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Axinidris hylekoites
| Axinidris hylekoites | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Axinidris |
| Species: | A. hylekoites |
| Binomial name | |
| Axinidris hylekoites Shattuck, 1991
| |
This species is known only from the several type specimens collected from a nest in a rotten tree branch.
Identification
Most similar to Axinidris murielae but differs in the lighter body color.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Ghana (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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Species of Axinidris appear to nest exclusively within hollow plant stems, both living and dead, and in rotten wood. They are found in forested areas throughout the Afrotropical region, but are most abundant and diverse in the moist equatorial forests. Workers are primarily arboreal foragers, but may occasionally forage in ground litter.
Castes
Males have yet to be collected.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hylekoites. Axinidris hylekoites Shattuck, 1991: 114, figs. 14-16, 35 (w.q.) GHANA.
- Status as species: Shattuck, 1994: 9; Bolton, 1995b: 77; Snelling, R.R. 2007: 560.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n=4). OOD 0.25-0.27, EL 0.18-0.19, HL 0.76-0.79, EW 0.10, HW 0.69, CNW 0.05-0.07, CND 0.05-0.08, SL 0.57-0.61, AL 0.71-0.92, PpW 0.32-0.33, SW 0.23-0.26, CI 0.88-0.91, CNI 0.77-1.19, REL 0.25-0.28, ScI 0.83-0.88, SpI 1.47-1.49.
Erect or suberect hairs present on the antennal scapes; body colour reddish yellow; HW between 0.60 and 0.75; CNI <1.40.
Head very finely colliculate to imbricate, superimposed with large, widely spaced punctures and weak scabriculous sculpturing; area near the mandibular insertion with a narrow area of strigulate sculpturing. Head with numerous scattered, erect hairs on dorsal surface from the occipital border to the anterior clypeal margin. Erect or suberect hairs present on the antennal scapes. Entire pronotum and anterodorsal region of mesonotum smooth, remainder of mesonotum moderately imbricate, and the entire propodeum finely punctate. Dorsum of the pronotum with 6-8 erect hairs. Propodeal spiracles as in A. tridens . Medial propodeal carina expanded dorsally, less so posteroventrally, and beginning even with a line drawn between the propodeal spiracles and extending posteriorly to near the petiolar insertion. Propodeal spines projecting posteriorly with the outer surfaces generally flat (sometimes weakly concave), the distal ends narrower than the width of the propodeum, and the area between them more or less flat. Erect hairs present on gastric tergites 2, 3 and 4. Body colour reddish yellow with the head slightly darker; mandibles reddish brown basally, turning yellow distally; tarsi pale yellow.
Queen
(n=l). OOD 0.29, EL 0.22, HL 0.86, EW 0.11, HW 0.74, CNW 0.07, CND 0.07, SL 0.59, AL 1.16, PpW 0.44, SW 0.33, CI 1.16, CNI 1.00, REL 0.29, ScI 0.80, SpI 1.34.
Differing from the worker in its larger size, presence of ocelli, and the enlarged thorax. Other characters as in the worker. Although the single known specimen is dealate, it was apparently fully winged.
Type Material
Holotype worker, and three worker and one queen paratype for GHANA: Tafo (B.Bolton) (The Natural History Museum).
References
- Shattuck, S. O. 1991. Revision of the dolichoderine ant genus Axinidris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 105-120. (page 114, figs. 14-16 worker, queen described)
- Snelling, R. R. 2007. A review of the arboreal Afrotropical ant genus Axinidris. Pages 551-579 in Snelling, R. R., B. L. Fisher and P. S. Ward. Advances in ant systematics (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Homage to E.O. Wilson - 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute, 80.