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Aenictus prolixus
| Aenictus prolixus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
| Genus: | Aenictus |
| Species: | A. prolixus |
| Binomial name | |
| Aenictus prolixus Shattuck, 2008
| |
This common species is found in northern Northern Territory and northern Queensland. It is most similar to A. acerbus and A. turneri and it is probable that at least some of the males currently associated with A. hilli may actually belong to this species.
Identification
A member of the pachycerus group.
Head capsule entirely smooth and essentially uniformly coloured; scape relatively long (scape index > 89); subpetiolar process large and rectangular. This species is most similar to A. acerbus and A. turneri but can be separated from these by the longer scapes.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -9.916666985° to -17.83333015°.
| 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. |
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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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Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- prolixus. Aenictus prolixus Shattuck, 2008c: 14, figs. 7, 8, 18-20, 29 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Northern Territory).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 18 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: Northern Territory, Baroalba Gorge, 12°50’S, 132°52’E, 18.xi.1972, Acc.N. 72.1076 (R.W. Taylor & J.E. Feehan); paratypes with same data.
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, MCZC, QMBA (paratypes).
- Distribution: Australia.
Type Material
- Holotype, worker, Baroalba Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°50′0″S 132°52′0″E / 12.833333°S 132.866667°E, Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.E., ANIC32-002810, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 12 workers, Baroalba Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°50′0″S 132°52′0″E / 12.833333°S 132.866667°E, Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.E., ANIC32-015781, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 3 workers, Baroalba Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°50′0″S 132°52′0″E / 12.833333°S 132.866667°E, Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.E., ANIC32-015781, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
- Paratype, 3 workers, Baroalba Gorge, Northern Territory, Australia, 12°50′0″S 132°52′0″E / 12.833333°S 132.866667°E, Taylor,R.W. & Feehan,J.E., ANIC32-015781, Queensland Museum.
Description
Mandible triangular, with a large apical tooth and a smaller subapical tooth followed by 6–7 (rarely 5) small teeth and a larger basal tooth; anterior clypeal border weakly convex to weakly concave, located at or anterior to anterior margins of frontal lobes in full face view; parafrontal ridges absent; subpetiolar process a large rectangular project, an elongate flange sometimes present on the posterior corner; head entirely smooth, pronotum weakly reticulate on collar, smooth posteriorly and laterally, mesonotum smooth, mesopleuron and propodeum finely punctate with longitudinal rugae laterally; body yellow-red, mesosoma slightly darker.
Measurements. Worker (n = 13) - CI 81–90; HL 0.55–0.62; HW 0.46–0.54; MTL 0.43–0.57; ML 0.84–0.98; SI 89–96; SL 0.42–0.51.
References
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- CSIRO Collection
- Shattuck, S. O. 2008. Review of the ant genus Aenictus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia with notes on A. ceylonicus (Mayr). Zootaxa 1926:1-19.