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Iridomyrmex elongatus
| Iridomyrmex elongatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Tribe: | Leptomyrmecini |
| Genus: | Iridomyrmex |
| Species: | I. elongatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Iridomyrmex elongatus Heterick & Shattuck, 2011
| |
This species has been collected in well separated sites in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Pitfall trapped material indicates that it is a terrestrial forager, but few samples have been collected and nothing more is known of its biology.
Identification
The physical appearance of I. elongatus is suggestive of Iridomyrmex bicknelli, but the former is a brown ant and possesses erect setae on the hind tibiae (hind tibiae glabrous in I. bicknelli). However, a convex posterior margin of the head is common to both ants, and that feature, along with the erect hind tibial setae, is sufficient to characterise I. elongatus.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -19.311143° to -27.04999924°.
| 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. |
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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.
- elongatus. Iridomyrmex elongatus Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 79, figs. 34, 92 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
Type Material
- Holotype, worker, Kunoth Park near Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia, 3-6 February 1975, P. J. M. Greenslade, ANIC32-032498, Australian National Insect Collection; traps.
- Paratype, 3 workers, 5mi. ENE Terhans Roadhouse, Western Australia, Australia, 15 October 1960, McInnes & Dowse, ANIC32-041281, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 3 workers, 5mi. ENE Terhans Roadhouse, Western Australia, Australia, 15 October 1960, McInnes & Dowse, ANIC32-041931, The Natural History Museum.
- Paratype, 1 worker, 1 queen, 1 male, 37mi. SW Mundiwindi, Western Australia, Australia, 27 April 1963, McInnes & Dowse, ANIC32-041029, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 1 worker, 1 queen, 1 male, 37mi. SW Mundiwindi, Western Australia, Australia, 27 April 1963, McInnes & Dowse, ANIC32-041029, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Description
Worker Description. Head. Posterior margin of head strongly convex; erect setae on posterior margin in full- face view, present in small aggregations on one or both sides of posterior margin of head; sides of head straight or weakly convex; erect genal setae present on sides of head in full-face view. Ocelli absent; in full-face view, eyes set above midpoint of head capsule; in profile, eye set anteriad of head capsule; eye semi-circular, or asymmetrical, curvature of inner eye margin more pronounced than that of its outer margin. Frontal carinae convex; antennal scape surpassing posterior margin of head by at least 0.5 x its length. Erect setae on scape absent, except at tip; prominence on anteromedial clypeal margin always completely absent; mandible elongate triangular with oblique basal margin; long, curved setae on venter of head capsule absent. Mesosoma. Pronotum weakly undulant or almost straight. Erect pronotal setae moderate in number (6-12), short and bristly. Mesonotum evenly curved. Erect mesonotal setae sparse to absent. Mesothoracic spiracles always inconspicuous; propodeal dorsum straight and short (equal in length to propodeal declivity); placement of propodeal spiracle mesad, more than its diameter away from propodeal declivity; propodeal angle present as a bluntly defined acute angle, the propodeal dorsum conical in shape. Erect propodeal setae moderate in number (6-12), short and bristly. Petiole. Dorsum of node planar; node thick, orientation more-or-less vertical. Gaster. Non-marginal erect setae of gaster present on first gastral tergite; marginal erect setae of gaster present on first tergite. General characters. Allometric differences between workers of same nest absent. Colour of foreparts tawny orange-brown, gaster and legs brown to dark brown. Colour of erect setae pale yellow.
Measurements. Worker (n = 3)—CI 80–82; EI 29–30; EL 0.24–0.25; EW 0.19–0.20; HFL 1.71–1.74; HL 1.02–1.03; HW 0.82–0.85; ML 1.60–1.64; MTL 1.17–1.20; PpH 0.18–0.22; PpL 0.61–0.62; SI 151–154; SL 1.26– 1.28.
Etymology
Latin: reference is made to the gracile appearance of the ant.
References
- [[Media:Heterick & Shattuck.pdf|Heterick, B.E. & Shattuck, S.O. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2845:*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).
1-175.]]