Chelaner nightcapensis

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

This ant is one of several species in the C. rubriceps species-complex that are known from one or a few collections only. This ant, like others in the species-complex, nests in wood. (Heterick 2001)

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the rubriceps group. The appearance of C. nightcapensis is very similar to that of Chelaner rubriceps, but the eye is large and the alitrunk is smooth and bare of sculpture.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -28.55° to -28.55°.


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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

nightcapensis. Monomorium nightcapense Heterick, 2001: 433, fig. 42 (w.) AUSTRALIA (New South Wales).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 5 paratype workers, 1 paratype ergatoid queen.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: New South Wales, Blue Knob, Mt Nightcap Range, 3000 ft, 5.ix.1966, ANIC ants vial 1.147 (B.B. Lowery)); paratypes: 5 workers with same data, 5 workers, 1 ergatoid queen with same data but A211.
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC (paratypes).
- Combination in Chelaner: Sparks, et al. 2019: 233.
- Status as species: Sparks, et al. 2019: 233.
- Distribution: Australia.

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 3.10; HL 1.08; HW 0.98; CeI 90; SL 0.92; SI 94; PW 0.64. Others. HML 2.92-3.23; HL 0.98-1.08; HW 0.88-0.98; CeI 88-91; SL 0.81-0.91; SI 93-96; PW 0.55-0.61 (7 measured).

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

Head. Head square or rectangular; vertex planar; frons smooth and shining with combination of incurved decumbent and subdecumbent setulae and erect and suberect setae. Compound eyes circular or subcircular, or elliptical; eye large, eye width greater than 1.5x greatest width of antennal scape. Anteromedial clypeal margin straight or slightly emarginate, median clypeal carinae not produced as teeth or denticles. Mandibles (viewed from front) triangular and smooth, with piliferous punctures.

Alitrunk. Promesonotal sculpture absent, promesonotum smooth and shining; setulae decumbent and subdecumbent. Metanotal groove present as feebly impressed furrow between promesonotum and propodeum. Propodeal sculpture absent; propodeum smooth and shining; dorsal propodeal face flattened; processes absent (propodeum smoothly rounded in profile or with slight hump at propodeal angle). Declivitous face of propodeum flat. Erect and suberect propodeal setae > 5.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar node tumular and inclined posteriad. Ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) near 1: 1. Anteroventral process always absent or vestigial. Height-length ratio of postpetiole near 4:3 to near 1:1. Ventral process vestigial.

General characters. Colour of most of head capsule brown, mandibles and surrounding part of head, alitrunk, petiole, postpetiole, and appendages amber, anterior sector of first gastral tergite yellow, remainder of gaster dark brown. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker (top point), New South Wales, Blue Knob, Mt Nightcap Ra., 5.ix.l966, B. B. Lowery, rainforest, 3000 ft., ANIC ants vial 1.147 (Australian National Insect Collection). Paratypes. New South Wales: 2 + 3 workers with same data as the holotype (ANIC, The Natural History Museum); 5 workers and 1 ergatoid, same collection details as holotype, additional data: “in centre of large moss-covered branch, A211” [ants on this pin wrongly identified as M. kilianii] (Museum of Comparative Zoology).

Holotype, worker, Blue Knob Mt., Nightcap Range, New South Wales, Australia, Lowery,B.B., ANIC32-015673, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Blue Knob Mt., Nightcap Range, New South Wales, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 3 workers, Blue Knob Mt., Nightcap Range, New South Wales, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 5 workers, 1 ergatoid queen, Blue Knob Mt., Nightcap Range, New South Wales, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

Named after the Nightcap Ranges.

References