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Axinidris namib
| Axinidris namib | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Axinidris |
| Species: | A. namib |
| Binomial name | |
| Axinidris namib Snelling, R.R., 2007 | |
Nothing is known about the biology of Axinidris namib.
Identification
Snelling (2007) - Scape shaft and pronotum and gastral terga 1-3 without erect hairs; hypostomal area with erect hairs; mesepisternum with distinct longitudinal rugae; medial carina present on posterior half of dorsal face of propodeum and continued down declivitous face.
The presence of a number of short erect hairs on the hypostomal area is unusual among the species of Axinidris, but does occur in several other species (Axinidris acholli, Axinidris lignicola, Axinidris stageri). From A. acholli, A. namib differs by its much smaller size and the less spectacularly developed medial carina and propodeal spines. Both A. lignicola and A. stageri possess conspicuous erect pronotal hairs.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -25.78333333° to -25.78333333°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Namibia (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. |
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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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Biology
Species of Axinidris appear to nest exclusively within hollow plant stems, both living and dead, and in rotten wood. They are found in forested areas throughout the Afrotropical region, but are most abundant and diverse in the moist equatorial forests. Workers are primarily arboreal foragers, but may occasionally forage in ground litter.
Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- namib. Axinidris namib Snelling, R.R. 2007: 568, figs. 7, 17, 27 (w.) NAMIBIA.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(mm) (n = 1). HW 0.81; HL 0.86; SL 0.64; El 0.24; OVD 0.31; PNW 0.51; PPW 0.36; WL 1.03. Indices. CI 94; CNI 100; SI 79; OI 30. Worker description. Frons and vertex moderately shiny, finely longitudinally strigulate between close minute punctures; gena shinier, finely coriarious between sparse shallow punctures; malar area shiny, sharply strigulate and sparsely punctate. Each frontal carina with a single erect hair at lower and upper ends; frons with a pair of very short submedian hairs below summit of vertex; scape shaft without erect hairs; hypostomal area with several short erect hairs on each side.
Dorsum of mesosoma without erect hairs. Pronotal disc moderately shiny and coriarious to strigulate between sparse minute punctures. Mesonotum smooth and shiny anteriorly, posterior three-fourths moderately shiny and with sparse fine longitudinal rugae. Mesepisternum shiny between relatively coarse more or less longitudinal rugae. Propodeal dorsum weakly shiny, contiguously punctate and with irregular short, fine rugae, side (below spiracle) shiny between sparse, short rugae; spiracular prominence distinct, spiracular opening directed obliquely distad; medial carina present on posterior half of dorsal face and on declivitous face, low and broadly rounded in profile at summit of declivity; propodeal spines short and nearly right-angular in dorsal view, distance between their apices less than distance between spiracles.
Gastral terga moderately shiny, coriarious between close minute punctures; terga 1-3 without erect hairs, 4 with one submedian pair near base.
Head and mesosoma reddish brown, mesosomal dorsum slightly darker; gaster darker reddish brown; clypeus and mandibles more yellowish.
Type Material
Holotype worker, NAMIBIA ("S. W. AFRICA"), Keetmans Dist., 1 km W Mata Mata, Welverdiend Farm No. 328 (25°47'S 19°59'E), 19 October 1972 (C.L. Hogue), in Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
Etymology
The name is derived from that of the country of origin and is here a noun in apposition.