Chelaner albipes

Chelaner albipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Chelaner
Species group:	rubriceps
Species:	C. albipes
Binomial name
Chelaner albipes (Heterick, 2001) Specimen Labels

Like other members of the C. rubriceps species-complex, this taxon forages arboreally, several workers having been collected by pyrethrum knockdown. The Mt Webb specimen, however, was obtained from a berlesate sample. (Heterick 2001)

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the rubriceps group. Arguably the most beautiful of all the Australian Chelaner, C. albipes cannot be mistaken for any other species. The burnished brown cuticle, the saddle-shaped promesonotum with long, white, erect setae, and the high, squamiform petiolar and postpetiolar nodes serve to identify this ant.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -12.7° to -18.36667061°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

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.

Nomenclature

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

• albipes. Monomorium albipes Heterick, 2001: 418, figs. 42, 105, 106 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
  • Combination in Chelaner: Sparks et al., 2019: 232.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Holotype. HML 2.55; HL 0.87; HW 0.79; Cel 91; SL 0.62; SI 78; PW 0.53. Others. HML 2.44-2.72; HL 0.85-0.90; HW 0.76-0.81; Cel 88-95; SL 0.63-0.69; SI 81-85; PW 0.52-0.59 (4 measured).

As for the worker of Chelaner rubriceps, but with the following apomorphies.

Head. Head rounded; vertex planar; frons smooth and shining with combination of appressed setulae and erect and suberect setae. Eye large, eye width greater than 1.5x greatest width of antennal scape. Anteromedial clypeal margin convex, straight or slightly emarginate, median clypeal carinae indistinct. Palp formula unknown. Maximum number of mandibular teeth and denticles: four; mandibles (viewed from front) triangular and smooth, with piliferous punctures.

Alitrunk. Promesonotal sculpture absent, promesonotum smooth and shining; evenly flattened dorsally; setulae appressed. Metanotal groove present as feebly impressed furrow between promesonotum and propodeum. Propodeal sculpture absent; propodeum smooth and shining; dorsal propodeal face gently convex; processes absent (propodeum angulate in profile), or present on posterior propodeal angles as small denticles or sharp flanges. Propodeal angle present; length ratio of dorsal face to declivitous face near 2:1, or near 4:3; declivitous face of propodeum flat. Erect and suberect propodeal setae 5-l 0; propodeal setulae appressed, or decumbent and subdecumbent. Propodeal spiracle lateral and nearer declivitous face of propodeum than metanotal groove.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar node conical, sharply tapered, or cuneate, dorsally rounded. Ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) near 2:1 to near 4:3. Anteroventral process vestigial. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 1: 1 to near 4:3; height-length ratio of postpetiole near 2:1 to near 4:3. Ventral process vestigial to small, difficult to see or distinct.

General characters. Beautiful shining species, almost vitreous in appearance. Colour dark russet or piceous, mandibles dark orange, funiculus of antenna and tarsi amber. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Gayundah Creek, Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia, 11.xi.1984, Thompson,G., ANIC32-015710, Australian National Insect Collection; pyrethrum knockdown; top point on pin.
• Paratype, 2 workers, Gayundah Creek, Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia, 11.xi.1984, Thompson,G., Australian National Insect Collection; pyrethrum knockdown.
• Paratype, 1 worker, Gayundah Creek, Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland, Australia, 12.xi.l984, Thompson,G., The Natural History Museum; pyrethrum knockdown.
• Paratype, 1 worker, Mt Webb National Park, Queensland, Australia, 15°04′0″S 145°07′0″E, 27-30.iv.1981, A. Calder & J. Feehan, Museum of Comparative Zoology; berlesate ANIC 719, rainforest litter.

Etymology

Latin: “white-footed”.

References

• Sparks, K. 2015. Australian Monomorium: Systematics and species delimitation with a focus of the M. rothsteini complex. Ph.D. thesis, University of Adelaide.
• Heterick, B. E. 2001. Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy. 15:353-459. (page 418, figs. 42, 105, 106 worker described)
• Sparks, K.S., Andersen, A.N., Austin, A.D. 2019. A multi-gene phylogeny of Australian Monomorium Mayr (Hymenoptera : Formicidae) results in reinterpretation of the genus and resurrection of Chelaner Emery. Invertebrate Systematics 33: 225–236 (doi:10.1071/IS16080).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• CSIRO Collection