Prenolepis subopaca

Prenolepis subopaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Lasiini
Genus:	Prenolepis
Species:	P. subopaca
Binomial name
	Prenolepis subopaca; Emery, 1900 Specimen Labels

Peeters and Yong (2017) discovered Prenolepis subopaca nesting in the leaf litter and foraging arboreally (see linked video and further details in the biology section below). Heterick & Kitching (2022) collected this species in a ground malaise trap within a lowland dipterocarp forest in Brunei.

Identification

Williams and LaPolla (2016) - Gracile with elongate legs (HTI > 185), antennae (SI > 185), and mesosoma (BLI > 175); in profile view, the mesosoma is especially slender and has a distinct shape, with the propodeum much taller than the pronotum (Fig 27); no erect macrosetae on the propodeum; petiole is narrow and elongate (PetWI < 55); dorsal surface of pronotum, propodeum, and gaster covered in fine, dense pubescence; scale of petiole is rounded at its apex.

This species is most similar to Prenolepis jerdoni, but can be distinguished by its finely reticulate and dull cuticle and thick patches of pubescence on the dorsal surface of the pronotum, propodeum, and gaster. Prenolepis subopaca has very large compound eyes that are similar to those of Prenolepis naoroji, but P. naoroji has a distinct light blue cuticular iridescence and a shorter petiole than P. subopaca.

Keys including this Species

Key to Prenolepis

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.03° to 1.35°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, Singapore.

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

Very little is known about foraging habits and life history. Just after dusk, Peeters & Yong (2017) observed a large and fairly compact group of P. subopaca walking down a tree (video [1]), before vanishing in leaf litter on the ground. Swollen gasters indicated that they were retrieving honeydew to their nest. A second colony was found under layers of leaf litter, about 5 to 10 cm deep. An estimated 300 workers were present with numerous brood, one winged queen and one male. After disturbance, the ants scattered and ran deeper into the leaf litter carrying their brood (pupae, larvae and eggs). After some time, clear trails were formed and ants travelled along these. A worker carried an isopod along the trail. Ants in this colony lacked enlarged gasters.

Castes

Worker

Singapore, imaged by Gordon Yong

Nomenclature

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

subopaca. Prenolepis jerdoni var. subopaca Emery, 1900d: 699 (w.) INDONESIA (Sumatra).
- Status as species: Williams & LaPolla, 2016: 242.

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

Description

Worker

Williams and LaPolla (2016) - (n=17): CMC: 7–18; EL: 0.24–0.31; EW: 0.18–0.26; HL: 0.71–0.98; HLA: 0.38–0.50; HLP: 0.25–0.33; HW: 0.58–0.85; IOD: 0.42–0.53; LF1: 0.21–0.28; LF2: 0.15–0.20; LHT: 1.17–1.80; MMC: 0–1; MTW: 0.40–0.51; MW: 0.24–0.38; PDH: 0.29–0.43; PMC: 2–4; PrCL: 0.50–0.69; PrCW: 0.24–0.35; PrFL: 0.92–1.35; PrFW: 0.18–0.25; PTH: 0.29–0.43; PTL: 0.44–0.56; PTW: 0.21–0.30; PW: 0.48–0.60; SL: 1.23– 1.67; TL: 2.74–4.29; WF1: 0.06–0.09; WF2: 0.06–0.08; WL: 1.04–1.59; BLI: 176–206; CI: 80–87; EPI: 150–160; FLI: 135–146; HTI: 202–222; PetHI: 95–102; PetWI: 49–53; PrCI: 48–53; PrFI: 17–21; REL: 30–34; REL2: 35–41; REL3: 54–62; SI: 188–214.

Medium to dark brown; entire cuticle finely reticulate and dull; abundant decumbent setae on scapes and legs; very long, erect macrosetae on head, mesosoma, and gaster; no erect macrosetae on propodeum; fine and dense pubescence covering the dorsal surface of the pronotum, propodeum, and gaster; head slightly longer than broad and oval in shape with indistinct posterolateral corners and a convex posterior margin; eyes large and strongly convex, surpassing the lateral margins of the head in full-face view; torulae do not touch the posterior border of the clypeus; clypeus strongly medially convex and without prominent anterolateral lobes; mandibles with 5–7 teeth (usually 6) on the masticatory margin; ectal surface of mandibles smooth and shiny; metatibia relatively elongate (HTI > 185); in profile view, propodeum is much taller than pronotum and domed with a rounded dorsal face; petiole is narrow and elongate (PetWI < 55) with a rounded dorsal apex of the scale.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Indonesia: Sumatra, Si-Rambé, 01.xii.1890 (E. Modigliani) (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genoa: CASENT0905792) [examined].

References

Emery, C. 1900d. Formiche raccolte da Elio Modigliani in Sumatra, Engano e Mentawei. [part]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 40[=(2(20): 689-720 (page 699, worker described)
Heterick, B.E., Kitching, R.L. 2022. The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of a one-hectare plot of lowland dipterocarp forest. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 158(4), 261–272 (doi:10.31184/m00138908.1584.4153).
Peeters C. & Yong G. 2017. Synchronized mass return of honeydew-gatherers in Prenolepis ants from Singapore. Asian Myrmecology 9:e009009:1-6
Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).
Williams, J. L. and J. S. LaPolla. 2016. Taxonomic revision and phylogeny of the ant genus Prenolepis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). 4200(2):201–258. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4200.2.1
Williams, J.L. 2022. Description of Prenolepis rinpoche sp. nov. from Nepal, with discussion of Asian Prenolepis species biogeography. Asian Myrmecology 15, e015008 (doi:10.20362/am.015008).