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Axinidris luhya
| Axinidris luhya | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Axinidris |
| Species: | A. luhya |
| Binomial name | |
| Axinidris luhya Snelling, R.R., 2007
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Specimens have been collected by fogging and on vegetation in forests.
Identification
Snelling (2007) - Erect hairs present on pronotal disc but absent from scape shaft; propodeal spines thick and directed posterolaterally, distance between their apices greater than propodeal width; metanotal spiracles prominent in profile and base of propodeum abruptly elevated behind metanotal suture; propodeum dull and contiguously minutely punctate.
The erect hairs of the antennal scape are pale, very fine and short, about 0.05mm long, and are widely and irregularly distributed along the length of the shaft. The number varies from 2 to 6, but one specimen was examined that lacked erect hairs on one scape, but had 4 on the other. Also variable is the number of erect hairs on the mesosomal dorsum. Although the pronotum often has but a single pair of long (up to 0.10mm) hairs, the number varies from 0 (2 specimens) to 8 within a nest series. Occasionally, 1 or 2 short erect hairs may be present on the propodeal dorsum in the vicinity of the spiracles; 1 or 2 similar hairs are present on each spine rising above the sometimes suberect pubescence.
This appears to be an eastern sister species to Axinidris occidentalis, currently known only from Liberia. The two are similar is size, head shape, mesosomal profile and in most details of sculpture, but A. luhya has the mesosoma more coarsely sculptured and there are long erect hairs on both the upper frons (usually) and pronotal disc. In general habitus A. luhya might also be confused with Axinidris ghanensis, but in that species the distance between the outer margins of the propodeal spines is no greater than that between the spiracles, the pronotum has only a single pair of erect hairs and none are present on the propodeum and on gastral tergum 3.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -0.317° to -2.226388889°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Afrotropical Region: Gabon, Kenya (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
Known only from the worker caste.
Worker
Images from AntWeb
   
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| Worker. Specimen code casent0172615. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. | Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA. |
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- luhya. Axinidris luhya Snelling, R.R. 2007: 565, figs. 6, 16, 26 (w.) KENYA.
- Type-material: holotype worker, paratype workers (number not stated, “numerous”).
- Type-locality: holotype Kenya: Kakamega Dist., Isecheno,19.iii.2002, #02-256 (R.R. Snelling); paratypes with same data but “various dates” (Snelling, R.R., 2007: 565).
- Type-depositories: LACM (holotype); BMNH, CASC, ICIP, LACM, MCZC, NMKN, SAMC, USNM, ZFMK (paratypes).
- Distribution: South Africa.
- Status as species: Hita Garcia, et al. 2013: 202.
- Distribution: Kenya.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
(mm) (n = 12). HW 0.99-1.04; HL 1.00-1.09; SL 0.69-0.74; EL 0.230.28; OVD 0.37-0.42; PNW 0.60-0.68; PPW 0.38-0.46; WL 1.13-1.26. Indices. CI 92-100; CNI 12-15; OI 22-28; SI 69-74.
Head slightly shiny, with fine strigulate sculpture, interspaces contiguously finely punctate; clypeal disc and malar area with fine longitudinal rugae. Vertex with 0-3 pairs of short stiff hairs; frons with 6-8 widely spaced hairs of variable length in addition to much longer pair along each frontal carina; entire head with abundant short coarse subappressed to appressed pubescence. Shaft of antennal scape without erect or suberect hairs.
Entire mesosoma contiguously punctate and slightly shiny and with abundant coarse subappressed to appressed pubescence; mesepisternum and side of propodeum also with weak irregular longitudinal rugae. Pronotal disc (Fig. 16) with 2-3 pairs of long erect hairs and a variable number (but fewer than 12) of much shorter erect hairs; 1-3 short erect hairs on each propodeal spine. Mesonotum flat in profile; metanotal spiracles prominent. Propodeum abruptly elevated behind metanotal suture; disc nearly flat; propodeal spiracle on well-developed prominence and spiracular opening directed distad; medial carina low; propodeal spines thick, their apices subacute in profile; spines broad in dorsal view and direct posterolaterally, their outer margins straight and distance between their apices about equal to width of propodeum at spiracles; 4-10 fine erect hairs present, including on spines. Gastral terga slightly shiny and weakly imbricate, with abundant minute piligerous punctures; terga with close coarse appressed pubescence and discs of two basal segments also usually with scattered short erect hairs; T3-4 with 2-4 longer erect hairs.
Head and body blackish, antennae and legs dark brownish, tarsi reddish brown; yellowish spot on head between eye and antennal socket; mandibles largely reddish, but blackish at base and apex.
Type Material
Holotype worker: KENYA, Kakamega Distr., Isecheno, 19 March 2002 (R. R. Snelling, #02-156), on tree trunk. Numerous additional worker paratypes from Isecheno, collected by R. R. Snelling, various dates, mostly on trunk of Solanum mauritiana. Holotype in Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; paratypes in AKRI, The Natural History Museum, California Academy of Sciences, ICIPE, LACM, Museum of Comparative Zoology, NMKC, South African Museum, and National Museum of Natural History.
Etymology
This species is named for the Luhya people who live in the Kakamega area and, in particular, for those at Isecheno who made me feel welcome there; the name is a noun in apposition.