Chelaner nigriceps

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

Beyond some clues from label data (rainforest, moss on rocks & trees, pyrethrum, Berlesate) little is known about the biology of Chelaner nigriceps.

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the rubriceps group. As the name suggests, the black head of this species is diagnostic, and clearly separates it from the otherwise similar Chelaner leae and Chelaner centralis. The strongly indented anteromedial clypeal margin found in C. nigriceps is reminiscent of Chelaner forcipatus (New Caledonia).

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

This rainforest member of the rubriceps-group appears to have a restricted distribution in Northeast Queensland. Since the time of the study, an additional specimen has been identified among material collected by Prof. R. Kitching through canopy fogging in Eungella National Park.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -16.2° to -19.01484047°.


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.

Elevation Range

Occurrence at collecting sites during elevational surveys of rainforest in the Eungella region, Queensland, Australia (Burwell et al., 2020).
Species	Elevation (m asl)
Species	200	400	600	800	1000	1200
Chelaner nigriceps	10-20	0-10		20-30		40-50
Shading indicates the bands of elevation where species was recorded. Numbers are the percentage of total samples containing this species.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

nigriceps. Monomorium nigriceps Heterick, 2001: 434, fig. 44 (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 1.77; HL 0.62; HW 0.53; CeI 85; SL 0.41; CeI 78; PW 0.36. Worker measurements. HML 1.69-1.78; HL 0.60-0.64; HW 0.52-0.54; CeI 84-87; SL 0.41-0.54; SI 78-83; PW 0.34-0.37 (4 measured).

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

Head. Head square or rectangular. Compound eyes elliptical; (viewed from front) compound eyes set in anterior half of head capsule. Anteromedial clypeal margin emarginate, median clypeal carinae produced as pair of bluntly rounded denticles. Posteromedial clypeal margin level with posterior surface of antennal fossae. Palp formula unknown. Apical and basal mandibular margins meeting in curve.

Alitrunk. Dorsal promesonotal face evenly convex. Metanotal groove present as distinct and deeply impressed trough between promesonotum and propodeum. Propodeal sculpture present as faint microreticulation with few striae, mainly on lower lateral surface; processes absent (propodeum angulate in profile). Propodeal angle present; length ratio of dorsal face to declivitous face near 2: 1; declivitous face of propodeum longitudinally concave between its lateral margins. Propodeal setulae decumbent and subdecumbent.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar node cuneate, dorsally rounded; sculpture absent, petiolar node smooth and shining. Ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) near 4:3 to near 1: 1. Ventral lobe always absent. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 4:3; height-length ratio of postpetiole near 2:1 to near 4:3.

General characters. Colour of alitrunk, petiole, postpetiole and appendages orange, head and gaster dark chocolate. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

Holotype. Worker (top point), Queensland, Windsor Tableland, 8.i.1989, E. Schmid & ANZSES, 1186 m, site 9 pyrethrum (Australian National Insect Collection). Paratypes. Queensland: 1 + 2 workers, with same data as the holotype (ANIC, Museum of Comparative Zoology); 1 worker, Thornton Peak, 11 miles NE Daintree, 1.xii.1983, Monteith, Yeates & Thompson, QM berlesate no. 605, rainforest 1100 m, moss on rocks and trees (The Natural History Museum).

Holotype, worker, Windsor Tableland, Site 9 [Mount Windsor Tableland], Queensland, Australia, Schmidt,E. & ANZSES, ANIC32-015675, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 1 worker, Windsor Tableland, Site 9 [Mount Windsor Tableland], Queensland, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 1 worker, Thornton Peak, 11mi. NE Daintree, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 2 workers, Windsor Tableland, Site 9 [Mount Windsor Tableland], Queensland, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

Latin: “black-headed”.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Burwell C.J., and A. Nakamura. 2011. Distribution of ant speces along an altitudinal transect in continuous rainforest in subtropical Queensland, Australia. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum -Nature 55(2): 391-411.
Heterick B. E. 2001. Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 353-459.