Melophorus marius
Melophorus marius | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Formicidae |
Subfamily: | Formicinae |
Tribe: | Melophorini |
Genus: | Melophorus |
Species: | M. marius |
Binomial name | |
Melophorus marius Forel, 1910 | |
Synonyms | |
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Identification
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -16.3895° to -16.8608°.
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. |
Biology
Castes
Images from AntWeb
Worker. Specimen code antweb1008661. Photographer Lucinda Gibson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by MVMA, Melbourne, Australia. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- marius. Melophorus marius Forel, 1910b: 66 (s.) AUSTRALIA.
- Combination in M. (Erimelophorus): Wheeler, W.M. 1935c: 71.
- Status as species: Emery, 1925b: 12; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 250.
- Junior synonym of biroi: Heterick, et al. 2017: 162.
- Status as species: Heterick, 2021: 18.
- propinquus. Melophorus fieldi var. propinqua Viehmeyer, 1925a: 36 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
- Subspecies of fieldi: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 123; Bolton, 1995b: 250.
- Junior synonym of biroi: Heterick, et al. 2017: 162.
- Junior synonym of marius: Heterick, 2021: 18.
Type Material
- Melophorus marius: Holotype, worker, Tennant Creek, Nothern Territory, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
- Melophorus fieldi propinqua: Syntype, worker(s), Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia, Berlin Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität.
Taxonomic Notes
Heteric (2021): Syntype specimen code ANT44020 (Melophorus biroi) illustrated on AntWeb and regarded by Heterick et al. (2017) as a senior synonym of M. marius and Melophorus fieldi propinquus is identical with what is ‘castanopus’ in Heterick et al. (2017). The former names were synonymised under Melophorus biroi based on a less detailed image of the same ant, and the new evidence reveals ‘marius’ and ‘fieldi propinqua’ are not in fact conspecific with ‘biroi’. Melophorus biroi is here treated as a senior synonym of Melophorus castanopus, and M. marius is given revived status as a senior synonym of M. fieldi propinqua. ‘Melophorus marius’ needs to be revisited as the molecular data indicate a species complex still exists under this name.
Description
References
- Forel, A. 1910b. Formicides australiens reçus de MM. Froggatt et Rowland Turner. Rev. Suisse Zool. 18: 1-94 (page 66, soldier 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).
- Heterick, B.E., Castalanelli, M., Shattuck, S.O. 2017. Revision of the ant genus Melophorus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 700, 1–420 (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.700.11784).
- Wheeler, W. M. 1935c. Myrmecological notes. Psyche (Camb.) 42: 68-72 (page 71, Combination in M. (Erimelophorus))