Myrmecia swalei

Myrmecia swalei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmeciinae
Tribe:	Myrmeciini
Genus:	Myrmecia
Species group:	pilosula
Species:	M. swalei
Binomial name
	Myrmecia swalei; Crawley, 1922 Specimen Labels

Myrmecia swalei forms very small colonies in open soil with a single, well hidden entrance.

Photo Gallery

Myrmecia swalei foraging near its nest (Farhan Bokhari)
Myrmecia swalei workers could be seen excavating soil from within the nest. They are very alert and shy and will hesitate to exit the nest if they see you moving about outside. Occasionally one worker would stray outside the nest and jump around rapidly and haphazardly if approached. Tullis, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 11 September 2011.
Worker at nest entrance. Colonies are small with a well hidden single entrance hole. South Australia. Photo by Mark Newton.
Worker at nest entrance, South Australia. Photo by Mark Newton.
Worker at nest entrance, South Australia. Photo by Mark Newton.

Identification

Heterick (2009) - Myrmecia swalei strongly resembles the M. chasei complex in appearance but can easily be distinguished by its reduced mandibular teeth.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Heterick (2009) - This species is quite common in more coastal parts of the south-west (WA, SWBP), but can be found near the south coast at least as far east as Bremer Bay.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -21.63333° to -35.21667°.


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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

swalei. Myrmecia harderi r. swalei Crawley, 1922b: 429 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, Albany (H. Swale).
- Type-depository: OXUM.
- Clark, 1943: 134 (q.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1971d: 253 (l.).
- Combination in Promyrmecia: Clark, 1943: 133;
- combination in Myrmecia: Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16.
- Status as species: Clark, 1943: 133 (redescription); Clark, 1951: 176 (redescription); Taylor & Brown, 1985: 16; Taylor, 1987a: 46; Ogata, 1991a: 362; Ogata & Taylor, 1991: 1642 (in key), 1665; Bolton, 1995b: 273; Heterick, 2009: 123.
- Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Albany, Western Australia, Australia, Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Description

References

Clark, J. 1943. A revision of the genus Promyrmecia Emery (Formicidae). Mem. Natl. Mus. Vic. 13: 83-149 (page 133, Raised to species)
Clark, J. 1951. The Formicidae of Australia. 1. Subfamily Myrmeciinae: 230 pp. CSIRO, Melbourne. [(31.xii).1951.]
Crawley, W. C. 1922a. New ants from Australia. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 9(9): 427-448.
Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76:1-206.
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).
Ogata, K.; Taylor, R. W. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae). Journal of Natural History 25: 1623-1673 (page 1665, see also)
Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 16, Combination in Myrmecia)
Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1971d. Ant larvae of the subfamily Myrmeciinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 47: 245-256 (page 253, larva described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Ogata K. and Taylor R.W. 1991. Ants of the genus Myrmecia Fabricius: a preliminary review and key to the named species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmeciinae), Journal of Natural History, 25: 1623-1673
Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.