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Axinidris nigripes
| Axinidris nigripes | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Genus: | Axinidris |
| Species: | A. nigripes |
| Binomial name | |
| Axinidris nigripes Shattuck, 1991
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Nothing is known about the biology of Axinidris nigripes.
Identification
Snelling (2007) - Scape and pronotum with erect hairs; medial carina present; distance between spines exceeding PPW; hairs of head and mesosoma brown, coarse and seta-like.
This species is similar to both Axinidris luhya and Axinidris palligastrion. It differs from the latter in its larger size, deeper clypeal notch and differing color pattern, the gaster being darker than the head and mesosoma, the reverse of the pattern in A. palligastrion. From A. luhya, A. nigripes differs by the coarser, darker mesosomal hairs (fine and yellowish in A. luhya).
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
Known only from the worker caste.
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- nigripes. Axinidris nigripes Shattuck, 1991: 117, fig. 35 (w.) GHANA.
- Type-material: holotype worker.
- Type-locality: Ghana: Aburi, 10.viii.1969 (P.M. Room).
- Type-depository: BMNH.
- Status as species: Shattuck, 1994: 10; Bolton, 1995b: 77; Snelling, R.R. 2007: 569.
- Distribution: Ghana.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
(n=1). OOD 0.33, EL 0.30, HL 1.06, EW 0.17, HW 0.97, CNW 0.06, CND 0.12, SL 0.78, AL 1.27, PpW 0.50, SW 0,41, CI 0.91, CNI 1.95, REL 0.31, ScI 0.80, SpI1.24.
Erect hairs present on gastric tergites 1-4; body reddish brown, the gaster darker.
Head sculpture similar to A.kakamegensis, but with strigulate sculpturing less well developed posterior of the eyes. Head with numerous short erect hairs distributed from the occipital border to the anterior clypeal ml.lrgin. A limited number of erect or suberect hairs present on the antennal scapes. Entire alitrunk smooth to imbricate and very finely punctate. Pronotum with c. 6 short, erect hairs. Propodeal spiracle similar to A tridens, but less raised anteriorly. Medial propodeal carina expanded medially and located posterior of a line drawn between the propodeal spiracles to just anterior of the petiolar insertion. Propodeal spines directed posterolaterally, with the outer surfaces concave, the distal ends approximately the same width as the maximum propodeal width, and the area between them more or less flat. Erect hairs present on gastric tergites 1-4. Body colour light yellowish brown with the mandibles and antenna lighter, and the legs (including tarsi) and gaster slightly darker.
Type Material
Holotype worker from GHANA: Aburi (P.Room) (The Natural History Museum).
References
- Shattuck, S. O. 1991. Revision of the dolichoderine ant genus Axinidris (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Syst. Entomol. 16: 105-120. (page 117, fig. 35 worker 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.
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Shattuck S. O. 1994. Taxonomic catalog of the ant subfamilies Aneuretinae and Dolichoderinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). University of California Publications in Entomology 112: i-xix, 1-241.