Probolomyrmex latalongus

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Probolomyrmex latalongus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Proceratiinae
Tribe: Probolomyrmecini
Genus: Probolomyrmex
Species: P. latalongus
Binomial name
Probolomyrmex latalongus
Shattuck, Gunawardene & Heterick, 2012

Probolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011632 side 63-AntWiki.jpg

Probolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011632 top 63-AntWiki.jpg

Specimen labels

This is by far the most widely distributed species of Probolomyrmex in Australia. It ranges across northern Australia from Barrow Island in the west to Cape York Peninsula in the east. It also occurs in a wide range of habitats, from rainforests on Cape York Peninsula to Eucalyptus woodland in the Top End of the Northern Territory (Andersen et al., 2006) to grasslands on Barrow Island, Western Australia. Most encounters have been from leaf litter samples but one collection involved pitfall traps while another was a queen from a flight intercept trap.

Identification

Petiolar node relatively short and broad and with the anterior and dorsal faces separated by a convexity; subpetiolar process forming a rounded 90° angle anteriorly; body small (HW < 0.33mm, ML < 0.65mm) and head narrow (CI < 66).

Probolomyrmex latalongus is similar to Probolomyrmex greavesi (from Australia) and Probolomyrmex vieti (from Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia). It differs from both by its smaller size and from P. vieti by the anteriorly angular subpetiolar process (the process having an anterior tooth in P. vieti).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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.
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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.
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Biology

Castes

Probolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011642 head 100-AntWiki.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011642 labels-AntWiki.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011642 side 80-AntWiki.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus ANIC32-011642 top 80-AntWiki.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 D.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 H.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 L.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 P 1.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 P 2.jpgProbolomyrmex latalongus CASENT0217323 P 3.jpg
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Nomenclature

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

  • latalongus. Probolomyrmex latalongus Shattuck, Gunawardene & Heterick, 2012: 44, figs. 3, 7 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia).
    • Type-material: holotype worker, 16 paratype workers.
    • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Northern Territory, Darwin, Solar Village survey, unburnt slope 1, ii.2002, litter sample (A.N. Andersen); paratypes with same data.
    • Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, TERC (paratypes).
    • Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

Description

Worker description. Body ferruginous brown. Head in full-face view with weakly convex sides and very shallowly concave occipital border. Eye absent. Antenna relatively short. Dorsal outline of mesosoma straight; posterior margin of dorsum of propodeum in dorsal view weakly concave; posterior face of propodeum separated from sides by a sharp angle, the lamella being very weakly developed. Petiole including subpetiolar process slightly higher than long, in profile with relatively steep anterior face and straight posterior outline; posterodorsal margin of petiolar node in dorsal view very weakly concave; subpetiolar process developed; its anteroventral portion forming a rounded 90° angle; posteroventral portion of subpetiolar process forming a blunt tooth; ventral surface straight to concave. Abdominal segment III (gastral segment I) in profile relatively short, gently narrowed anteriad in the anterior 2/3; abdominal sternum III weakly and uniformly convex.

Measurements. Worker (n=9)—CI 62–65; DPetW 0.13–0.16; HL 0.46–0.51; HTL 0.25–0.30; HW 0.29–0.32; LPetI 88–98; ML 0.54–0.65; PetH 0.20–0.24; PetNL 0.19–0.22; PronW 0.22–0.25; SI 79–91; SL 0.24–0.28

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Shattuck S. O., N. R. Gunawardene, and B. Heterick. 2012. A revision of the ant genus Probolomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Proceratiinae) in Australia and Melanesia. Zootaxa 3444: 40-50.