Stictoponera binghamii

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Stictoponera binghamii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ectatomminae
Tribe: Ectatommini
Genus: Stictoponera
Species: S. binghamii
Binomial name
Stictoponera binghamii
(Forel, 1900)

Gnamptogenys-binghamiiL2.jpg

Gnamptogenys-binghamiiD2.jpg

Synonyms

This species has the largest distribution range of any Stictoponera species.


Photo Gallery

  • Gnamptogenys binghamii worker from Kerala, India. Photo by Kalesh Sadasivan.‎
  • Gnamptogenys binghamii colony from Kerala, India. Photo by Kalesh Sadasivan.‎
  • Gnamptogenys binghamii workers, larvae and pupae, India. Photo by Kalesh Sadasivan.

Identification

Lattke (2004) - Head subquadrate in frontal view, lateral margins broadly convex and subparallel, anterior margin of clypeal lamella with anteromedian lobe convex to bluntly pointed; occipital lobes small or obsolescent. Mesosoma with broadly convex dorsal margins in lateral view, declivitous margin concave; petiolar node with evenly convex dorsal margin in lateral view; ventral petiolar process subquadrate to triangular with posterior angle. Also see the nomenclature section below.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Lattke (2004) - Stictoponera binghamii is the most widely distributed species, found from India to Papua New Guinea, as well as in the Philippines.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.78° to -8.883330345°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia (type locality), New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore.
Oriental Region: India, Laos, Myanmar (type locality), Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China.

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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Habitat

Lattke (2004) - Habitat labels indicate that S. binghamii mostly inhabits mesic forested areas, from lowlands to about 1500m, including dipterocarp-mixed forests and pine-oak forest in northern Thailand.

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Gnamptogenys binghamii casent0217482 h 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0217482 p 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0217482 d 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0217482 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0217482. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Gnamptogenys binghamii casent0905738 h 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0905738 p 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0905738 d 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0905738 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Stictoponera borneensisWorker. Specimen code casent0905738. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Gnamptogenys binghamii casent0907195 h 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0907195 p 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0907195 d 1 high.jpgGnamptogenys binghamii casent0907195 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Gnamptogenys binghamiiWorker. Specimen code casent0907195. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Gnamptogenys binghamii casent0179977 p 3 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0179977. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MIZA, Maracay, Venezuela.

Nomenclature

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

  • binghamii. Ectatomma (Stictoponera) binghamii Forel, 1900d: 317 (w.) MYANMAR.
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Myanmar (“Burma”): (no further data) (Bingham).
    • Type-depository: MHNG (perhaps also in OXUM).
    • Viehmeyer, 1916a: 112 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1976a: 43 (l.); Imai, et al. 1984: 67 (k.).
    • Combination in Gnamptogenys: Brown, 1958g: 227, subsequent authors;
    • combination in Ectatomma: Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 28 (error, anachronism);
    • combination in Stictoponera: Emery, 1911d: 47; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
    • Status as species: Bingham, 1903: 83; Emery, 1911d: 47; Viehmeyer, 1916a: 112; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 29; Brown, 1954h: 5; Brown, 1958g: 227; Baltazar, 1966: 235; Bolton, 1995b: 208; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 28; Lattke, 2004: 86 (redescription); Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 23; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 102; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 35; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 27; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 23; Jaitrong, Guénard, et al. 2016: 26; Chen, et al. 2017: 108 (in key); Khachonpisitsak, et al. 2020: 37; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
    • Senior synonym of borneensis: Brown, 1954h: 5; Bolton, 1995b: 208; Lattke, 2004: 86; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.
    • Distribution: China, India, Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsula, Sabah, Sarawak), Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines (Negros), Thailand.
  • borneensis. Stictoponera borneensis Emery, 1900d: 662 (footnote) (w.) BORNEO (East Malaysia: Sarawak).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Malaysia (“Borneo”): Sarawak (Doria & Beccari).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 47; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 50; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 29.
    • Junior synonym of binghamii: Brown, 1954h: 5; Bolton, 1995b: 208; Lattke, 2004: 86; Camacho, Franco, Branstetter, et al. 2022: 12.

Type Material

Taxonomic Notes

Lattke (2004) - Most specimens studied fall into two allopatric morphotypes. Larger specimens have abundant strigulae on the scapes, a convex anteromedian clypeal margin, propodeal denticles with parallel sides, slightly arched and basally bent metacoxal teeth, and smooth cuticle on the dorsoposterior margin of the fourth abdominal tergite. They are found from western Malaysia to Borneo and into the Philippines. Smaller forms bear more resemblance to the syntypes of G. binghamii (especially those from Kottiyor, India, [MCZC]) and tend to have less strigulate scapes, a narrow posterior band of striae on the fourth abdominal tergite, triangular propodeal denticles, straight metacoxal teeth, and the clypeal lamella produced anteromedially as a blunt denticle or angle. This smaller form is found from India to Thailand, with a single specimen recorded from Borneo. The large eastern forms have smaller eyes than the smaller-bodied western populations. Besides these two morphotypes, there are a few specimens from Thailand representing intermediate forms and a nest series of small forms from Borneo with a smooth posterior margin on the fourth abdominal dorsum, strigulose scapes, and a clypeal lamella with an anteromedian point. Specimens from the Philippines and New Guinea have a larger degree of smooth cuticle on the petiolar node and propodeal dorsum, including the fourth abdominal sternite. They may also have a triangular subpetiolar process without a posterior angle.

The illustration of S. binghamii in Tang et al. (1995:28) is not S. binghamii but could be a member of the taivanensis group based on the compressed petiolar node. Stictoponera crassicornis (of the coxalis group) could be confused with S. binghamii, but S. crassicornis has smaller eyes, a more flattened petiolar dorsum when seen laterally, strigulae on most of the fourth abdominal tergite in lateral view, and antennal segments 3-4 longer than wide. In S. binghamii the fourth abdominal tergite when seen dorsally in full-length view has evenly convex lateral margins that gradually converge with each other posterad; in S. crassicornis the tergite is roughly funnel shaped with the anterolateral margins abruptly converging for a short distance before gradually converging posterad. Wheeler and Wheeler (1976:43) described larvae of S. binghamii from Sulawesi and Imai et al. (1984) described the karyotype. Viehmeyer (1916:112) described the queen and male of S. binghamii, though the male probably represents a different species. A single male from Singapore (H. Overbeck leg) in the [MHNG] is labeled as a cotype of Stictoponera binghamii, yet Forel (1900) described the species from workers only. This male has abundant rugosities on the postpetiolar tergite, fine strigulae on the fourth abdominal tergite, and a triangular subpetiolar process, all characters that are not found on workers associated with S. binghamii males.

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

Description

Worker

Lattke 2004 Gnamptogenys fig 16-18

Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 22): HL 1.05-1.35, HW 0.86-1.07, ML 0.54-0.65, SL 0.78-1.11, ED 0.16-0.26, WL 1.39-1.78 mm. CI 0.76-0.88, SI 0.88-1.05, MI 0.55-0.65, OI 0.17-0.28. Head subquadrate in frontal view, lateral margins broadly convex and subparallel, anterior margin of clypeal lamella with anteromedian convex to bluntly pointed lobe; frons rugulose-punctate with fine striae on transverse arcs between punctae; clypeus longitudinally strigulose, with strigulae partially extending onto lamella; scape varies from mostly smooth to mostly strigulose; occipital lobes small, occipital lamella well developed, convex to slightly angular at ends.

Mesosoma with broadly convex dorsal margin in lateral view; pronotum with lamellate humeral angle; mesosomal dorsum foveolate with longitudinal median smooth area extending from posterior pronotum to mesonotum; propodeal dorsum densely foveolate, side mostly foveolate, propodeal declivity concave to convex in lateral view, propodeal declivity mostly smooth; propodeal denticles low, triangular or subcylindrical. Dorsal margin of petiolar node usually evenly convex in lateral view, dorsal margin varies from dome shaped to slightly flattened dorsally; dorsum usually densely foveolate; ventral process subquadrate to triangular, usually with posterior angle; postpetiolar dorsum punctate or foveolate, with posterior band of narrow strigulae; sternum with transverse strigulae; dorsum of abdominal segment 4 mostly smooth with scattered punctulae or punctae, depressions denser and deeper on sides, small strigulose area occasionally present on anterolateral corner, sternum strigulose. Fore coxa mostly smooth anterad in lateral view and transversely strigulose posterad; fore tarsus opposite strigil with single seta followed apically by row of slenderer setae; metacoxal tooth relatively straight. Dorsum of thorax and abdominal segments 1-4 with scattered erect to subdecumbent hairs. Body color ranging from dark brown to ferruginous; mandibles, antennae, legs lighter colored.

Queen

Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 1.46, HW 1.13, ML 0.75, SL 1.20, ED 0.28, WL 2.07 mm. CI 0.77, SI 1.06, MI 0.66, OI 0.25. Pronotum foveolate; mesopleuron foveolate with low longitudinal striae; mesonotum with scattered punctae and low longitudinal undulations, propodeal dorsum densely foveolate.

Male

Lattke (2004) - Metrics (n = 1): HL 0.93, HW 0.82, ML 0.52, SL 0.30, ED 0.33, WL 1.73 mm. CI 0.88, SI 0.37, MI 0.63, OI 0.40. Frons strigulose, becoming irregularly areolate laterally; with longitudinal crest extending from posterior margin of clypeus to anterior margin of median ocellus, clypeus mostly smooth with few longitudinal strigulae, anterior margin of clypeal lamella forming blunt obtuse angle. Pronotum foveolate; mesonotum mostly smooth with few scattered foveolae; mesopleuron mostly smooth with scattered foveolae; metapleuron mostly rugulose; propodeal dorsum areolate-rugulose. Postpetiole mostly smooth with scattered foveolae and low longitudinal strigulae; fourth abdominal tergite smooth.

Karyotype

  • n = 22 (Malaysia) (Imai et al., 1983; Mariano et al., 2015).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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