.jpg){kind=logo}
Myrmecia infima
| Myrmecia infima | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmeciinae |
| Tribe: | Myrmeciini |
| Genus: | Myrmecia |
| Species: | M. infima |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrmecia infima Forel, 1900
| |
Several workers swept from flowers by Dr. Darlington and myself near Government House (X. 21, '31, and X. 22, '31) and White Hill (X. 23, '31). According to Clark, who records this diminutive bull-dog ant from Rottnest Island, it occurs along the West Australian coast from Geraldton to Albany. I have taken it at Geraldton, in King's Park, Perth, and at Margaret River, always on flowers or foliage, but have never been able to find its nest. (Wheeler 1934)
Identification
Heterick (2009) - The taxonomy of the M. urens species-group is problematic, and most named taxa (including Myrmecia infima described from Perth, and Myrmecia nigra, described from East Fremantle) cannot be identified with any confidence based on morphological characters. However, possibly three species from this group are represented in the SWBP.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -29.88333333° to -35°.
| 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.
- infima. Myrmecia picta var. infima Forel, 1900b: 54 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, Perth (Chase).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Clark, 1943: 105 (q.m.).
- Combination in M. (Promyrmecia): Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 62;
- combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 105;
- combination in Myrmecia: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 11.
- Subspecies of picta: Emery, 1911d: 21.
- Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 62; Wheeler, W.M. 1934d: 139; Clark, 1934a: 14; Clark, 1943: 105 (redescription); Clark, 1951: 192 (redescription); Taylor & Brown, 1985: 11; Taylor, 1987a: 44; Ogata, 1991a: 362; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1631; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
- Distribution: Australia.
Type Material
- Syntype, 1 worker, 1 male, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Clark,J., ANIC32-017893, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Syntype, 1 worker, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
Description
References
- Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 105, queen, male described; combination in Promyrmecia)
- Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae: 230 pp. CSIRO, Melbourne. [(31.xii).1951.] (page 192, Raised to species)
- Forel, A. 1900b. Ponerinae et Dorylinae d'Australie récoltés par MM. Turner, Froggatt, Nugent, Chase, Rothney, J.-J. Walker, etc. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 44: 54-77 (page 54, worker described)
- Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76:1-206.
- Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
- Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 11, Combination in Myrmecia)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1933i. Colony founding among ants, with an account of some primitive Australian species. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, viii + 179 pp. (page 62, Combination in M. (Promyrmecia), raised to species)
- Wheeler, W. M. 1934d. Contributions to the fauna of Rottnest Island, Western Australia. No. IX. The ants. J. R. Soc. West. Aust. 20: 137-163.