Cardiocondyla argyrotricha

Cardiocondyla argyrotricha
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Cardiocondyla
Species:	C. argyrotricha
Binomial name
Cardiocondyla argyrotricha Seifert, 2022

So far known from six localities west of the Wallace Line on Tioman island, Borneo and Luzon from sea level up to 380 m.

Schmidt et al. (2014), Frohschammer (2015) and Schmidt & Heinze (2018) reported the species to be functionally monogynous, to show intranidal mating, and to develop only wingless ergatoid males with sickle-shaped mandibles which fight to monopolize mating. Once the dominant queen has died, the first eclosing gyne will mate and prevent younger gynes from becoming fertile (Schmidt et al., 2017). The mated gynes perform short-range dispersal on the ground or more rarely a wider dispersal on the wing. As a minimalistic colony founding strategy, an uninseminated gyne taking along some workers can establish a normal colony by mating with the first male, developing from her own haploid eggs (Frohschammer, 2015) (Seifert, 2022).

Identification

Seifert (2022) - Worker (Figure 12, pictures CASENT0280593 in www.antweb.org; Table 2): Largest species of the Cardiocondyla argentea group, CS 512 µm. Compared to Cardiocondyla argentea, head much more elongated (CL/CW 1.133) but postocular distance smaller (PoOc/CL 0.408). Scape longer than in any related species, SL/CS 0.859. Eye small, EYE 0.216. In position with CL in visual plane, anterior clypeal margin between the level of frontal carinae straight to slightly concave and occipital margin straight or very slightly concave. Frontal carinae wide, slightly converging immediately posterior of the FRS level, FRS/CS 0.302. Mesosoma thickset and short; its length without neck shield only 1.1 of CL. Dorsal profile of mesosoma hump-backed, strongly and evenly convex, without any metanotal groove. Spines rather long (SP/CS 0.267), acute, their axis in lateral view deviating by 30° from longitudinal axis of mesosoma, spine bases widely distant, SPBA/CS 0.369. Petiole in lateral view high (PeH/CS 0.336), with a short peduncle, a concave frontal and convex caudodorsal profile; the node in dorsal view wider than long, PeW/CS 0.303. Postpetiole in dorsal view narrow (PpW/CS 0.423), extremely short and with a straight or slightly concave anterior margin; in lateral view very low (PpH/CS 0.252), with a semicircular ventral profile that is produced by prominent bilateral lobes of the sternite which strongly protrude compared to median level (Figure 12D). Whole surface of head and mesosoma densely foveolate-reticulate, thus appearing at lower magnifications perfectly matt. Foveolae on vertex or dorsal mesosoma badly visible due to superimposed pubescence and disguising inner structure that is reminiscent of a tree- or four-leafed clover leaf, foveolar diameter on vertex 11–15 µm. Petiole and postpetiole foveolate-microreticulate and matt. First gaster tergite shiny, with a delicate, fragmentary microreticulum. Cephalic and mesosomal pubescence hairs flattened and appearing silvery, their larger diameter about 4 µm, the smaller one about 2.5 µm. Gastral pubescence not flatted, rather long and dense (PLG/CS 6.05%, sqPDG 3.99). Whole body rather concolorous dark to medium brown.

For separation from the closely related species Cardiocondyla argentea and Cardiocondyla semiargentea, see C. argentea.

Keys including this Species

• Key to selected species of Cardiocondyla

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 1.7° to 1.7°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: Seifert, 2022

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia (type locality), Philippines.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• argyrotricha. Cardiocondyla argyrotricha Seifert, 2022b: 36, fig. 12 (w.) BORNEO (East Malaysia, Sarawak).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 11 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype Malaysia: MAL, 1.7294°N, 110.4472°E, Baku Nat. Park (Sarawak), Strand, 0 m., 24.v.2007-16 (S. Frohschammer); paratypes: 3 workers with same data, 4 workers with same data but 24.v.2007-18, 4 workers with same data but 24.v.2007-19.
  • Type-depository: SMNG.
  • [C. argyrotricha Oettler, et al. 2010: named in figs. 1, 2, and text. Nomen nudum.]
  • Distribution: Malaysia (Peninsula, Sarawak), Philippines (Luzon).

Type Material

Holotype worker plus three paratype workers labelled “MAL: 1.7294° N, 110.4472° E, Baku NP Strand, 0 m, Frohschammer 2007.05.24–16”; four paratype workers labelled “MAL: 1.7294° N, 110.4472° E, Baku NP Strand, 0 m, in Stein, Frohschammer 2007.05.24-18”; four paratype workers labelled “MAL: 1.7294° N, 110.4472° E, Baku NP Strand, 0 m, in Stein, Frohschammer 2007.05.24-19”; all deposited in SMN Görlitz.

Description

Species described in diagnosis, Seifert 2022 (see the identification section, above, of this species page). Cardiocondyla species treated in this revision are differentiated using exploratory data analyses and principle component analysis (Numeric Morphology-Based Alpha-Taxonomy/NUMOBAT) of worker measurements (Table S1 and S2, Seifert 2022 supplementary information).

Etymology

from “άργυρος“ (Greek) silver and “τρίχα“ (Greek) hair; because of the silvery pubescence on head and mesosoma.

References

• Frohschammer, S. 2015. Comparative analysis of reproductive tactics in the genus Cardiocondyla. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany, 122 pp.
• Schmidt, C.V., Frohschammer, S., Schrempf, A., Heinze, J. 2014. Virgin ant queens mate with their own sons to avoid failure at colony foundation. Naturwissenschaften 101, 69–72.
• Schmidt, C.V., Heimbucher, A., Bernadou, A., Heinze, J. 2017. First come, first served: The first emerging queen monopolizes reproduction in C. “argyrotricha”. J. Ethol. 35, 21–27.
• Schmidt, C.V., Heinze, J. 2018. Mandible morphology reflects the type of male antagonism in the ant genus Cardiocondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Eur. J. Entomol. 115, 455–456.
• Seifert, B. 2022. The ant genus Cardiocondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): The species groups with Oriental and Australasian origin. Diversity 15, 25 (doi:10.3390/d15010025).