Anochetus wiesiae

Anochetus wiesiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Anochetus
Species:	A. wiesiae
Binomial name
Anochetus wiesiae Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 Specimen labels

Anochetus wiesiae appears to be endemic to Hinchinbrook Island where it occurs in rainforest habitats. Most collections have been from sieved leaf litter but one is reported from pyrethrum knockdown. Whether this last collection represents arboreal foraging (unlikely) or by-catch (more likely) remains to be confirmed.

Identification

Propodeal angles produced as spines which are angled slightly anteriorly; sculpture on front of head extending well beyond eyes, extending approximately half-way between the level of the eyes and posterior margin; pronotum smooth and shining; erect hairs on hind tibiae present on all surfaces. This species differs from the otherwise similar Anochetus paripungens in the darker body colour, lack of shallow punctures on the pronotum, more anteriorly directed propodeal spines, slightly broader and flatter dorsal propodeal face, broader petiolar node with more strongly angled sides, and the presence of erect hairs on the hind tibiae. It is also only known from Hinchinbrook Island, Queensland while A. paripungens occurs in the Top End of the Northern Territory.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Anochetus Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.36666667° to -18.36666667°.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• wiesiae. Anochetus wiesiae Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012: 26, figs. 4, 18 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 9 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Queensland, Hinchinbrook I., Gayundah Creek, 18°22’S, 146°13’E, 10 m., 10.xi.1984, rainforest, sieved litter (Davies, Thompson & Gallon); paratypes: 4 workers with same data, 1 worker with same data but 11.xi.1984, 3 workers with same data but 9.xi.1984, 1 worker with same data but 8.xi.1984 (Monteith, Davies, Thompson & Gallon).
  • Type-depository: ANIC.
  • Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Hinchinbrook Island, Gayundah Creek, Queensland, 10m, Australia, 18°22′S 146°13′E, 10 November 1984, Davies, Thompson & Gallon, ANIC32-015931, Australian National Insect Collection; rainforest, sieved litter.
• Paratype, 4 workers, Hinchinbrook Island, Gayundah Creek, Queensland, 10m, Australia, 18°22′S 146°13′E, 10 November 1984, Davies, Thompson & Gallon, ANIC32-059595, Australian National Insect Collection; rainforest, sieved litter.
• Paratype, 1 worker, Hinchinbrook Island, Gayundah Creek, Queensland, 10m, Australia, 18°22′S 146°13′E, 11 November 1984, Davies, Thompson & Gallon, ANIC32-015938, Australian National Insect Collection; rainforest, sieved litter.
• Paratype, 3 workers, Hinchinbrook Island, Gayundah Creek, Queensland, 10m, Australia, 18°22′S 146°13′E, 9 November 1984, Davies, Thompson & Gallon, ANIC32-015832, Australian National Insect Collection; rainforest, sieved litter.
• Paratype, 1 worker, Hinchinbrook Island, Gayundah Creek, Queensland, 10m, Australia, 18°22′S 146°13′E, 8 November 1984, Monteith, Davies, Thompson & Gallon, ANIC32-015933, Australian National Insect Collection; rainforest, sieved litter.

Description

Worker description. Sculpturing on front of head extending approximately half way between the level of the eyes and posterior margin. Scapes not reaching posterolateral corners ('lobes') of head; with abundant, appressed pubescence and a few scattered erect hairs. Eyes relatively small (EL < 0.22mm). Pronotum and mesonotum smooth and shining. Anterior section of pronotum with transverse wrinkles and ridges. Dorsum of propodeum rounded laterally, sculptured with coarse transverse ridges; erect hairs present. Propodeal spines strongly produced and pointed anteriorly. Metapleuron mostly smooth and shining. Dorsolateral corners of petiolar node with very long spines. Erect hairs on hind tibiae present on all surfaces. Colour dark brown-black, head brown, antennae, mandibles and legs brown-yellow.

Measurements. Worker (n = 5): CI 90–92; EI 16–17; EL 0.19–0.21; HL 1.30–1.33; HW 1.17–1.22; HFL 1.15–1.21; ML 1.51–1.53; MandL 0.72–0.77; MTL 0.84–0.85; PronI 56–59; PronW 0.66–0.71; SI 91–97; SL 1.09–1.13.

References

• Shattuck, S.O. & Slipinska, E. 2012. Revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Anochetus (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Zootaxa 3426, 1–28.