Nylanderia bourbonica

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Nylanderia bourbonica
Nylanderia bourbonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Formicinae
Tribe: Lasiini
Genus: Nylanderia
Species: N. bourbonica
Binomial name
Nylanderia bourbonica
(Forel, 1886)

Nylanderia bourbonica side view

Nylanderia bourbonica top view

Specimen labels

Subspecies
Synonyms

This is a tramp species commonly encountered in the tropics and subtropics and has spread across large areas by human commerce, and is associated with human disturbance (Klotz et al 1995; Wilson and Taylor 1967; Wetterer 1998). It is commonly found in most parts of India, however, it was not found in Northwest Himalaya. The workers were collected in leaf litter, rotting wood, underneath stones, on walls of buildings and other establishments.

At a Glance • Highly invasive  • Polygynous  • Supercolonies  

Identification

Wachkoo and Bharti (2015) - India - Propodeum is on the same plane to remainder of dorsum and unicolorous dark body resembles those of Nylanderia birmana, but N. bourbonica can be easily distinguished by smooth or fine punctulae on head and mesosomal dorsum whilst in N. birmana head and mesosomal dorsum are covered with a dense network of microreticulate sculpture.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 32.474167° to 6.406°.

   
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Kenya, Saint Helena, Nigeria, United Republic of Tanzania.
Australasian Region: Australia, New Caledonia.
Indo-Australian Region: Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Krakatau Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), New Guinea, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Pitcairn, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Malagasy Region: Mauritius, Réunion (type locality), Seychelles.
Nearctic Region: United States.
Neotropical Region: Barbados, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico.
Oriental Region: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Nicobar Island, Sri Lanka.
Palaearctic Region: China, Italy.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Association with Other Organisms

Explore-icon.png Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.
  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Aphis gossypii (a trophobiont) (Idechiil et al., 2007; Saddiqui et al., 2019).
  • This species is a mutualist for the aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa (a trophobiont) (Idechiil et al., 2007; Saddiqui et al., 2019).

Life History Traits

  • Queen number: polygynous (Holldober & Wilson, 1977; Frumhoff & Ward, 1992)

Castes

  • Liu, C. et al. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains, Figure 35, Nylanderia bourbonica.

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Paratrechina bourbonica casent0101309 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101309 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101309 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101309 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0101309. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0060259 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0060259 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0060259 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0060259 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0060259. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0188533 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0188533 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0188533 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0188533 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0188533. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0135361 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135361 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135361 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135361 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0135361. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0103251 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0103251 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0103251 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0103251 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0103251. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Additional worker images can be found here

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Paratrechina bourbonica casent0135282 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135282 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135282 profile 2.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135282 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135282 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0135282. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0101961 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101961 profile 2.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101961 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101961 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0101961. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0104201 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0104201 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0104201 profile 2.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0104201 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0104201 label 1.jpg
Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0104201. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by ABS, Lake Placid, FL, USA.

Additional queen images can be found here

Male

Images from AntWeb

Paratrechina bourbonica casent0135495 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135495 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135495 profile 2.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135495 profile 3.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135495 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0135495 label 1.jpg
Male (alate). Specimen code casent0135495. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Paratrechina bourbonica casent0101310 head 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101310 profile 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101310 profile 2.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101310 dorsal 1.jpgParatrechina bourbonica casent0101310 label 1.jpg
Male (alate). Specimen code casent0101310. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.

Additional images can be found here

Nomenclature

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

  • bourbonica. Prenolepis nodifera r. bourbonica Forel, 1886f: 210 (w.q.m.) REUNION I. Combination in Pr. (Nylanderia): Forel, 1912a: 73; in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 219; in Nylanderia: Wheeler, W.M. 1936f: 16; in Paratrechina: Trager, 1984b: 147; in Nylanderia: LaPolla, Brady & Shattuck, 2010a: 127. Raised to species: Forel, 1891b: 82. Senior synonym of bengalensis, hawaiensis, skottsbergi: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 88. Current subspecies: nominal plus farquharensis, ngasiyana.
  • bengalensis. Prenolepis bourbonica r. bengalensis Forel, 1894c: 408, fig. 3 (w.q.m.) INDIA. Combination in Pr. (Nylanderia): Forel, 1912a: 73; in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 219; in Nylanderia: Wheeler, W.M. 1936f: 16. Raised to species: Bingham, 1903: 329. Subspecies of bourbonica: Mann, 1921: 476. Junior synonym of bourbonica: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 88.
  • hawaiensis. Prenolepis bourbonica r. hawaiensis Forel, 1899a: 120 (w.q.m.) HAWAII. Combination in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 219. Junior synonym of bourbonica: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 88.
  • skottsbergi. Prenolepis (Nylanderia) bourbonica subsp. skottsbergi Wheeler, W.M. 1922f: 318 (w.) EASTER I. Combination in Paratrechina (Nylanderia): Emery, 1925b: 219. Junior synonym of bourbonica: Wilson & Taylor, 1967: 88.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Wachkoo and Bharti (2015) - TL 2.11-3.04 mm; HL 0.58-0.83 mm; HW 0.50-0.74 mm; EL 0.15-0.23 mm; SL 0.62-0.97 mm; PW 0.35-0.53 mm; PrFL 0.51-0.79 mm; PrFW 0.16-0.20 mm; WL 0.69-1.08 mm; GL 0.83-1.14 mm. Indices: CI 87.03-89.84; SI 123.11-135.38; REL 26.42-28.00 (n = 20).

Head is subquadrate; slightly longer than wide, distinctly wider posteriorly than in front, lateral margins convex, posterior margin shallowly concave to convex with rounded posterolateral corners. Clypeus carinate in the middle; anterior clypeal margin, medially nearly straight to strongly concave. Eyes large, broadly rounded and weakly convex; covering approximately one-third of lateral cephalic margin; three ocelli present. Antennae long, scape surpasses posterior margin by about two-fifths their length.

Metanotal groove strongly developed, in lateral view interrupts the regular promesonotal convexity from propodeum; metanotal area distinct. Dorsal face of propodeum rounded, about the same length as declivitous face; in lateral view, its highest part on the same plane to remainder of dorsum, dorsally dome-like. Petiole low and transverse, subtriangular in lateral view, inclined forward, with posterior face longer than anterior face.

Cuticle smooth and shining covered with fine punctulae. Body covered with fine pubescence, which is lacking on propodeal declivity and petiole. Scape with scattered erect macrosetae and a dense layer of pubescence (SMC = 45e60). Mesosoma with erect macrosetae of varying lengths concentrated on posterior pronotum and mesonotum (PMC = 8e12; MMC = 3e6).

Body is brown to black.

Queen

Wachkoo and Bharti (2015) - HL 0.69-0.71 mm; HW 0.68-0.72 mm; EL 0.21-0.22 mm; SL 0.67-0.68 mm; PrFL 0.61-0.63 mm; PrFW 0.18-0.20 mm; WL 1.42-1.47 mm. Indices: CI 98.55-101.41; SI 94.44-98.53; REL 30.43-30.99 (n = 2).

Generally, matches worker description, with modifications expected for caste and the following differences: head subtriangular with feebly concave posterior margin; anterior clypeal margin strongly concave; petiole concave above; coloration pattern similar to adult workers; body covered with much dense pubescence than in workers (SMC 50 = 65; PMC = 4-6; MMC = 45-54.

Male

Wachkoo and Bharti (2015) - HL 0.59-0.62 mm; HW 0.48-0.51 mm; EL 0.23-0.25 mm; SL 0.75-0.78 mm; PrFL 0.65-0.69 mm; PrFW 0.14- 0.16 mm; WL 0.86-0.91 mm. Indices: CI 81.36-82.26; SI 152.94- 156.25; REL 38.98-40.32 (n = 3).

Head is oval; longer than wide; eyes large, subglobulose, projecting beyond head outline in full-face view; three prominent ocelli present. Antennae filiform, scapes long, surpass posterior margin by about half their length. Mandibles slender with prominent, pointed apical and small preapical tooth, remainder of masticatory margin smooth, with indistinct, rounded basal angle that seamlessly blends into inner mandibular margin.

Mesosoma modified for the presence of wing; propodeum indistinct, lower than remainder of notum with very short dorsal face and long declivitous face; petiole as in worker.

Genitalia: Parameres strongly emarginate with apical and ventral margins produced as finger like projections; long setae extending off of parameres. Cuspi rounded distally with many short peg-like teeth; digiti weakly paddle-shaped, about double the length of the digiti; penis valves projecting past parameres with apices of each penisvalva directed posterolaterally.

Sculpture very much reduced than in worker caste; body mostly smooth and shiny at most with fine punctations. Vestiture and color as in worker caste (SMC 22 = 28; PMC = 0; MMC = 27-32).

Type Material

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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