Brachyponera wallacei

Brachyponera wallacei
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Ponerinae
Tribe:	Ponerini
Genus:	Brachyponera
Species:	B. wallacei
Binomial name
	Brachyponera wallacei; (Yamane, 2007)

Nothing is known about the biology of Brachyponera wallacei.

Identification

Yamane (2007) - This species is similar to Brachyponera atrata in having rugose pronotal sides (also see Wilson, 1958). It is, however, easily distinguished from the latter in the worker caste by having the pronotal dorsum and propodeum extensively rugose/striate, and the antennal scape much longer. In B. atrata the scape surpasses the posterior margin of head by only 1/5 of its length, while in B. wallacea by more than 1/4 (often almost 1/3) of its length.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Indonesia (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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

wallacei. Pachycondyla wallacei Yamane, 2007: 659, fig. 8 (w.q.) INDONESIA (Lombok I.).
- Combination in Brachyponera: Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 81.

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

Description

Worker

holotype in parentheses: HW 1.05-1.13 (1.11); HL 1.10-1.17 (1.15); SL: 1.10-1.15 (1.15); EL: 0.21-0.23 (0.22); MSL: 0.08-0.09 (0.08). SL/HL 0.97-1.01 1.00). Number of ommatidia along long axis of eye ca.14.

Structure. Head slightly longer than wide, in full-face view with posterior margin weakly emarginate, almost parallel-sided behind eye. Mandible with six larger and three smaller teeth on the masticatory margin; basal fovea absent or obsolete. Antennal scape rather long, surpassing the posterior margin of head by more than 1/4 (often almost 1/3) of its total length in full-face view. Pronotal dorsum bluntly demarcated from lateral face; seen from above anterolateral corner round. Mesonotum distinctly demarcated from pronotum and propodeum by deep furrows, posteriorly weakly emarginate. In profile propodeum demarcated by a distinct obliquely running suture from metapleuron; posterior face well demarcated from lateral face by a rather sharp ridge, but separation from dorsal face indistinct. Petiole thick, in posterior view round and slightly wider than high. Sculpture. Dorsum of head minutely and densely punctate. Clypeus with much more superficial sculpture and shining except in median sculptured portion. Greater part of mandible finely and densely striate, leaving small area around apex and along mesal margin smooth. Pronotum very finely striatopunctate dorsally; its lateral face strongly rugose. Mesonotum finely and superficially punctate; mesopleuron almost smooth and shining, but rugulose below; metapleuron smooth, but punctate below and rugose above. Propodeum dorsally irregularly sculptured and mat; lateral face rugose; posterior face densely and transversely striate. Petiole with anterior and posterior faces densely and superficially punctate. gastral segments densely and weakly punctate evenly over the surface. Pilosity. Body except for lateral face of mesosoma extensively covered with dense decumbent pubescence. Standing hairs sparse; gastral tergites 1 and 2 each with more than ten standing hairs.

Coloration. Body dark brown to blackish; gaster slightly lighter than head and mesosoma. Antennal funiculus, mandible, subpetiolar process and legs yellowish brown to orangish.

Queen

Only one winged teneral individual is available, which is not suitable for detailed description. Striation on mesosoma less conspicuous than in the worker; pronotal side very finely and densely striate; striation on metapleuron above and propodeal side irregular; dorsum of pronotum and mesonotum very finely punctate and matte.

Type Material

Holotype: worker, Kopi house, nr Semaya, W. Lombok, Indonesia, 29 x 1998, K. Eguchi leg. (Eg98-LMB-1077). Paratypes: one queen and 12 workers from the same colony. The holotype is deposited in Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Indonesia, and paratypes in SKY Collection (SKY Collection), The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology, and Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.

Etymology

Named for the famous "Wallace's Line" dividing the Asian from the Melanesian faunas.

References

Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, S.O. 2014. The higher classification of the ant subfamily Ponerinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with a review of ponerine ecology and behavior. Zootaxa 3817, 1–242 (doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3817.1.1).
Yamane, S. 2007. Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in southeast Asia (pp. 650-663). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. and Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson – 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute. 80:690 pp.

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Yamane S. 2007. Pachycondyla nigrita and related species in southeast Asia (pp. 650-663). In Snelling, R.R., Fisher, B.L. & Ward, P.S. (eds). Advances in ant systematics: homage to E.O. Wilson 50 years of contributions. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 80: 690 pp.
Zryanin V. A., and M. V. Mokrousov. 2015. Contribution to the ant fauna of Lombok Island. Proceedings of the 10th ANeT International Conference, 23-26 October 2015, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. 34