Romblonella

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Romblonella
Romblonella opaca
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Alliance: Paratopula genus group
Genus: Romblonella
Wheeler, W.M., 1935
Type species
Romblonella grandinodis (junior synonym of Romblonella opaca)
Diversity
10 species
(Species Checklist, Species by Country)

Romblonella opaca casent0178525 profile 1.jpg

Romblonella opaca

Romblonella opaca casent0178525 dorsal 1.jpg

Specimen Label

Most species have a very limited range, are rarely collected, and are known from only a few collections. Romblonella opaca is the exception. It is relatively widespread, known from small collections (1-5 workers) from four islands in the Philippines and its type locality in Indonesia.

Identification

Characterized by a robust, hard and compact body, stout propodeal spines, massive petiole and postpetiole, and gaster formed largely by the first tergite.

Taylor (1991) for the synonymized Willowsiella - Stereomyrmex and Romblonella share several features considered to indicate relationship between them. These include the general configuration of the mesosoma and nodes (despite the differences in the latter), and the fundamentally similar dental, fronto-clypeal, palpal and sting structures (the latter at least as visible without dissection). The two genera may be readily distinguished as follows:

Stereomyrmex - Antennae 11-jointed. Fronto-clypeal area strongly inflated. Antennal scrobes lacking. Petiole massively inflated (in S. dispar ), or somewhat scale-like and transverse (in S. anderseni). Postpetiole relatively small compared to petiole, transverse, and somewhat scale-like. Gaster emarginate at base, following the posterior outline of the postpetiole when viewed from above.

Romblonella - Antennae 12-jointed. Fronto-clypeal area unexceptionally inflated. Antenna scrobes strongly developed. Petiole somewhat globular but not unexceptionally inflated or transverse. Postpetiole of more normal proportions, subspherical, more-or-less as long as wide in dorsal view, at most only slightly smaller than petiole; usually larger. Gaster not basally emarginate.

Keys including this Genus

 

Distribution

Distribution and Richness based on AntMaps

Species by Region

Number of species within biogeographic regions, along with the total number of species for each region.

Afrotropical Region Australasian Region Indo-Australian Region Malagasy Region Nearctic Region Neotropical Region Oriental Region Palaearctic Region
Species 0 1 10 0 0 0 0 0
Total Species 2841 1736 3045 932 835 4379 1741 2862

Biology

Life History Traits

  • Mean colony size: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Compound colony type: not parasitic (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Nest site: arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Diet class: ? (Greer et al., 2021)
  • Foraging stratum: subterranean/leaf litter; arboreal (Greer et al., 2021)

Castes

Morphology

Worker Morphology

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• Antennal segment count: 12 • Antennal club: 3 • Palp formula: 5,3 • Spur formula: 0, 0 • Eyes: >100 ommatidia • Pronotal Spines: absent • Mesonotal Spines: absent • Propodeal Spines: present • Petiolar Spines: absent • Caste: none or weak • Sting: present • Metaplural Gland: present • Cocoon: absent

Male Morphology

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 • Antennal segment count 13 • Antennal club 0 • Palp formula 5,3 • Total dental count 6-7 • Spur formula 0, 0 • Notes: from literature

Phylogeny

Myrmicinae
Myrmicini
Pogonomyrmecini
Stenammini
Solenopsidini
Attini

Ochetomyrmex  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Tranopelta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Diaphoromyrma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lachnomyrmex  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Blepharidatta  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Allomerus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Wasmannia  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Pheidole  (1,294 species, 7 fossil species)

Cephalotes  (123 species, 16 fossil species)

Procryptocerus  (44 species, 0 fossil species)

Strumigenys  (880 species, 4 fossil species)

Phalacromyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Pilotrochus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Protalaridris  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Rhopalothrix  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Basiceros  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Octostruma  (35 species, 0 fossil species)

Eurhopalothrix  (55 species, 0 fossil species)

Talaridris  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthognathus  (7 species, 1 fossil species)

Daceton  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Lenomyrmex  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Microdaceton  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Orectognathus  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Colobostruma  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Epopostruma  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

Mesostruma  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Paleoattina

Apterostigma  (44 species, 2 fossil species)

Mycocepurus  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmicocrypta  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Neoattina

Cyatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Kalathomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetarotes  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetosoritis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex  (23 species, 2 fossil species)

some Cyphomyrmex

Paramycetophylax  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetophylax  (21 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetagroicus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Mycetomoellerius  (31 species, 1 fossil species)

Sericomyrmex  (11 species, 0 fossil species)

Xerolitor  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Paratrachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Trachymyrmex  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Amoimyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Atta  (20 species, 1 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex  (56 species, 0 fossil species)

some Acromyrmex

Pseudoatta  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogastrini

Rostromyrmex  (1 species, 6 fossil species)

Cardiocondyla  (90 species, 0 fossil species)

Ocymyrmex  (34 species, 0 fossil species)

Nesomyrmex  (84 species, 2 fossil species)

Xenomyrmex  (5 species, 0 fossil species)

Terataner  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Atopomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Cataulacus  (65 species, 3 fossil species)

Carebara  (251 species, 9 fossil species)

Diplomorium  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Melissotarsus  (4 species, 1 fossil species)

Rhopalomastix  (14 species, 0 fossil species)

Calyptomyrmex  (38 species, 0 fossil species)

Strongylognathus  (27 species, 0 fossil species), Tetramorium  (602 species, 2 fossil species)

Cyphoidris  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Dicroaspis  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Aretidris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Vollenhovia  (83 species, 3 fossil species)

Dacetinops  (7 species, 0 fossil species)

Indomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Crematogaster  (784 species, 0 fossil species)

Meranoplus  (93 species, 0 fossil species)

Lophomyrmex  (13 species, 0 fossil species)

Adlerzia  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Recurvidris  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Stereomyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Trichomyrmex  (29 species, 0 fossil species)

Eutetramorium  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Royidris  (15 species, 0 fossil species)

Malagidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Vitsika  (16 species, 0 fossil species)

Huberia  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Podomyrma  (62 species, 1 fossil species)

Liomyrmex  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Metapone  (31 species, 0 fossil species)

Kartidris  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Mayriella  (9 species, 0 fossil species)

Tetheamyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Dacatria  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Proatta  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Dilobocondyla  (22 species, 0 fossil species)

Secostruma  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Acanthomyrmex  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Myrmecina  (106 species, 0 fossil species)

Perissomyrmex  (6 species, 0 fossil species)

Pristomyrmex  (61 species, 3 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma  (36 species, 0 fossil species)

Propodilobus  (1 species, 0 fossil species)

Lasiomyrma  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Ancyridris  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

some Lordomyrma

Paratopula  (12 species, 0 fossil species)

Poecilomyrma  (2 species, 0 fossil species)

Romblonella  (10 species, 0 fossil species)

Rotastruma  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Gauromyrmex  (3 species, 0 fossil species)

Vombisidris  (19 species, 0 fossil species)

Temnothorax  (509 species, 7 fossil species)

Harpagoxenus  (4 species, 0 fossil species)

Formicoxenus  (8 species, 0 fossil species)

Leptothorax  (20 species, 0 fossil species)

See Phylogeny of Myrmicinae for details.

Nomenclature

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

  • ROMBLONELLA [Myrmicinae: Formicoxenini]
    • Romblonella Wheeler, W.M. 1935a: 5. Type-species: Romblonella grandinodis (junior synonym of Myrmica opaca), by original designation.

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

Description

Worker

Monomorphic, stout and thickset; integument hard, thick, very coarsely sculptured. Head subrectangular, with moderately large, convex eyes at the middle of the sides. Ocelli absent. Mandibles short, subtriangular, with strong, subequal teeth. Clypeus short and depressed on the sides, with broad, antero-posteriorly convex median portion, extending back between the frontal carinae, the anterior border without teeth. Frontal carinae widely separated, somewhat lobular and horizontal anteriorly, continued back to within a short distance of the posterior corners of the head as a pair of sharp, diverging ridges which form the mesial borders of distinct but shallow scrobes. Frontal area distinct but shallow; frontal groove absent. Antennae short, 12-jointed; funiculi enlarged toward the tip, forming a very distinct 3-jointed club which is as long as the remainder of the funiculus, first funicular joint enlarged, nearly twice as long as broad, joints 2-8 short and transverse. Thorax stout, evenly convex above, without promesonotal and mesoepinotal sutures. Epinotum armed with a pair of long spines, which are placed rather low. Petiole and post-petiole very large, nodiform, the former narrowed and subpedunculate anteriorly. Gaster broadly elliptical, formed very largely by the first segment. Sting small. Coxae small, legs stout, middle and hind tibiae spurless; tarsal claws simple.

References