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 Type Specimen Label

Nothing is known about the biology of Aenictus reyesi.

Identification

A member of the pachycerus group.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 9.3023° to 9.3023°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

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

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.

Biology

Explore Overview of Aenictus 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.

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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.

reyesi. Aenictus (Aenictus) reyesi Chapman, 1963: 250, fig. 3 (w.) PHILIPPINES (Negros).
- Type-material: 20 syntype workers.
- Type-locality: Philippines: Negros, Cuernos de Negros, Dumaguete, 20.ii.1931 (J.W. Chapman).
- Type-depository: MCZC.
- Status as species: Wilson, 1964a: 477; Bolton, 1995b: 60; Jaitrong & Wiwatwitaya, 2013: 98 (in key).
- Distribution: Philippines (Negros).

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.
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)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.
Chapman J. W. 1965. Studies on the ecology of the army ants of the Philippines genus Aenictus Schuckard (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Philippine Journal of Science. 93: 551-595.
Wilson E. O. 1964. The true army ants of the Indo-Australian area (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dorylinae). Pacific Insects 6: 427-483.