Dilobocondyla didita

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Dilobocondyla didita
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Dilobocondyla
Species: D. didita
Binomial name
Dilobocondyla didita
(Walker, 1859)

Dilobocondyla didita casent0902012 p 1 high.jpg

Dilobocondyla didita casent0902012 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

Identification

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Sri Lanka (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb

Dilobocondyla didita casent0908983 p 1 high.jpgDilobocondyla didita casent0908983 h 1 high.jpgDilobocondyla didita casent0908983 d 1 high.jpgDilobocondyla didita casent0908983 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Atopomyrmex escherichiWorker. Specimen code casent0908983. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Nomenclature

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

  • didita. Atta didita Walker, 1859: 375 (s.w.) SRI LANKA.
    • Type-material: 2 syntype workers.
    • [Note: the two specimens that Walker describes as major and minor workers belong in different genera. The ‘minor worker’ is a Pheidole species (a specimen of P. sharpi according to Donisthorpe, 1932b: 576); the ‘major worker’ belongs in Dilobocondyla. This taxonomic conundrum may be best resolved by regarding the ‘major worker’ as the lectotype, and excluding the ‘minor worker’ from further consideration.]
    • Type-locality: Sri Lanka (“Ceylon”): (no further data) (F. Walker).
    • Type-depository: BMNH.
    • Combination in Aphaenogaster: Emery, in Dalla Torre, 1893: 102;
    • combination in Stenamma: Forel, 1903a: 694 (footnote);
    • unidentifiable taxon; incertae sedis in Myrmicinae: Emery, 1915d: 69;
    • combination (major worker only) in Dilobocondyla: Donisthorpe: 1932b: 576.
    • Unidentifiable taxon: Forel, 1903a: 694.
    • Status as species: Mayr, 1863: 396; Motschoulsky, 1863: 20; Smith, F. 1871a: 333; Dalla Torre, 1893: 102; Donisthorpe: 1932b: 576; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 82; Bolton, 1995b: 171; Varghese, 2006a: 24; Bharti & Kumar, 2013a: 42 (in key); Chen, et al. 2019: 138 (in key); Dias, R.K.S. et al. 2020: 74.
    • Senior synonym of escherichi: Donisthorpe: 1932b: 576; Bolton, 1995b: 171; Varghese, 2006a: 24.
    • Distribution: Sri Lanka.
  • escherichi. Atopomyrmex escherichi Forel, 1911i: 223 (w.) SRI LANKA.
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Sri Lanka (Ceylon”): Exper. Station (Djungel) (K. Escherich).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Combination in Dilobocondyla: Forel, 1913k: 64. Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 249 (in key).
    • Status as species: Emery, 1924d: 241; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 116.
    • Junior synonym of didita: Donisthorpe, 1932b: 576; Bolton, 1995b: 171; Varghese, 2006a: 25.

Taxonomic Notes

The two specimens that Walker describes as major and minor workers belong in different genera. The ‘minor worker’ is a Pheidole species (a specimen of Pheidole sharpi according to Donisthorpe, 1932b: 576); the ‘major worker’ belongs in Dilobocondyla. This taxonomic conundrum may be best resolved by regarding the ‘major worker’ as the lectotype, and excluding the ‘minor worker’ from further consideration.

Description

References

  • Dalla Torre, K. W. von. 1893. Catalogus Hymenopterorum hucusque descriptorum systematicus et synonymicus. Vol. 7. Formicidae (Heterogyna). Leipzig: W. Engelmann, 289 pp. (page 102, Combination in Aphaenogaster)
  • Donisthorpe, H. 1932b. On the identity of some ants from Ceylon described by F. Walker. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 10(9): 574-576 (page 576, Combination in Dilobocondyla, and senior synonym of escherichi)
  • Walker, F. 1859. Characters of some apparently undescribed Ceylon insects. [part]. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 3(4): 370-376 (page 375, worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bharti H., and R. Kumar. 2013. Five new species of Dilobocondyla (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with a revised key to the known species. Asian Myrmecology 5: 29-44.
  • 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
  • Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
  • Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
  • Forel A. 1911. Ameisen aus Ceylon, gesammelt von Prof. K. Escherich (einige von Prof. E. Bugnion). Pp. 215-228 in: Escherich, K. Termitenleben auf Ceylon. Jena: Gustav Fischer, xxxii + 262 pp.