Dolichoderus rufotibialis

Dolichoderus rufotibialis
Dolichoderus rufotibialis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Dolichoderini
Genus:	Dolichoderus
Species group:	scabridus
Species:	D. rufotibialis
Binomial name
Dolichoderus rufotibialis Clark, 1930 Specimen labels

Dolichoderus rufotibialis is found in open forested habitats such as dry sandy sclerophyll and heath of coastal south-western Western Australia. Foraging is on the ground with nests under rocks and logs.

Photo Gallery

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  A Dolichoderus rufotibialis worker from the summit of Bluff Knoll, Gnowangerup, Stirling Ranges, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 25 December 2009.
• 

  A Dolichoderus rufotibialis worker from the summit of Bluff Knoll, Gnowangerup, Stirling Ranges, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 25 December 2009.

Identification

Pronotum rounded, lacking spines; propodeum with elongate spines directed upward at angle of 45° or less to horizontal plane, the angle between them at least 90°; dorsum of petiolar node angular, base of propodeal spines forming a "V" with a narrowly rounded angle connecting their bases; legs long and bicoloured.

This species most closely resembles Dolichoderus niger and Dolichoderus ypsilon but can be distinguished by the dark femora and lightly coloured tibiae of D. rufotibialis compared to the uniformly coloured legs in D. niger (dark-brown) and D. ypsilon (light red or orange).

Identification Keys including this Taxon

• Key to Australian Dolichoderus Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -34.43333° to -35°.

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.

• rufotibialis. Dolichoderus (Hypoclinea) ypsilon var. rufotibialis Clark, 1930b: 259, fig. 9 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Raised to species: Shattuck & Marsden, 2013: 132.

Type Material

• Syntype, 11 workers (1 missing head), Albany, Western Australia, Australia, 35°0′0″S 117°52′0″E, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
• Syntype, 1 worker, Albany, Western Australia, Australia, 35°0′0″S 117°52′0″E, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
• Syntype, 6 workers, Albany, Western Australia, Australia, 35°0′0″S 117°52′0″E, National Museum of Natural History.

Description

Worker

Clark (1930) - Differs from Dolichoderus ypsilon, as follows:

Apical margins of the mandibles, trochanters, knees, tibia and tarsi red; antennae and femora brown. The spines of the epinotum shorter and thicker, the dorsum of the epinotum longer. The mesonotum level, with the pronotum and epinotum forming almost a straight back. The tooth on the side of the mesonotum much less pronounced. The node thinner below, much more convex behind.

Shattuck and Marsden (2013) - All specimens are morphologically similar.

Measurements (n=5). CI 92–98; EI 23–24; EL 0.26–0.31; HL 1.19–1.43; HW 1.10–1.23; ML 1.59–2.11; MTL 0.99–1.35; PronI 70.36–75.71; PronW 0.77–0.99; SI 106–117; SL 1.17–1.51.

References

• Clark, J. 1930b. The Australian ants of the genus Dolichoderus (Formicidae). Sugenus Hypoclinea Mayr. Aust. Zool. 6: 252-268 (page 259, fig. 9 worker described)
• Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
• Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
• Shattuck, S.O. & Marsden, S. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716, 101–143 (doi 10.11646/zootaxa.3716.2.1).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Shattuck S. O., and S. Marsden. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716(2): 101-143.