Cyphoidris werneri

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Cyphoidris werneri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Cyphoidris
Species: C. werneri
Binomial name
Cyphoidris werneri
Bolton, 1981

Cyphoidris werneri casent0900965 p 1 high.jpg

Cyphoidris werneri casent0900965 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Identification

C. werneri is the only known species of this genus from East Africa. It is easily distinguished from its congeners in West and Central Africa by its strong blanketing alitrunkal sculpture and by the fact that the propodeal dorsum continues the steep slope of the posterior part of the mesonotum. Apart from these features werneri lacks the gastral shagreening typical of Cyphoidris parissa, is much more densely hairy than Cyphoidris exalta, and has shorter scapes and generally much coarser sculpture than Cyphoidris spinosa. (Bolton 1981)

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Rwanda (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

  • werneri. Cyphoidris werneri Bolton, 1981b: 259 (w.) RWANDA.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 3.7, HL 0.91, HW 0.83, CI 91, SL 0.62, SI 75, PW 0.63, AL 1.08.

Mandibles smooth and shining with scattered small pits, the apical margin armed with 10-11 small denticles. Anterior margin of clypeus conspicuously impressed medially. Narrow median portion of clypeus bicarinate above. Frontal carinae strongly developed and forming the dorsal margins of the broad but shallow antennal scrobes, the carinae diverging posteriorly and fading out well before reaching the occipital margin. Separation of the frontal carinae at the level of the midlengths of the eyes c. 0.37, about 0.45 x HW. Eyes longer than wide, their maximum diameter 0.17, about 0.20 x HW. Alitrunk with promesonotum swollen but not more or less evenly convex in profile as is usual in the genus. Instead there is a long plateau-like dorsum which is much less strongly convex than the ascending face of the pronotum in front or the descending face of the mesonotum behind. Propodeal dorsum in profile continuing the downward slope of the mesonotum, the surfaces not separable. Propodeal spines with their extreme apical portions upcurved. Metapleural lobes low and broadly triangular. Alitrunk in dorsal view broadest across the pronotal shoulders, evenly narrowing posteriorly. Petiole node low and quite small in profile, its dorsal surface sloping downwards posteriorly and the anterodorsal angle better defined than the posterodorsal which tends to round into the posterior face. In dorsal view nodes of both petiole and postpetiole conspicuously broader than long and the latter much broader than the former. Dorsum of head predominantly longitudinally rugose, the rugae irregular and with cross-meshes developing behind the level of the eyes. Cross-meshes increase in density posteriorly and a rugoreticulum is present occipitally. Sides of head below the scrobes finely reticulate-rugose, the scrobes themselves much less strongly sculptured than the rest of the head, being mostly smooth with a few feeble transverse rugulae. Entire dorsum of alitrunk very densely strongly and closely reticulate-rugulose, the reticular meshes small and the rugulae raised so that in places the surface appears reticulate-foveolate. Dorsal surfaces of rugulae with a beaded appearance due to presence of aligned minute punctures; the entire surface blanketed with sculpture, without smooth areas. Sides of alitrunk similarly but more loosely sculptured, the pleurae and sides of propodeum with smooth areas between the more widely separated rugulae. Propodeal declivity smooth, with vestiges of transverse rugulae between the spines. Nodes of petiole and postpetiole both dorsally and laterally sculptured as dorsal alitrunk. First gastral tergite unsculptured except for fairly conspicuous pits from which hairs arise. All dorsal surfaces of head and body densely clothed with short fine curved hairs which are sub decumbent to decumbent. Long hairs absent except on clypeus and a row on the upper surface of each frontal carina. Colour blackish brown with a dull reddish tint, the latter most apparent on the sides of the alitrunk. Antennae and legs dull orange-yellow.

Paratypes. TL 3.5-3.8, HL 0.84-0.92, HW 0.76-0.84, CI 90-93, SL 0.60-0.66, SI 74-79, PW 0.58-0.64, AL 0.98-1.08 (14 measured). As holotype but maximum diameter of eye 0.15-0.17, about 0.18-0.20 x HW.

Type Material

Holotype worker, Rwanda: Rangiro, ix.1976, litter (P. Werner) (Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève). Paratypes. 14 workers with same data as hoiotype (MHNG, The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology).

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Bolton B. 1981. A revision of six minor genera of Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Ethiopian zoogeographical region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 43: 245-307.
  • Taylor R. W. 2009. Ants of the genus Lordomyrma Emery (1) generic synonymy, composition and distribution, with notes on Ancyridris Wheeler and Cyphoidris Weber (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Zootaxa 1979: 16-28.