Myrmecia piliventris

Myrmecia piliventris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmeciinae
Tribe:	Myrmeciini
Genus:	Myrmecia
Species group:	mandibularis
Species:	M. piliventris
Binomial name
Myrmecia piliventris Smith, F., 1858 Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Myrmecia piliventris rectidens Forel, 1910

Identification

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Myrmecia Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -24.83333° to -37.71666667°.

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.

Biology

Qian et al. 2012 - Polymorphic microsatellite markers revealed 1 to 4 queens per colony. Queens were estimated to mate with 1–9 inferred and 1.0–11.4 effective mates. This is the first time that the rare co-occurrence of polygyny and high polyandry has been found in the M. pilosula species group. Significant maternity and paternity skews were detected at the population level. We also found an isolation-by-distance pattern, and together with the occurrence of polygynous polydomy, this suggests the occurrence of dependent colony foundation (DCF)

Castes

Queen described as subapterous (Clark 1951)

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Holotype of Myrmecia piliventris. Worker. Specimen code casent0902809. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

• piliventris. Myrmecia piliventris Smith, F. 1858b: 146 (w.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
  • Type-material: holotype worker.
  • Type-locality: Australia: (no further data).
  • Type-depository: BMNH.
  • Mayr, 1876: 93 (q.); Clark, 1943: 141 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 251 (l.); Imai & Taylor, 1986: 59 (k.).
  • Combination in M. (Pristomyrmecia): Emery, 1911d: 21;
  • combination in M. (Promyrmecia): Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 67;
  • combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 140;
  • combination in Myrmecia: Brown, 1953j: 20.
  • Status as species: Roger, 1861a: 36; Mayr, 1862: 727 (in key); Roger, 1863b: 23; Mayr, 1863: 430; Mayr, 1876: 93; Dalla Torre, 1893: 21; Emery, 1911d: 21; Crawley, 1926: 385 (redescription); Clark, 1928c: 39; Wheeler, W.M. 1933i: 67; Clark, 1943: 140 (redescription); Clark, 1951: 156 (redescription); Brown, 1953j: 20; Kugler, C. 1980b: 265; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 14; Taylor, 1987a: 45; Ogata, 1991a: 359; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1639 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 272.
  • Senior synonym of rectidens: Brown, 1953j: 20; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 14; Taylor, 1987a: 45; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1630; Bolton, 1995b: 272.
  • Distribution: Australia.
• rectidens. Myrmecia piliventris var. rectidens Forel, 1910b: 5 (w.) AUSTRALIA (no state data).
  • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
  • Type-locality: Australia: Kingstown (W.W. Froggatt).
  • [Note: Clark, 1951: 161, adds that Kingstown is in New South Wales.]
  • Type-depository: MHNG.
  • Clark, 1951: 160 (subapterous q. ergatoid q.).
  • Combination in M. (Pristomyrmecia): Emery, 1911d: 21;
  • combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 141.
  • Subspecies of piliventris: Emery, 1911d: 21; Clark, 1943: 141 (redescription).
  • Status as species: Clark, 1951: 159 (redescription).
  • Junior synonym of piliventris: Brown, 1953j: 20; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 14; Taylor, 1987a: 45; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1630; Bolton, 1995b: 273.

Type Material

• Syntype, worker(s), Australia, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
• Syntype, worker(s), Kingstown, Australia, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.

Description

Karyotype

• n = 2, 2n = 4, karyotype = 4ST (Australia) (Imai & Taylor, 1986; Imai et al., 1988a).
• n = 32, 2n = 64 (Australia) (Imai & Taylor, 1986; Imai et al., 1988a).
• n = 17, 2n = 34 (Australia) (Imai & Taylor, 1986; Imai et al., 1988a).
• 2n = 6 (Australia) (Imai & Taylor, 1986; Imai et al., 1988a).

References

• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1953j. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 111: 1-35 (page 20, Combination in Myrmecia)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1953j. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 111: 1-35 (page 20, Senior synonym of rectidens)
• Cantone S. 2018. Winged Ants, The queen. Dichotomous key to genera of winged female ants in the World. The Wings of Ants: morphological and systematic relationships (self-published).
• Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 140, Combination in Promyrmecia)
• Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 141, male described)
• Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae: 230 pp. CSIRO, Melbourne. [(31.xii).1951.]
• Crawley, W. C. 1926. A revision of some old types of Formicidae. Trans. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 1925: 373-393 (page 383, see also)
• Emery, C. 1911e. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Ponerinae. Genera Insectorum 118: 1-125 (page 21, Combination in M. (Pristomyrmecia))
• Imai, H. T.; Taylor, R. W. 1986. The exceptionally low chromosome number n=2 in an Australian bulldog ant Myrmecia piliventris Smith. Annu. Rep. Natl. Inst. Genet. Jpn. 36: 59-61 (page 59, karyotype described)
• Lorite, P., Palomeque, T. 2010. Karyotype evolution in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of the known ant chromosome numbers. Myrmecological News 13: 89-102.
• Mayr, G. 1876. Die australischen Formiciden. J. Mus. Godeffroy 12: 56-115 (page 93, queen described)
• Qian, Z.-Q., Schlick-Steiner, B. C., Steiner, F. M., Robson, S. K. A., Schlüns, H., Schlüns, E. A., Crozier, R. H. 2012. Colony genetic structure in the Australian jumper ant Myrmecia pilosula. Insectes Sociaux 59:109-119.
• Smith, F. 1858b. Catalogue of hymenopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Part VI. Formicidae. London: British Museum, 216 pp. (page 146, worker described)
• Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1971d. Ant larvae of the subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 47: 245-256 (page 251, larva described)
• Wheeler, W. M. 1933i. Colony founding among ants, with an account of some primitive Australian species. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, viii + 179 pp. (page 67, Combination in M. (Promyrmecia))

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Brown W. L., Jr. 1953. Revisionary notes on the ant genus Myrmecia of Australia. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology

111: 1-35.

• Taylor R. W., and D. R. Brown. 1985. Formicoidea. Zoological Catalogue of Australia 2: 1-149.