Aenictus wudangshanensis

Aenictus wudangshanensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Aenictus
Species:	A. wudangshanensis
Binomial name
Aenictus wudangshanensis Wang, W., 2006 Specimen Labels

So far A. wudangshanensis has been known only from the type series collected in the Wudangshan Nature Reserve, Hubei Province. The four specimens from the Gutianshan National Nature Reserve agree very well with the original description of Wang (2006, therein figs 1.2). Like the type series, the specimens were collected at mid elevation in an evergreen broad-leaved forest and A. wudangshanensis may be restricted to this habitat type. (Staab, 2015)

Identification

Wang (2006) - Similar to Aenictus thailandianus, but differs from the latter by the following characters: anterior border of clypeus clearly concave , subpetiolar process rectangular, and the whole pronotum shining with weakly microreticulate.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Aenictus ceylonicus group species of China
• Key to southeastern Asian Aenictus ceylonicus group species

Distribution

Hubei and Zhejiang Provinces, eastern China.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 32.06666667° to 32.06666667°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: China (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

Known only from the worker caste.

Nomenclature

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

• wudangshanensis. Aenictus wudangshanensis Wang, W. 2006: 637, figs. 1, 2 (w.) CHINA (Hubei).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 9 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype China: Hubei Prov., Wudangshan Nature Reserve (32.4°N, 110.9°E), 8.viii.2004 (W. Wang); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depository: HINE.
  • Status as species: Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 23; Staab, 2015: 141 (in key).
  • Distribution: China.

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

Type Material

Holotype worker, 600 m, Wudangshan Nature Reserve (3214°N, 11019°E), Hubei Province, 8 Aug. 2004, WANG Wei leg. Paratypes: 9 workers, collected from the same nest of the holotype. Deposited in the Insect Collection, Hubei Institute for Nationalities, China .

Etymology

The specific name refers to the type locality.

References

• Dhadwal, T., Bharti, H. 2023. Aenictus dirangensis sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a new species of Aenictus ceylonicus group from India. Journal of the Entomological Research Society 25(2): 387-403 (doi:10.51963/jers.v25i2.2367).
• Staab M (2015) Aenictus hoelldobleri sp. n., a new species of the Aenictus ceylonicus group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with a key to the Chinese members of the group. ZooKeys 516: 137–155 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.516.9927).
• Wang, W. 2006. [A new species of the genus Aenictus shuckard from China (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).] In Chinese with English abstract. Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 31(3): 637-639.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Staab M., A. Schuldt, T. Assmann, H. Bruelheide, and A.M. Klein. 2014. Ant community structure during forest succession in a subtropical forest in South-East China. Acta Oecologia 61: 32-40.