Chelaner legulus

Chelaner legulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Chelaner
Species group:	rubriceps
Species:	C. legulus
Binomial name
	Chelaner legulus; (Heterick, 2001) Specimen Labels

Chelaner legulus is known only from southern Western Australia, but may occur elsewhere. I have found this species at Comet Hill trailing on the ground and up and down tree trunks. Several workers were carrying small seeds, which have been identified as Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus (Prof. W. T. Clifford, personal communication). Two of these seeds are pinned with the holotype. (Heterick 2001)

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the rubriceps group. This species is superficially similar to Chelaner bihamatus, with which it occurs sympatrically, but differs consistently in colour and sculpture.

Heterick (2009) - Chelaner bihamatus and Chelaner legulus are very similar red species. The latter is distinguished chiefly by a darker band on the mesosoma.

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -31.01666641° to -32.06667°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (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.

legulus. Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: 430, figs. 43, 198, 199 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
- Combination in Chelaner: Sparks et al., 2019: 233.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype. HML 3.28; HL 1.07; HW 0.99; CeI 92; SL 0.87; SI 88; PW 0.74. Others. HML 2.86-3.95; HL 0.99-1.34; HW 0.82-1.21; CeI 86-100; SL 0.65-0.96; SI 79-93; PW 0.56-0.89 (20 measured).

As for the worker of Chelaner longiceps, but with the following apomorphies.

Head. Frons of head capsule longitudinally striate with combination of incurved decumbent and subdecumbent setulae and erect and suberect setae. (Viewed from front) compound eyes set at midpoint of each side of head capsule; eye large, eye width greater than 1.5x greatest width of antenna! scape. Anteromedial clypeal margin emarginate, median clypeal carinae produced apically as pair of pronounced teeth. Frontal lobes parallel straight. Venter of head capsule with elongate, basket-shaped setae in at least some individuals. Mandibles (viewed from front) triangular and smooth, with piliferous punctures.

Alitrunk. Mesonotal suture absent. Metanotal groove present as feebly impressed furrow between promesonotum and propodeum. Propodeal processes absent (propodeum smoothly rounded in profile or with slight hump at propodeal angle. Propodeal angle absent.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar spiracle lateral and in anterior sector of petiolar node. Petiolar node cuboidal. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 1: 1. Sculpture present in form of microreticulation.

General characters. Colour of head and anterior promesonotum red, or reddish-orange, posterior promesonotum, propodeum, petiole and post- petiole same, heavily infuscated with black, gaster orange, legs brown, variously infuscated, antenna red. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker, Western Australia, Comet Hill, 15.ix.1988, B. E. Heterick, tree-trunk, litter/soil, native veg., rural environ., 432/6MonBH 34 (Australian National Insect Collection). Paratypes. Western Australia: 1 worker, 26 miles NW of Randells, 27.x.1947, T. Greaves, Chelaner (ANIC); 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 70 miles N of Esperance, 7.i.1970, B. B. Lowery, dry sclerophyll, 6 pm, on shrubs and in litter, Chelaner (Museum of Comparative Zoology); 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 7.i.1970, B. B. Lowery, Chelaner (The Natural History Museum).

Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: Holotype, worker, Comet Hill, Western Australia, Australia, Heterick,B.E., ANIC32-015662, Australian National Insect Collection.
Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: Paratype, 1 worker, 26mi. NW Randells, Western Australia, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: Paratype, 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 70mi. N Esperance, Western Australia, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Monomorium legulus Heterick, 2001: Paratype, 3 workers, Salmon Gums, 70mi. N Esperance, Western Australia, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

Latin: “collector” [i.e., of small seeds].

References