Anonychomyrma itinerans perthensis

Anonychomyrma itinerans perthensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Anonychomyrma
Species:	A. itinerans
Subspecies:	A. itinerans perthensis
Trinomial name
	Anonychomyrma itinerans perthensis; (Forel, 1902)

The turret nests of A. itinerans perthensis are one of the most characteristic sights on sandy soils in the Perth, Western Australia region. The smooth, shiny A. itinerans perthensis workers will often be seen moving slowly and deliberately in and out of these nests. This species prefers wetter areas in south-western Western Australia. (Heterick, 200)

Photo Gallery

The arboreal Anonychomyrma itinerans perthensis is frequently found in moist and semiarid habitats, but its behaviour is largely unknown. Kalamunda National Park, Perth. Photo by Ajay Narendra.

Identification

Workers of Anonychomyrma itinerans perthensis are distinguished from the other two species of Anonychomyrma found in Western Australia by their more shallowly concave vertex, erect pubescence and non-prominent mesonotum (Heterick, 2009).

Keys including this Species

Dolichoderinae of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -29.88333333° to -35°.


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.

Biology

Anonychomyrma species are common in moist to semi-arid forested areas (and are less common in rain forests). They nest either in soil with or without coverings, or arboreally in living or dead wood. Workers forage in conspicuous trails on the ground and on tree trunks. Although not studied in detail, they seem to be general predators and also collect plant juices. Some species are associated with the caterpillars of selected butterflies. Nest sizes are moderate to large, ranging from 500 to tens of thousands of workers. When disturbed, most species elevate their gasters and release strong, acrid smelling chemicals as a defensive measure. While similar to Iridomyrmex in general habitat preferences and ecology, most Anonychomyrma prefer moister sites and are predominately arboreal. Iridomyrmex species occur in drier sites and are predominantly terrestrial.

Castes

Nomenclature

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

perthensis. Iridomyrmex itinerans r. perthensis Forel, 1902h: 472 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Western Australia).
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- [Note: Shattuck, 1994: 6, cites 2w syntypes MHNG.]
- Type-locality: Australia: Western Australia, Perth (Chase).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Combination in Anonychomyrma: Shattuck, 1992a: 13.
- Subspecies of itinerans: Forel, 1907h: 292; Emery, 1913a: 25; Forel, 1915b: 79; Taylor & Brown, 1985: 100; Taylor, 1987a: 32; Shattuck, 1994: 6; Bolton, 1995b: 66; Heterick, 2009: 43.
- Distribution: Australia.

Type Material

Syntype, 2 workers, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.

Description

References

Forel, A. 1902j. Fourmis nouvelles d'Australie. Rev. Suisse Zool. 10: 405-548 (page 472, worker described)
Heterick, B. E. 2009a. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76: 1-206.
Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
Shattuck, S. O. 1992a. Review of the dolichoderine ant genus Iridomyrmex Mayr with descriptions of three new genera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 31: 13-18 (page 13, combination in Anonychomyrma)