Aenictus fergusoni

Aenictus fergusoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Aenictus
Species:	A. fergusoni
Binomial name
Aenictus fergusoni Forel, 1901 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Aenictus fergusoni karawaiewi Wheeler, W.M. & Chapman, 1930 Aenictus fergusoni montanus Forel, 1901 Aenictus fergusoni piltzi Forel, 1901

Nothing is known about the biology of Aenictus fergusoni.

Identification

A member of the laeviceps species group.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Aenictus of India

Distribution

India, from the extreme south north to Darjeeling and Assam, thence SE to Burma and Java. This species is also most unusual in that it has been recorded from Great Nicobar Island, which is over 160 km from the nearest large land mass (Sumatra).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 22.88333333° to 8.333333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India (type locality), Myanmar, Nicobar Island, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam.
Palaearctic Region: China.

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

Brown & Fenner (1998) report this species conducting raids on the nests of an unknown Pseudolasius species at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.

Castes

Known only from the worker caste.

Wilson 1964 Army Ant fig 21-30

Nomenclature

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

• fergusoni. Aenictus fergusoni Forel, 1901a: 473 (w.) INDIA (Kerala).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: India: Travancore (Ferguson), and Travancore (Rothney).
  • Type-depositories: MHNG, NHMB.
  • Combination in A. (Typhlatta): Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199.
  • Status as species: Bingham, 1903: 18; Emery, 1910b: 29; Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199 (in key); Wheeler, W.M. 1930h: 57; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 12; Wilson, 1964a: 462; Wang, M., 1992: 679; Xu, 1994a: 119; Bolton, 1995b: 59; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42; Tiwari, 1999: 17; Mathew & Tiwari, 2000: 266; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 11; Wang, W. 2006: 637 (in key); Mohanraj, et al. 2010: 6; Bharti, Wachkoo & Kumar, 2012: 293 (in key); Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 22; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 21.
  • Senior synonym of karawaiewi: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 59; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.
  • Senior synonym of montanus: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 59; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.
  • Senior synonym of piltzi: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 59; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.
  • Distribution: China, India (+ Andaman Is), Myanmar, Thailand.
• karawaiewi. Aenictus (Typhlatta) fergusoni var. karawaiewi Wheeler, W.M. & Chapman, in Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199 (diagnosis in key) (w.) no locality given.
  • Type-material: holotype(?) worker.
  • [Note: no indication of number of specimens is given.]
  • Type-locality: none given, “Indomalayan Region”.
  • Type-depository: unknown (presumably MCZC).
  • Junior synonym of fergusoni: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 59; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.
• montanus. Aenictus fergusoni var. montanus Forel, 1901a: 474 (w.) INDIA (West Bengal).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: India:Darjeeling, 3000-8000 ft (Wroughton).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Combination in A. (Typhlatta): Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199.
  • Subspecies of fergusoni: Bingham, 1903: 18; Forel, 1906b: 90; Emery, 1910b: 30; Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199 (in key); Menozzi, 1939a: 327; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 13.
  • Junior synonym of fergusoni: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 60; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.
• piltzi. Aenictus fergusoni var. piltzi Forel, 1901a: 474 (w.) INDIA (Karnataka).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-localities: India: Kanara (Wroughton), and Surat Dist. (Wroughton).
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Combination in A. (Typhlatta): Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199.
  • Subspecies of fergusoni: Bingham, 1903: 18; Emery, 1910b: 30; Wheeler, W.M. 1930g: 199 (in key); Chapman & Capco, 1951: 13.
  • Junior synonym of fergusoni: Wilson, 1964a: 462; Bolton, 1995b: 60; Tang, J., Li, et al. 1995: 42.

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

Description

Worker

Wilson (1964) - Syntypes: HW 0.67 mm, HL 0.76 mm, SL 0.72 mm; other HW's in this series 0.63-0.72 mm. Antenna 10-segmented. Mandibles typical. Clypeus feebly convex, entire, armed with about 12 teeth. Parafrontal ridge very short, only 0.08 mm. Occiput convex, lacking distinct collar. Propodeal junction approximately right-angulate. Subpetiolar process a rounded lobe surmounted by a thin, downward-projecting flange. Pilosity moderately abundant, long; length of longest pronotal hairs 0.25 mm.

Head shining. Pronotum shining; remainder of mesosoma microreticulate and opaque, with traces of a few longitudinal rugae. Pedicel wholly shining except for the shagreened and subopaque peduncles. Head bearing yellow "Typhlatta spots"; otherwise head and mesosoma dark reddish brown. Pedicel and gaster somewhat lighter, medium reddish brown.

Type Material

Type locality: Tranvancore, India

References

• Borowiec, M.L. 2019. Convergent evolution of the army ant syndrome and congruence in big-data phylogenetics. Systematic Biology 68, 642–656 (doi:10.1093/sysbio/syy088).
• Brown, B.V., Fenner, D.H. 1998. Parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae) associated with army ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ecitoninae, Dorylinae) and their conservation biology. Biotropica 30: 482-487.
• Dias, R.K.S., Kosgamage, K.R.K.A. 2013. Occurrence and species diversity of ground-dwelling worker ants (Family: Formicidae) in selected lands in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Journal of Science of the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka 7: 55-72 (doi:10.4038/josuk.v7i0.6233).
• Dias, R.K.S., Rajapaksa, R.P.K.C. 2017. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: A review. Journal of Science of the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka 11, 23-45. (doi:10.4038/josuk.v11i2.7999).
• Forel, A. 1901a. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part VIII. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 462-477 (page 473, worker described)
• Khachonpisitsak, S., Yamane, S., Sriwichai, P., Jaitrong, W. 2020. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 998, 1–182 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.998.54902).
• Liu, C., Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., Yamane, S., Liu, Q., Peng, Y.Q., Economo, E.P., Guénard, B., Pierce, N.E. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. ZooKeys 978, 1–171 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.978.55767).
• Jaitrong, W. & Yamane, S. 2011. Synopsis of Aenictus species groups and revision of the A. currax and A. laeviceps groups in the eastern Oriental, Indo-Australian, and Australasian regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae). Zootaxa, 3128, 1–46. PDF
• Radchenko, A.G., Fisher, B.L., Esteves, F.A., Martynova, E.V., Bazhenova, T.N., Lasarenko, S.N. 2023. Ant type specimens (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the collection of Volodymyr Opanasovych Karawajew. Communication 1. Dorylinae, Poneromorpha and Pseudomyrmecinae. Zootaxa, 5244(1), 1–32 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5244.1.1).
• Wilson, E. O. 1964a. The true army ants of the Indo-Australian area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Pac. Insects 6: 427-483 (page 462, senior synonym of hodgsoni, karawaiewi, montanus and piltzi)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
• Chapman, J.W. and S.R. Capco. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monographs of the Institute of Science and Technology (Manila) 1: 1- 327
• Chen Y. Q., Q. Li, Y. L. Chen, Z. X. Lu, X. Y. Zhou. 2011. Ant diversity and bio-indicators in land management of lac insect agroecosystem in Southwestern China. Biodivers. Conserv. 20: 3017-3038.
• Dad J. M., S. A. Akbar, H. Bharti, and A. A. Wachkoo. 2019. Community structure and ant species diversity across select sites ofWestern Ghats, India. Acta Ecologica Sinica 39: 219–228.
• Dias R. K. S. 2002. Current knowledge on ants of Sri Lanka. ANeT Newsletter 4: 17- 21.
• Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
• Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
• Dias R. K. S., and K. R. K. Anuradha Kosgamage. 2012. Occurrence and species diversity of ground-dwelling worker ants (Family: Formicidae) in selected lands in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 7: 55-72.
• Dias R. K. S., and R. P. K. C. Rajapaksa. 2016. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: a review. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 11(2): 23-45.
• Dias, R.K.S. 2006. Overview of ant research in Sri Lanka: 2000-2004. ANeT Newsletter 8:7-10
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