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Prionopelta subtilis
| Prionopelta subtilis | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Amblyoponinae |
| Genus: | Prionopelta |
| Species: | P. subtilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Prionopelta subtilis Overson & Fisher, 2015
| |
This common and widespread species is found in rainforest, montane rainforest, lowland rainforest, tropical forest, littoral forest, degraded forest, and marsh edge from 5–1325 meters of elevation. On the ground it has been collected from inside rotten logs and sticks, as well as under moss, rocks, logs, and in litter. It has also been collected from above-ground sites including canopy moss and leaf litter, as well as inside above-ground twigs and branches. (Overson and Fisher 2015)
Identification
Overson and Fisher (2015) - P. subtilis can be recognized by the following combination of characters: twelve antennal segments; minute, densely placed cephalic foveae with raised margins where foveae touch so that the entire head is covered in a delicate mosaic of connected foveae with ridges between; well-defined, uniformly narrow, coronal suture that swells above the level of the surrounding integument; shallow foveae on the pronotum are much larger than those on the head, and more widely spaced, with tiny punctures between.
P. subtilis is easy to recognize at a glance under high magnification once several individuals have been observed, as the very small and delicate foveae covering the entire surface of the head produce a unique visual appearance among the Malagasy Prionopelta. The only other confusable species with dense, directly adjacent foveae across the entire head (besides Prionopelta laurae, which would not be mistaken for P. subtilis) are Prionopelta seychelles, and some Prionopelta descarpentriesi. Unlike P. subtilis, P. seychelles does not possesses a coronal suture medially on the head. Some individuals of P. descarpentriesi have a dense pattern of touching foveae with a network of ridges between them across the entire head, but these foveae are much larger and deeper than in P. subtilis. Additionally, this trait in P. descarpentriesi is accompanied by sculpture on the pronotum that consists almost entirely of large foveae which are similar in size to those on the head, whereas P. subtilis has much larger foveae on its pronotum than on its head, and these foveae are interspersed with punctures.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -12.5139° to -24.7639°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Malagasy Region: Madagascar (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
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0494610. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0496840. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
          
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| Holotype of Prionopelta subtilis. Worker. Specimen code casent0033641. Photographer Rick Overson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0151601. Photographer Rick Overson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Queen
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0496839. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
    
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| Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0048748. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Male
Images from AntWeb
      
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| Male (alate). Specimen code casent0049809. Photographer Erin Prado, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- subtilis. Prionopelta subtilis Overson & Fisher, 2015: 135, figs. 3A, 3B, 9 (w.) MADAGASCAR.
- Type-material: holotype worker, 23 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Madagascar: Toamasina, Montagne d’Anjanaharibe, 18.0 km. 21° NNE Ambinanitelo, 15.18833°S, 49.615°E, 470 m., 8.iii.2003, BLF08002, CASENT0033641, rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood) (B.L. Fisher, et al.); paratypes with same data but CASENT0033582, -584 to -586, -588, -590, -591, -596 to -606, -610, -611, -613 to -615, -643, -644.
- Type-depositories: CASC (holotype); BMNH, CASC, MCZC, MHNG, NHMB (paratypes).
- Distribution: Madagascar.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(N=20). HL 0.47–0.57 (0.52); HW 0.39–0.45 (0.42); SL 0.26–0.32 (0.29); WL 0.5–0.67 (0.58); PetL 0.14–0.18 (0.16); PetW 0.19–0.26 (0.22); T1W 0.31–0.4 (0.35); CI 76.55–86.41 (80.5); PI 126.32–150.69 (139.98); SI 61.34–71.39 (68.14).
Posterior head margin slightly concave with a noticeable notch medially; cephalic foveae dense and minute; virtually no area of the head lacking foveae in full-face view except at the extreme posterolateral corners; median cephalic band devoid of foveae is thin, linear, and slightly but uniformly swells above the surrounding integument; apical tooth intermediate in length; foveae on the pronotum are shallow, as well as more widely spaced and obviously larger than those on the head, with punctures present between; mesonotum and propodeum consisting of shallow foveae and punctures; metanotal groove visible dorsally, and mesopropodeal suture strongly visible in lateral view.
Type Material
Holotype, pinned worker, MADAGASCAR, Toamasina, Montagne d’Anjanaharibe, 18.0 km 21° NNE Ambinanitelo, 15.18833°S, 49.615°E, 470 m, rainforest, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotten wood), BLF08002, 8.iii.2003 (B.L. Fisher et al.) (California Academy of Sciences: CASENT0033641).
Paratypes, 23 pinned workers with same data as holotype (The Natural History Museum: CASENT0033585; CASC: CASENT0033582; CASENT0033586; CASENT0033588; CASENT0033590; CASENT0033591; CASENT0033596; CASENT0033597; CASENT0033598; CASENT0033599; CASENT0033600; CASENT0033601; CASENT0033603; CASENT0033606; CASENT0033610; CASENT0033611; CASENT0033613; CASENT0033614; CASENT0033615; CASENT0033644; Museum of Comparative Zoology: CASENT0033604; Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève: CASENT0033584; Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel: CASENT0033643).
Etymology
The name of this species comes from the Latin adjective meaning “fine”, “thin”, or “slender” and refers to the very delicate, net-like patterns produced by the sculpture on the head.
References
- Cantone S. 2017. Winged Ants, The Male, Dichotomous key to genera of winged male ants in the World, Behavioral ecology of mating flight (self-published).
- Overson, R. & Fisher, B.L. 2015. Taxonomic revision of the genus Prionopelta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) in the Malagasy region. ZooKeys, 507, 115-150 (doi: 10.3897/zookeys.507.9303).