Anochetus subcoecus

Anochetus subcoecus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Anochetus
Species:	A. subcoecus
Binomial name
Anochetus subcoecus Forel, 1912 Specimen Labels

This species has been collected from leaf litter in primary forest.

Identification

Chen et al. (2019) - China: This species can be easily separated from other named species of this genus by its very small eyes and distinct propodeal teeth.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Anochetus of Taiwan
• Key to Chinese species of Anochetus
• Key to the Anochetus Species of Asia, Melanesia and the Pacific Region

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 29.566° to 21.18°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: Taiwan (type locality), Tibet.
Palaearctic Region: China.

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

Worker

Chen et al. 2019. Figure 10.

.

Nomenclature

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

• subcoecus. Anochetus subcoecus Forel, 1912a: 46 (w.) TAIWAN.
  • Type-material: holotype worker.
  • Type-locality: Taiwan (“Formosa”): Kosempo (H. Sauter).
  • Type-depository: IPAL.
  • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 59; Teranishi, 1940: 56; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 42; Brown, 1978c: 559, 590; Terayama, 1989a: 28; Wang, M. 1993a: 226 (in key); Bolton, 1995b: 65; Lin & Wu, 2003: 67; Terayama, 2009: 116; Zhou & Ran, 2010: 103; Guénard & Dunn, 2012: 58; Leong, Tsai, et al. 2018: 128 (in key); Chen, Z., Yang & Zhou, 2019: 68 (redescription).
  • Distribution: China, Taiwan.

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

Description

Worker

TL 4.90–5.34, HL 1.05–1.11, HW 0.94–0.97, CI 85–87, SL 0.80– 0.83, SI 82–84, ED 0.08–0.09, PW 0.54–0.56, MSL 1.16–1.19, PL 0.20–0.21, PH 0.44–0.45, DPW 0.24–0.26, LPI 246–250, DPI 118–121 (n = 5).

In full-face view head longer than broad, posterior margin strongly concave. Mandibles linear, gradually broadened apically; inner margin without denticles; apical portion with three distinct teeth. Antennae 12-segmented; scapes short, not reaching to posterior corner of head. Eyes very small.

In lateral view mesosoma stout. Pronotum moderately convex. Promesonotal suture narrowly impressed. Dorsal margin of mesonotum nearly straight, weakly sloping posteriorly. Metanotal groove weakly concave. Dorsum of propodeum almost straight, posterodorsal corner with a pair of short blunt teeth. Petiole thin and erect, long triangle shaped, narrowing apically, anterior margin straight, posterior margin weakly convex, dorsal margin acute; subpetiolar process developed, nearly rectangular and angled ventrally.

Frons and vertex longitudinally striate, remainder of head punctate, frontal lobes weakly striate, clypeus and antennal scrobes smooth and shining. Mesosoma, petiole and gaster smooth and shining, propodeum weakly punctate.

Dorsum of head with scattered suberect hairs and dense subdecumbent pubescence; dorsa of mesosoma and gaster with abundant suberect hairs and abundant decumbent pubescence; scapes and tibiae with dense subdecumbent dense subdecumbent pubescence. Body yellowish brown.

References

• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1978c. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, tribe Ponerini, subtribe Odontomachiti. Section B. Genus Anochetus and bibliography. Stud. Entomol. 20: 549-638 (page 590, see also)
• Chen, Z., Yang, Z., Zhou, S. 2019. Review of the ant genus Anochetus Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with revival of the valid status of Anochetus gracilis. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 68: 49–74 (DOI 10.3897/jhr.68.30784).
• Forel, A. 1912a. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute. Formicidae (Hym.). Entomol. Mitt. 1: 45-61 (page 46, worker described)
• Liu, C., Fischer, G., Hita Garcia, F., Yamane, S., Liu, Q., Peng, Y.Q., Economo, E.P., Guénard, B., Pierce, N.E. 2020. Ants of the Hengduan Mountains: a new altitudinal survey and updated checklist for Yunnan Province highlight an understudied insect biodiversity hotspot. ZooKeys 978, 1–171 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.978.55767).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Brown Jr., W.L. 1978. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, Tribe Ponerini, Subtribe Odontomachiti, Section B. Genus Anochetus and Bibliography. Studia Entomologia 20(1-4): 549-XXX
• Brown W.L. Jr. 1978. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. Part VI. Ponerinae, tribe Ponerini, subtribe Odontomachiti. Section B. Genus Anochetus and bibliography. Studia Ent. 20(1-4): 549-638.
• Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
• Chen Y., C.-W. Luo, H. W Li, Z. H. Xu, Y. J. Liu, and S. J. Zhao. 2011. The investigation of soil ant resources on the West slope of Mt Ailao. Hubei Agricultural Sciences 50(7): 1356-1359.
• Chen Z., Z. Yang, and S. Zhou. 2019. Review of the ant genus Anochetus Mayr, 1861 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from China, with revival of the valid status of Anochetus gracilis. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 68: 49–74.
• Fontanilla A. M., A. Nakamura, Z. Xu, M. Cao, R. L. Kitching, Y. Tang, and C. J. Burwell. 2019. Taxonomic and functional ant diversity along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in southwest China. Insects 10, 128; doi:10.3390/insects10050128
• Forel A. 1912. H. Sauter's Formosa-Ausbeute. Formicidae (Hym.) (Schluss). Entomol. Mitt. 1: 45-61.
• Guénard B., and R. R. Dunn. 2012. A checklist of the ants of China. Zootaxa 3558: 1-77.
• Li Z.h. 2006. List of Chinese Insects. Volume 4. Sun Yat-sen University Press
• Liu X. 2012. Taxonomy, diversity and spatial distribution characters of the ant family Formicidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in southeastern Tibet. PhD Thesis 139 pages
• Liu X., Z. Xu, N. Yu, and C. Zhang. 2016. Distribution patterns of ant species ( Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Galongla Mountains and Medog Valley of Southeastern Tibet. Scientia Silvae Sinicae 52(11): 88-95.
• Lu Z., and Y. Chen. 2016. Effects of habitat on ant functional groups: a case study of Luchun County, Yunnan Province, China. Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture 24(5): 801-810.
• Song Y., Z Xu, C Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F Mo. 2013. An analysis on the ant fauna of the Nangun River Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
• Song Y., Z. Xu, C. Li, N. Zhang, L. Zhang, H. Jiang, and F. Mo. 2013. An Analysis on the Ant Fauna of the Nangun river Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Forest Research 26(6): 773-780.
• Terayama M. 1989. The ant tribe Odontomachini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Taiwan, with a description of a nes species. Edaphologia 40: 25-29.
• Terayama M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University. Liberal Arts 17:81-266.
• Terayama Mamoru. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta, Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Terayama, M. 2009. A synopsis of the family Formicidae of Taiwan (Insecta; Hymenoptera). The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University 17: 81-266.
• Terayama. M. and Inoue. N. 1988. Ants collected by the members of the Soil Zoological Expedition to Taiwan. ARI Reports of the Myrmecologists Society (Japan) 18: 25-28
• Wheeler W. M. 1929. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 24: 27-64.
• Xu Z. 1999. [An analysis on the ant fauna of the tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna of China.] Zoological Research 20: 379-384.
• Zhang N. N., Y. Q. Chen, Z. X. Lu, W. Zhang, and K. L. Li. 2013. Species diversity, community structure difference and indicator species of leaf-litter ants in rubber plantations and secondary natural forests in Yunnan, southwestern China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 56(11): 1314-1323.