Myrmecia elegans
| Myrmecia elegans | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmeciinae |
| Tribe: | Myrmeciini |
| Genus: | Myrmecia |
| Species: | M. elegans |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrmecia elegans (Clark, 1943)
| |
Contents
Identification
Heterick (2009) - Western Australian specimens of Myrmecia elegans are very difficult to separate from Myrmecia occidentalis, and I am unable to follow Ogata and Taylor (1991) wholly in their diagnosis of the species. The mandibles are often quite dark in colour, but can also be light yellow (they are light-coloured in M. occidentalis). The mesosoma varies from uniformly red or orange to bicoloured dark red and black, similar to M. occidentalis. The yellowish pubescence on the clypeus, as well as the shorter antennal scape, seem to be the surest guides to M. elegans, and, at least in local workers, the individual mandibular teeth tend to be slanted posteriad in M. elegans but are mostly evenly triangular in M. occidentalis.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- elegans. Promyrmecia elegans Clark, 1943: 122, pl. 14, figs. 44, 45 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 248 (l.). Combination in Myrmecia: Brown, 1953j: 15.
Type Material
- Syntype, 1 worker, Mt. Dale, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-007734, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 3 workers, 1 queen, Mundaring, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-015335, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 1 worker, Emu Rock, Western Australia, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Syntype, worker(s), queen(s), Hovea, Mt. Dale and Mundaring, Western Australia, Australia, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
Description
References
- Brown, W. L., Jr. 1953j. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 111: 1-35 (page 15, Combination in Myrmecia)
- Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 122, pl. 14, figs. 44, 45 worker, queen described)
- Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206.
- Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1971d. Ant larvae of the subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 47: 245-256 (page 248, larva described)
