Vollenhovia okinawana

Vollenhovia okinawana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Vollenhovia
Species:	V. okinawana
Binomial name
Vollenhovia okinawana Terayama & Kinomura, 1997 Specimen Labels

Common Name
Okinawa-umematsu-ari
Language:	Japanese

This species is widely distributed on Okinawa Island, nesting in decaying wood in forests. The females are winged. Vollenhovia yambaru, which produces ergatoid females and workers identical to those of V. okinawana, is found in the native forests of northern Okinawa. [1]

Identification

Terayama & Kinomura (1997) - Very similar to Vollenhovia benzai. However, it is distinguished from the latter by the shape of the postpetiole which is highest at posterior 1/3 and concave posterodorsal margin in the female and worker (highest at midlength and convex posterodorsal margin in benzai).

Keys including this Species

• Key to Vollenhovia of Japan

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Japan (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.

Castes

Worker

.

Queen

Images from AntWeb

Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0246159. Photographer Andrea Walker, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by USNM, Washington, DC, USA.

Nomenclature

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

• okinawana. Vollenhovia okinawana Terayama & Kinomura, 1997: 4, figs. 4, 8 (w.q.) JAPAN.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HL 0.53 mm; HW 0.45 mm; SL 0.31 mm; CI 85; SI 69; WL 0.63 mm; PL 0.24 mm; PH 0.21 mm; DPW 0.15 mm; TL 2.1 mm.

Head longer than wide, with subparallel sides and weakly concave posterior margin in frontal view. Mandibles with 7 teeth; basalmost tooth minute. Clypeal carinae subparallel. Antennae with 12 segments; scape 0.58 x head length. Eyes 0.13 mm in diameter.

Dorsum of promesonotum almost straight in profile; metanotal groove not incised dorsally; posterodorsal comer of propodeum dully angulate, without tooth in profile.

Petiole as long as high, with convex dorsal outline in profile; anterodorsal and posterodorsal corners not forming angle. Subpetiolar process low and small; its thin lamellar wall ca. 0.04 mm in height. Postpetiole slightly longer than high, highest at posterior 1/3 in profile; posterodorsal margin concave.

Head shagreened with relatively large coarse punctures; space between punctures less than 0.5 x their own diameters; dorsum of alitrunk punctated with unsculptured longitudinal band medially; mesosoma, propodeum and petiole reticulate; sculpture on petiole weaker than that on propodeum; postpetiole smooth in most part: gaster and legs smooth and subopaque.

Color: reddish brown; mandibles, antennae, and legs yellowish brown; frons without dark brown spot.

Queen

Paratype. HL 0.60 mm; HW 0.56 mm: SL 0.35 mm; CI 94: SI 62; WL 0.88 mm: PL 0.25 mm; PH 0.29 mm; DPW 0.18 mm; TL 2.6 mm. (one measured).

Head slightly longer than wide. with slightly concave posterior margin in frontal view; eyes 0.15 mm in diameter: ocelli forming right triangle.

Alitrunk 0.45 mm in maximum dorsal width; dorsum of pro- and mesonotum coarsely punctated, with smooth interspaces; mesonotum with an unsculptured longitudinal band medially; propodeum without tooth.

Petiole higher than long, with convex dorsal outline in profile. Subpetiolar process low and small. Postpetiole highest at posterior 1/3, with concave posterodorsal margin in profile.

Forewings 0.60 mm in length. Color: reddish brown; ocellar triangular area dark brown; frons without large brown spot.

Variation. Five paratype workers with the following measurements and indices: HL 0.48-0.49 mm; HW 0.45 mm; SL 0.29-0.30 mm; CI 92-95; SI 63-64; WL 0.60-0.63 mm; PL 0.20-0.24 mm; PH 0.19-0.20 mm; DPW 0.15-0.16 mm; TL 2.0-2.2 mm.

Eye diameter varies from 0.12 to 0.13 mm. In some specimens the basalmost tooth of mandibles is obscure.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, Gushiken. Notobu, Okinawajima, Okinawa Pref., 1.1.1985, K. Yamauchi leg. Paratypes. 1 female, 6 workers, same data as holotype; 1 female, 2 workers, Nakijin, Motobu, Okinawa-jima. Okinawa Pref., Xll.1990, K. Yamauchi leg.; 8 females, 21 workers. Fuku-gawa, Okinawa-jima, Okinawa Pref., 31.XII.1984, K. Yamauchi leg.

Type depository. The holotype and some paratypes are deposited in the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, and the other paratypes are in the National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba. and National Science Museum, Tokyo.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to the type locality.

Determination Clarifications

orresponds to Vollenhovia sp. 4 ("Okinawa-umematsuari" in Japanese) in Terayama and Yamauchi (1992).

References

• Terayama, M., Kinomura, K. 1997. Taxonomic studies of Japanese Formicidae, part 3. Genus Vollenhovia Mayr. Nature and Human Activities. 2:1-8. (page 4, Figs. 4, 8 worker, queen described)
• Imai, H.T., Kihara, A., Kondoh, M., Kubota, M., Kuribayashi, S., Ogata, K., Onoyama, K., Taylor, R.W., Terayama, M., Yoshimura, M., Ugawa, Y. 2003. Ants of Japan. 224 pp, Gakken, Japan.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Fukumoto S., Sk. Yamane, and M. Hira. 2016. Records of ants from Yoro-Shima, Amami Gunto, Japan (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Nature of Kagoshima 42: 461–464.
• Kobayashi K., H. Tamura, M. Okamoto, E. Hasegawa, K. Ohkawara. 2012. Phylogenetic relationships among populations of Vollenhovia ants, with particular focus on the evolution of wing morphology. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 105(3):454-461.
• Terayama M., S. Kubota, and K. Eguchi. 2014. Encyclopedia of Japanese ants. Asakura Shoten: Tokyo, 278 pp.
• Terayama M.; Kinomura, K. 1997. Taxonomic studies of Japanese Formicidae, part 3. Genus Vollenhovia Mayr. Nature & Human Activities 2:1-8.
• Yamane S. 2016. How many species of Ants in Amami Islands? (in Japanese). Part 2, chapter 1 in How many species of Ants in Amami Islands? Pp. 92-132.
• Yamane S., S. Ikudome, and M. Terayama. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp, 138-317.
• Yamane S.; Ikudome, S.; Terayama, M. 1999. Identification guide to the Aculeata of the Nansei Islands, Japan. Sapporo: Hokkaido University Press, xii + 831 pp. pp138-317.