Anochetus alae

Anochetus alae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Anochetus
Species:	A. alae
Binomial name
Anochetus alae Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012 Specimen labels

This rare species has been collected only a single time, a nest found by Phil Ward under a stone in a gully rainforest.

Identification

Propodeal angles produced as spines; sculpture on front of head extending only slightly beyond eyes; body large (head length > 1.78mm, head width > 1.53mm); scapes relatively long (scape length > 1.60mm); mesonotum with a few transverse, irregular ridges.

This species is larger than the similar Anochetus veronicae, and differs in having well developed sculpturing on the mesosoma, a more convex anterior petiolar node face and more abundant pubescence on the scapes.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Anochetus Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -16.88333333° to -16.88333333°.

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.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• alae. Anochetus alae Shattuck & Slipinska, 2012: 6, figs. 3, 4 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
  • Type-material: holotype worker, 21 paratype workers.
  • Type-locality: holotype Australia: Queensland, Cairns North, 16°53’S, 145°46’E, 14.viii.1983, PSW#6111, gully rainforest, under stone (P.S. Ward); paratypes with same data.
  • Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC (paratypes).
  • Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Cairns North, Queensland, 100m, Australia, 16°53′S 145°46′E, 14 August 1983, P.S. Ward, ANIC32-013813, Australian National Insect Collection; gully rainforest, under stone.
• Paratype, 15 workers, Cairns North, Queensland, 100m, Australia, 16°53′S 145°46′E, 14 August 1983, P.S. Ward, ANIC32-059559, Australian National Insect Collection; gully rainforest, under stone.
• Paratype, 3 workers, Cairns North, Queensland, 100m, Australia, 16°53′S 145°46′E, 14 August 1983, P.S. Ward, ANIC32-059559, The Natural History Museum; gully rainforest, under stone.
• Paratype, 3 workers, Cairns North, Queensland, 100m, Australia, 16°53′S 145°46′E, 14 August 1983, P.S. Ward, ANIC32-059559, Museum of Comparative Zoology; gully rainforest, under stone.

Description

Worker description. Body large (HL > 1.78mm, HW > 1.53mm). Sculpturing on front of head extending slightly beyond eyes. Scapes surpassing posterolateral corners ('lobes') of head; with abundant, appressed pubescence and numerous erect hairs. Pronotum with smooth and shining dorsal surface, distinctly striate laterally. Anterior part of pronotum with transverse wrinkles and ridges. Mesonotum sculptured with a few transverse, irregular striations. Propodeum with angles produced as long spines. Propodeum rounded dorsally, with coarse transverse striations and erect hairs. Metapleuron mostly smooth and shining. Petiolar node with apical margin concave medially and lateral corners produced as spines. Erect hairs on hind tibiae present on all surfaces. Colour light brown, head, antennae, mandibles yellow-brown and legs yellow.

Measurements. Worker (n = 5): CI 86–87; EI 20–22; EL 0.30–0.35; HL 1.79–1.81; HW 1.54–1.58; HFL 1.89–1.92; ML 2.18–2.32; MandL 1.05–1.12; MTL 1.26–1.35; PronI 55–58; PronW 0.85–0.89; SL 1.61–1.66; SI 104–106.

References

• Shattuck, S.O. & Slipinska, E. 2012. Revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Anochetus (Hymenoptera Formicidae). Zootaxa 3426, 1–28.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Shattuck S. O., and E. Slipinska. 2012. Revision of the Australian species of the ant genus Anochetus (Hymeoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3426: 1-28.