Carebara pygmaea

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Carebara pygmaea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Crematogastrini
Genus: Carebara
Species group: pygmaea
Species: C. pygmaea
Binomial name
Carebara pygmaea
(Emery, 1887)

Pheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906203 p 1 high.jpg

Pheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906203 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Subspecies
Synonyms

Heterick & Kitching (2022) collected this species on tree trunks within a lowland dipterocarp forest in Brunei. Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024) report that this species inhabits both disturbed and primary forests, ranging from lowland to highland areas (100–1000 m a.s.l.). Most colonies were collected from dead logs on the forest floor, while one colony (TH20-WJT-21) was collected from a dead part (stem) of a living tree.

Carebara pygmaea is venomous. During a field ant survey in western Thailand, a collector was stung by this ant species. He received itchy rashes in a few minutes after being stung and developed blisters within two days later (Fig. 14) (Wimolsuthiku et al., 2024).

  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 14. Symptom on hand after stung by workers of Carebara pygmaea. A, Itchy rash after few minutes; B, blister in two days.

Identification

Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024):

Major (Fig. 10): head, promesonotum, and gastral tergite I without erect hairs; with head in full-face view, posterior one-third with transverse striation, while anterior two-thirds with longitudinal striation; eye small, with ca. 12–13 ommatidia; gastral tergite I punctate; propodeal spine almost absent.

Minor (Fig. 11): propodeal dorsum smooth and shiny; petiole and postpetiole without hairs; propodeal junction bluntly angulate; body reddish brown.

It is most similar to Carebara rubra and Carebara transversalis in lacking erect hairs on the head, mesosoma, and gastral tergite I (except for 3 pairs on the frontal carinae). However, this species can be separated from the latter two by: short propodeal spine, shorter than its base or almost absent (relatively longer than their base in the letter two), and punctate lateral face of pronotum, petiolar node, and postpetiole (slightly smooth and shiny in the latter two). Pronotum of the holotype major worker is rather smooth but it is weakly punctate in the Thai population. However, we did not find any important differentiate between the Thai specimens from the holotype. Thus, we identified Thai specimens as C. pygmaea. The pronotum of the type of Carebara pygmaea simalurensis (currently a junior synonym of C. pygmaea, see Pheidologeton pygmaeus simalurensis) is clearly smooth and shiny and the head has sparse short erect hairs. This species seems different from the holotype of C. pygmaea. We did not examine a type specimen of C. pygmaea simalurensis directly, thus, for the time being, we did not review the status of this subspecies.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 13. Distribution of Carebara pygmaea species group in Thailand.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 20.3° to 3.7225°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate
  • Source: AntMaps; Wimolsuthiku et al., 2024

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia (type locality), Malaysia, Philippines (type locality).
Oriental Region: Laos, Sri Lanka (type locality), Thailand.

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Pheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906214 h 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906214 p 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906214 d 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0906214 l 1 high.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0906214. Photographer Estella Ortega, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.
Carebara pygmaeaH11.5.jpgCarebara pygmaeaL8.jpgCarebara pygmaeaD8.jpgCarebara pygmaeaLabel.jpg
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Pheidologeton pygmaeus casent0904654 h 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0904654 p 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0904654 d 1 high.jpgPheidologeton pygmaeus casent0904654 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Pheidologeton pygmaea. Worker. Specimen code casent0904654. Photographer Will Ericson, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MSNG, Genoa, Italy.
Carebara simalurensis casent0908887 h 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908887 p 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908887 d 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908887 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Carebara simalurensis. Worker. Specimen code casent0908887. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
Carebara simalurensis casent0908886 h 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908886 p 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908886 d 1 high.jpgCarebara simalurensis casent0908886 l 1 high.jpg
Syntype of Carebara simalurensis. Worker (major/soldier). Specimen code casent0908886. Photographer Z. Lieberman, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by MHNG, Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 10. Carebara pygmaea, non-type major worker (THNHM-I-2013-05969). A, Body in profile view; B, head in fullface view; C, body in dorsal view.
  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 11. Carebara pygmaea, non-type minor worker (THNHM-I-2013-05970). A, Body in profile view; B, head in fullface view; C, body in dorsal view.
  • Wimolsuthiku et al. (2024), FIGURE 12. Carebara pygmaea, non-type dealate queen (THNHM-I-00028221). A, Body in profile view; B, head in full-face view; C, body in dorsal view.

Nomenclature

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

  • pygmaea. Pheidologeton pygmaeus Emery, 1887b: 465 (s.w.) INDONESIA (Ternate).
    • Type-material: syntype major and minor workers (numbers not stated).
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: Ternate I., Aqui Conora (O. Beccari).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Combination in P. (Aneleus): Emery, 1900c: 327;
    • combination in Aneleus (Aneleus): Emery, 1924d: 214;
    • combination in Pheidologeton: Ettershank, 1966: 119;
    • combination in Carebara: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
    • Status as species: Dalla Torre, 1893: 73; Forel, 1911e: 268; Emery, 1924d: 214; Ettershank, 1966: 119; Bolton, 1995b: 333; Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 36; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 50; Jaitrong, Guénard, et al. 2016: 34; Dias, R.K.S. et al. 2020: 66; Jaitrong, Pitaktunsakul & Jantarit, 2021: 13 (redescription); Khachonpisitsak, et al. 2020: 82.
    • Senior synonym of albipes: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
    • Senior synonym of bugnioni: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
    • Senior synonym of simalurensis: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
    • Distribution: Indonesia (Bacan, Sumatra, Ternate), Laos, Malaysia (Peninsula, Sabah, Sarawak), Philippines (Luzon), Sri Lanka, Thailand.
    • Current subspecies: nominal plus densistriatus.
  • albipes. Pheidologeton pygmaeus var. albipes Emery, 1893g: 266 (w.) PHILIPPINES (Luzon).
    • Type-material: holotype minor worker.
    • Type-locality: Philippines: Luzon, Antipolo, iii.-iv.1890 (E. Simon).
    • Type-depository: MSNG.
    • Wheeler, W.M. 1927h: 96 (in text) (m.).
    • Combination in Aneleus (Aneleus): Emery, 1924d: 214;
    • combination in Pheidologeton: Ettershank, 1966: 118.
    • Subspecies of pygmaea: Wheeler, W.M. 1909d: 340; Emery, 1924d: 214; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 154; Baltazar, 1966: 257; Ettershank, 1966: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 333.
    • Junior synonym of pygmaea: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
  • bugnioni. Pheidologeton (Aneleus) pygmaeus var. bugnioni Forel, 1915a: 28 (in text) (s.) SRI LANKA.
    • Type-material: syntype major worker(s) (number not stated).
    • Type-locality: Sri Lanka (“Ceylon”): (no further data).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • [Also cited as new by Forel, 1915a: 281.]
    • Combination in Aneleus (Aneleus): Emery, 1924d: 214;
    • combination in Pheidologeton: Ettershank, 1966: 118.
    • Subspecies of pygmaea: Emery, 1924d: 214; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 154; Ettershank, 1966: 118; Bolton, 1995b: 333.
    • Junior synonym of pygmaea: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.
  • simalurensis. Pheidologeton (Aneleus) pygmaeus var. simalurensis Forel, 1915a: 27 (s.w.q.) INDONESIA (Sumatra).
    • Type-material: syntype major and minor workers (numbers not stated), 1 syntype queen.
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: Sumatra, Simalur I. (= Simeulue I.), Sinabang, 1913 (E. Jacobson).
    • Type-depository: MHNG.
    • Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 246 (m.).
    • Combination in Aneleus (Aneleus): Emery, 1924d: 214;
    • combination in Oligomyrmex: Ettershank, 1966: 124;
    • combination in Carebara: Fernández, 2004a: 235.
    • Subspecies of pygmaea: Wheeler, W.M. 1924b: 246; Emery, 1924d: 214; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 154.
    • Status as species: Ettershank, 1966: 124; Bolton, 1995b: 300.
    • Junior synonym of pygmaea: Fischer, et al. 2014: 72.

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

Description

Male

Wheeler (1924), as Aneleus pygmoeus var. simalurensis - Length: 4.5-5 mm. Head through the eyes broader than long, short and rounded behind, the cheeks short, the eyes and ocelli large and convex. Mandibles well-developed, 5-toothed, the apical tooth long and curved. Clypeus very convex in the middle, its anterior border entire in middle, sinuate on each side. Frontal groove broad and distinct. Antennal scapes stout and short, barely twice as long as broad, funiculi long, first joint small, nearly twice as broad as long, remaining joints rather long, cylindrical, the second distinctly longer than the third. Mesonotum large, convex, somewhat overarching the small pronotum, smooth and rounded, without Mayrian furrows, about two-thirds longer than broad. Scutellum convex, projecting. Epinotum shaped somewhat like that of the soldier but more sloping and with the teeth much stouter and blunter. Petiole and postpetiole also similar but the node of the former less compressed anteroposteriorly, the latter nearly half again as broad as the petiole. Gaster with well-developed cerci and large exserted genitalia, the outer appendages of which are straight. with rather slender. pointed tips, the median appendages with short acute lateral and long bladeshaped internal rami. Legs slender. Wing venation as in Pheidologeton and Oligomyrmex, with closed submarginal cell and a small discoidal cell.

Shining; head more opaque, densely and indistinctly punctate. Mesonotum coarsely punctate. Epinotum obscurely and finely punctate-rugulose.

Hairs yellowish, abundant but rather short on the head, thorax and gaster; pubescence on the appendages, gaster, gula and pleurae longer and more abundant1han in the soldier.

Black or dark brown; mandibles, antennae and legs pale brown; genitalia sordid whitish brown. Wings distinctly infuscated, with dark brown veins and stigma.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

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  • Bruhl C.A. 2001. Leaf litter ant communities in tropical lowland rain forests in Sabah, Malaysia: effects of forest disturbance and fragmentation. PHD thesis Wurzburg Universitat, 168 pp.
  • Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
  • Dias R. K. S. 2006. Current taxonomic status of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. The Fauna of Sri Lanka: 43-52. Bambaradeniya, C.N.B. (Editor), 2006. Fauna of Sri Lanka: Status of Taxonomy, Research and Conservation. The World Conservation Union, Colombo, Sri Lanka & Government of Sri Lanka. viii + 308pp.
  • Dias R. K. S., K. R. K. A. Kosgamage, and H. A. W. S. Peiris. 2012. The Taxonomy and Conservation Status of Ants (Order: Hymenoptera, Family: Formicidae) in Sri Lanka. In: The National Red List 2012 of Sri Lanka; Conservation Status of the Fauna and Flora. Weerakoon, D.K. & S. Wijesundara Eds., Ministry of Environment, Colombo, Sri Lanka. p11-19.
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  • Emery C. 1900. Formicidarum species novae vel minus cognitae in collectione Musaei Nationalis Hungarici quas in Nova-Guinea, colonia germanica, collegit L. Biró. Publicatio secunda. Természetrajzi Füzetek 23: 310-338.
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