Aenictus reyesi
| Aenictus reyesi | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dorylinae |
| Genus: | Aenictus |
| Species: | A. reyesi |
| Binomial name | |
| Aenictus reyesi Chapman, 1963
| |
Nothing is known about the biology of Aenictus reyesi.
Contents
Identification
A member of the pachycerus group.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Philippines (type locality).
Distribution based on AntMaps
Distribution based on AntWeb specimens
Check data from AntWeb
Biology
Little is known about the biology of Aenictus reyesi. The genus is comprised of species that live an army ant lifestyle. Aenictus typically prey on other ants, from other genera, or other insects such as wasps or termites. There are reports of Aenictus preying on other insects as well and even have been observed collecting honeydew from homopterans (Santschi, 1933; Gotwald, 1995) but this appears, at least from available evidence, to be uncommon. Foraging raids can occur day or night across the ground surface. Occasionally raids are arboreal. During a raid numerous workers attack a single nest or small area, with several workers coordinating their efforts to carry large prey items back to the nest or bivouac. Aenictus have a nomadic life style, alternating between a migratory phase in which nests are temporary bivouacs in sheltered places above the ground and a stationary phase where semi-permanent underground nests are formed. During the nomadic phase bivouacs move regularly, sometimes more than once a day when larvae require large amounts of food. Individual nests usually contain up to several thousand workers, although nest fragments containing only a few hundred workers are often encountered. Queens are highly specialised and look less like workers than in most ant species. They have greatly enlarged gasters (dichthadiform) and remain flightless throughout their life. New colonies are formed by the division of existing colonies (fission) rather than by individual queens starting colonies on their own.
Castes
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's New General Catalogue, a catalogue of the world's ants.
- reyesi. Aenictus (Aenictus) reyesi Chapman, 1963: 250, fig. 3 (w.) PHILIPPINES. See also: Wilson, 1964a: 477.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Wilson (1964) - Syntypes: Worker selected at random: HW 0.73mm, HL 0.82mm, SL 0.62mm. Antenna 10-segmented. Mandibles typical. Clypeus convex, entire, unarmed. Parafrontal ridge about 0.30 mm long. Occiput weakly convex. Basal face of propodeum convex, gently descending to the obtusely angulate junction with the declivitous face. The junction is not surmounted by a ridge and approaches the " evenly rounded " condition of some other members of the genus, e. g. powersi. Subpetiolar process a low lobe lying beneath anterior 1/2 of node. Pilosity sparse; less than 10 hairs break the mesosomal profile. Length of longest pronotal hairs only 0.15 mm.
Antennal "fossae" (the circular, sunken regions median to the parafrontal ridges) microreticulate and subopaque; rest of head shining. Entire mesosomal dorsum shining; entire sides microreticulate and subopaque to opaque. In addition, the mesopleuron is longitudinally rugose. Dorsum of pedicel shining; remainder microreticulate and opaque. Body concolorous dark (almost blackish), rich reddish brown; appendages medium reddish brown.
Type Material
Type locality: Horns of Negros, 450 m, Negros, Philippines
References
- Chapman, J. W. 1963. Some new and interesting Philippine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Philipp. J. Sci. 92: 247-263 PDF
- Jaitrong, W. & Wiwatwitaya, D. 2013. Two new new species of the Aenictus pachycerus species group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Aenictinae) from Southeast Asia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61, 97-102.
- Wilson, E. O. 1964a. The true army ants of the Indo-Australian area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Pac. Insects 6: 427-483 (page 477, see also)
