Tetraponera nixa
Tetraponera nixa | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Pseudomyrmecinae |
Genus: | Tetraponera |
Species: | T. nixa |
Binomial name | |
Tetraponera nixa Ward, 2001 |
Ward (2001) - At the type locality it was collected in open Eucalyptus tetradonta forest (Majer personal communication) and on revegetated bauxite mine-sites (Majer 1984; as 'Tetraponera sp. WE108').
Identification
Ward (2001) - Tetraponera nixa is evidently closely related to Tetraponera nitida and differs primarily by the much denser (and very short) pilosity on the head, mesosoma and appendages. Given that the amount of pilosity varies considerably in northern populations of T. nitida (see above) I was initially inclined to treat the hairy forms from Australia as conspecific as well. Several lines of evidence suggest, however, that T. nixa is a distinct species. (1) Among a reasonably extensive series of nitida-like specimens examined from northern Australia and New Guinea (about 240 workers and 35 queens, from 70 localities) the amount of standing pilosity falls into two discrete classes (CSC 0-4 and MSC 0-10, v. CSC 15-25 and MSC 30-56), without the intermediates that are seen in northern populations of T. nitida. Nevertheless, among this large number of specimens, only seven workers and one queen (from four localities) are referable to T. nixa, so additional samples are desirable. (2) From one locality, Cairncross West I. on the Great Barrier Reef, there are collections of both forms (one worker each) (ANIC), establishing their sympatric occurrence. (3) In T. nixa, standing pilosity is common on the dorsum of the head and on the sides, a feature not seen in any T. nitida workers, including hairy individuals (“setifera”) from northern localities. (4) There are additional slight morphological differences between T. nixa and T. nitida, in the shapes of the profemur and mesosoma (see description above), and bivariate plots of some measurement ratios separate the two taxa. The differences are accentuated when T. nixa workers are compared with just those T. nitida workers coming from the same region (Australia, New Guinea).
Keys including this Species
- Key to Australian Tetraponera Species
- Key to Tetraponera of the Oriental and Australian regions
- Key to Tetraponera queens of the Oriental and Australian regions
Distribution
Tetraponera nixa appears to be restricted to Cape York Peninsula and adjacent Torres Strait islands.
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -9.383333333° to -12.66667°.
North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).
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
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- nixa. Tetraponera nixa Ward, 2001: 638, figs. 74, 81 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
HW 0.69-0.75, HL 0.81-0.88, LHT 0.50-0.54, CI 0.84-0.88, FCI 0.12-0.14, REL 0.46-0.49, REL2 0.55-0.56, SI 0.53-0.55, SI3 0.95-1.01, FI 0.43-0.47, PLI 0.64--0.67, PWI 0.50-0.52, PDI 1.02-1.11, LHT/HW 0.70-0.75, CSC 15-25, MSC 30-56.
Similar to T. nitida (see above), except as follows: profemur slightly less robust: FI 0.43-0.47 and FW/PL 0.53-0.58 (v. 0.45-0.55 and 0.58-0.70, respectively, in T. nitida); mesosoma more slender, on average: PrWM/HW 0.56-0.58 and MTW/HW 0.46-0.47 (v. 0.58-0.65 and 0.47-0.52, respectively, in Australian and New Guinea samples of T. nitida); patch of dense punctures on anterior portion of pronotum less extensive, more confined to the anterior margin. Short standing hairs (0.03-0.05mm long) common and conspicuous on most of body, including the upper surface of head, sides of head, scapes and tibiae, as well as the mesosoma, petiole, postpetiole and gaster; CSC approximately 15-25, MSC ≥30; standing hairs tending to grade into pubescence (so that setal counts are approximate only). Black to dark brownish-black, appendages dark to medium brown, becoming lighter yellowish-brown on scape, first funicular segment, protibial and tarsi.
Type Material
- Holotype, worker, Weipa, Queensland, Australia, July 1982, J. D. Majer, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 2 workers, Weipa, Queensland, Australia, July 1982, J. D. Majer, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 1 worker, Weipa, Queensland, Australia, July l982, J. D. Majer, Jonathan D. Majer Collection.
- Paratype, 1 worker, Weipa, Queensland, Australia, July 1982, J. D. Majer, Philip S. Ward Collection.
References
- Ward, P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy. 15:589-665. (page 638, figs. 74, 81 worker described)
- Subedi, I.P., Budha, P.B., Thapa, V.K. 2022. Ant genus Tetraponera Smith, 1852 in Nepal, with two new records and keys to workers (Formicidae: Pseudomyrmecinae). Journal of Institute of Science and Technology, 27(1): 93-99 (doi:10.3126/jist.v27i1.46661).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Ward P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 589-665.
- Ward, P. S. 2001. Taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of the ant genus Tetraponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Oriental and Australian regions. Invertebrate Taxonomy 15:589-665.