Technomyrmex dubius

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Technomyrmex dubius
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Dolichoderinae
Genus: Technomyrmex
Species: T. dubius
Binomial name
Technomyrmex dubius
Bolton, 2007

Technomyrmex dubius casent0249782 p 1 high.jpg

Technomyrmex dubius casent0249782 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

One collection of this species is noted as being found in a forest. Heterick & Kitching (2022) collected this species in the canopy of a lowland dipterocarp forest in Brunei.


Identification

Bolton (2007) - A member of the Technomyrmex textor group. This small species is closely related to Technomyrmex textor and mostly matches the description of that species. However, dubius has smaller eyes (textor OI 27 - 30) and the outer margins of the eyes are conspicuously further from the sides of the head than in textor. In the latter species the outer margins of the eyes in full-face view usually just touch the outline of the sides. In some they just fail to touch, but in these the separation of eye margin from outline of side of head is only a tiny fraction of the basal width of the scape.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 6.199999809° to -6.3°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, New Guinea, Sulawesi.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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.
pChart

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.
pChart

Biology

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Technomyrmex dubius casent0903050 h 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex dubius casent0903050 p 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex dubius casent0903050 d 1 high.jpgTechnomyrmex dubius casent0903050 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Technomyrmex dubiusWorker. Specimen code casent0903050. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

  • dubius. Technomyrmex dubius Bolton, 2007a: 78 (w.) INDONESIA (Sulawesi).

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

Bolton (2007) - Two collections from Sabah, each of a single specimen are currently referred to this species but with some doubt. The first, from Mahua Waterfall (Kagoshima University, Faculty of Science), matches the dubius types in most respects but is slightly larger (HW 0.48), has somewhat longer scapes (SI 98), and has a relatively long propodeal dorsum, the straight-line dorsal length being greater than the depth of the declivity to the spiracle. The second, from Kalabakan (Australian National Insect Collection) has very slightly longer scapes (SI 96) and eyes that are located somewhat more posteriorly (EPI 60). Both specimens are being included in dubius for the present, until more material becomes available for analysis.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 2.3, HL 0.52, HW 0.45, SL 0.42, PW 0.31, WL 0.65. Indices: CI 87, SI 93, OI 24, EPI 48, DTI 142.

Dorsum of head behind clypeus entirely lacks setae. Anterior clypeal margin with a broad but very shallow median impression. Posterior margin of head in full-face view with a median indentation. Eyes small and located very far forward on the head (EPI 48); in full-face view the outer margins of the eyes are conspicuously inset from the outline of the sides, a distance almost equal to the basal width of the scape. Dorsal surfaces of mesosoma, and declivity of propodeum, entirely lack setae. In profile the mesonotal dorsal outline with a horizontally flat, or nearly flat, anterior section and a shorter, much more steeply sloped declivitous surface posteriorly, the two separated by a distinct angle or step in the outline. Propodeal dorsum convex in profile and meeting the declivity through a blunt angle; straight-line length of dorsum distinctly less than depth of declivity to the spiracle. Gastral tergites 1 - 3 without setae, gastral tergite 4 with two pairs of setae present. Head, mesosoma, petiole, legs and gaster a more or less uniform dull yellow.

Paratypes. TL 2.0 - 2.2, HL 0.49 - 0.51, HW 0.44 - 0.45, SL 0.40 - 0.42, PW 0.31, WL 0.63 - 0.64 (2 measured). Indices: CI 88 - 90, SI 91 - 93, OI 24 - 25, EPI 46 - 48, DTI 132 - 138. As holotype.

Type Material

Holotype worker (top specimen of 3 on pin), Indonesia: Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone N,P., ii.1985 (N Stork) (The Natural History Museum). Paratypes. 2 workers (middle and bottom specimens on same pin), with same data (BMNH).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 2007. Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35(1): 1-150.
  • Bolton, B. "Taxonomy of the dolichoderine ant genus Technomyrmex Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) based on the worker caste." Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 35, no. 1 (2007): 1-149.
  • CSIRO Collection
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.