) recognised that schraderi was conspecific with beccarii and also speculated that glabrata might be a junior synomym as well, although he did not study this last problem in detail and left the taxonomic status of these taxa unchanged. These proposals, as well as the synonymy of emeryi, were supported by Shattuck (2011).

Taylor’s (1991) synonymy of the Australian-based schraderi with beccarii was confirmed by Shattuck (2011). However, it should be noted that the Australian populations do show slight differences when compared to more northern populations. Specifically, the spatulate hairs on the head and mesosoma of northern populations are narrower and more slender compared to the broader and more rounded hairs found in Australian specimens. However, hairs on the gaster are essentially identical and no further differences were found. Thus the available evidence suggests that these differences are little more than population-based geographic variation.

Comparable differences are also present in the single specimen of this taxon from East Timor. While very similar to other specimens examined during this study, this specimen differs in having the spatulate hairs on the head and mesosoma more erect and raised distinctly above the surface of the body. In specimens from other regions these hairs are at most only slightly raised above the surface. As with Australian specimens, no other differences were detected and this specimen was considered by Shattuck (2011) to belong to beccarii.

The types of glabratus, the western-most samples known for this species, show only slight differences from other specimens placed in this taxon by Shattuck (2011). These differences include the petiolar node in lateral view being slightly higher and more angular and the pronotal corners in dorsal view being more angular compared to specimens from further east. However, these differences are slight and are not unexpected for such a wide-spread species. Because no additional differences could be found glabratus is considered to be a junior synonym of beccarii. This confirmed the suspicions of Taylor (1991).

Finally, an examination of the holotype of emeryi shows this taxon conforms to the concept of beccarii developed by Shattuck (2011) and is a straightforward synonym. Forel (1901) provided a very brief description and failed to note any differences between this species and either beccarii or schraderi (which he described in the same paper as emeryi). None could be found by Shattuck (2011) and therefore this name is treated as conspecific with beccarii.

Description

Worker

n = 11 - CFW 0.19–0.22; CI 97–105; HL 0.95–1.06; HW 0.93–1.09; ML 0.9 1–1 .02; MTL 0.43–0.53; PetI 123–148; PetL 0.22–0.28; PetW 0.29–0.39; PronW 0.60–0.74; SI 50–54; SL 0.49–0.57.

Mandibles delicately striate (sometimes weakly so). Eyes with 5–6 ommatidia in greatest diameter. Propodeum in lateral view lacking angles or spines. Propodeal lobes thin anteriorly, thickened posteriorly. Node of petiole in profile slightly higher and larger than that of postpetiole. In dorsal view the petiolar node slightly narrower than the postpetiolar node. Head, promesonotum, dorsal and posterior faces of propodeum and petiolar and postpetiolar nodes rugose, the rugae enclosing foveolate spaces, this sculpturing most strongly developed on the front of the head, weaker and less defined posteriorly. Sides of mesosoma irregularly rugose, more strongly on pronotum, weakly so on propodeum. Spaces between rugulae indistinctly shagreened or finely reticulate-punctulate, matt and dull. Gaster finely and indistinctly sculptured. Hairs on head and body spatulate and appressed. Clypeal fork with spatulate hairs only. Colour dull red-brown.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Brown W. L., Jr. 1951. New synonymy of a few genera and species of ants. Bull. Brooklyn Entomol. Soc. 46: 101-106.
  • CSIRO Collection
  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Clouse R. M. 2007. The ants of Micronesia (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Micronesica. 39: 171-295.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A new genus and species of dacetine ant (Hym., Formicidae) from New Guinea. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 84: 281.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A sixth instalment of the Ross Collection of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (12)1: 744-759.
  • Donisthorpe H. 1949. A species of Calyptomyrmex Emery (Hym., Formicidae) from New Guinea. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 85: 186.
  • Eguchi K., and S. Yamane. 2003. Species diversity of ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in a lowland rainforest, northwestern Borneo. New Entomol. 52(1,2): 49-59.
  • Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine). [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 25(5): 427-473.
  • Emery, C. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine)." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 5, no. 25 (1887): 427-473.
  • Field Museum Collection, Chicago, Illinois (C. Moreau)
  • Forel A. 1901. Formiciden des Naturhistorischen Museums zu Hamburg. Neue Calyptomyrmex-, Dacryon-, Podomyrma- und Echinopla-Arten. Mitt. Naturhist. Mus. Hambg. 18: 43-82.
  • Jaitrong W.; Nabhitabhata, J. 2005. A list of known ant species of Thailand. The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(1): 9-54.
  • 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.
  • Latumahina F., M. Borovanska, N. S. Putra, and M. Janda. 2015. Ants of Ambon Island – diversity survey and checklist. ZooKeys 472: 43–57.
  • Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
  • Room P. M. 1975. Diversity and organization of the ground foraging ant faunas of forest, grassland and tree crops in Papua Nez Guinea. Aust. J. Zool. 23: 71-89.
  • Room, P.M. 1975. Relative Distributions of Ant Species in Cocoa Plantations in Papua New Guinea Relative Distributions of Ant Species in Cocoa Plantations in Papua New Guinea. Journal of Applied Ecology 12(1):47-61
  • Shattuck S. O. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Calyptomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South-east Asia and Oceania. Zootaxa 2743:1-26.
  • Szabó J. 1910. Formicides nouveaux ou peu connus des collections du Musée National Hongrois. [part]. Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. 8: 364-368.
  • Taylor R. W. 1991. Nomenclature and distribution of some Australasian ants of the Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 30: 599-614.
  • Viehmeyer H. 1912. Ameisen aus Deutsch Neuguinea gesammelt von Dr. O. Schlaginhaufen. Nebst einem Verzeichnisse der papuanischen Arten. Abhandlungen und Berichte des Königlichen Zoologischen und Anthropologische-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden 14: 1-26.
  • Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.
  • Yamane S.; Nona, A. R. 1994. Ants from Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak. Pp. 222-226 in: Inoue, T.; Hamid, A. A. (eds.) 1994. Plant reproductive systems and animal seasonal dynamics. Long-term study of dipterocarp forests in Sarawak. Kyoto: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, vii + 255 pp. 
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