Cladomyrma hobbyi

Cladomyrma hobbyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Plagiolepidini
Genus:	Cladomyrma
Species:	C. hobbyi
Binomial name
	Cladomyrma hobbyi; Donisthorpe, 1937 Specimen labels

The type series, 3 queens, were collected in Sarawak in 1932. Two were collected from a light trap at the junction of two rivers and the third in a moss forest at 1372 m.

Identification

Agosti et al. (1999) placed Cladomyrma species into two groups based on the shape of the queen's petiole, raised (an erect node or scale) or depressed (dorsally truncate and low). Cladomyrma hobbyi belongs to the depressed petiole group.

All the series available have extremely small workers. The gently rounded dorsoposterior corner of the petiole of the queens is typical for this species, especially separating it from queens of Cladomyrma andrei, which, in addition, have a rather bright colored and elongate head.

Keys including this Species

Key to Cladomyrma

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo (type locality), Indonesia, Malaysia.

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

Agosti et al. (1999) - This species has been collected from the woody climber Spatholobus oblongifolius (Papilionaceae) and the understory tree Drypetes longifolia (Euphorbiaceae) in Lambir NP, Miri, Sarawak. The type specimens have been obtained by light traps on Mt. Dulit at an altitude of ca. 4500 ft (5 - 1350 m). We assume that the host plant source was a Spatholobus. Whereas Drypetes does not occur above 900 m (personal obs.) the liana, according to herbaria notes, extends at least up to 1000 m and, furthermore, is known from that locality. The Malayan counterpart, Spatholobus bracteolatus, has been found by us at an elevation of 1300 m, by far exceeding the altitudinal range mentioned on herbarium labels. Therefore, it may be possible that the type specimens originate from Spatholobus oblongifolius.

Also see the biology section of the Cladomyrma genus page for more information about this ant's biology

Castes

Queen

Images from AntWeb


Queen (alate/dealate). Specimen code casent0173910. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Male

Images from AntWeb


Male (alate). Specimen code casent0173911. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by CAS, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

hobbyi. Cladomyrma hobbyi Donisthorpe, 1937a: 620, figs. 3, 4 (q.) BORNEO. Agosti, Moog & Maschwitz, 1999: 10 (s.w.m.). Junior synonym of andrei: Agosti, 1991: 303. Revived from synonymy: Agosti, Moog & Maschwitz, 1999: 10.

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

Description

Agosti et al. (1999):

Worker

Major: AL 0.80–1.08, HL 0.94–1.02, HW 0.64–0.90, EL 0.14–0.18, SL 0.32–0.46, CI 82–89, EI 18–23, SI 50–53 (n 5 8).

Frons without longitudinal, brighter-colored spot; clypeus truncate (= angulate in lateral view); short, square head; small body size; gastral pubescence relatively widely set, but hair longer than the distance between their insertions.

Minor: AL 0.57–0.82, HL 0.59–0.70, HW 0.48–0.64, EL 0.10–0.14, SL 0.28–0.36, CI 83–91, EI 21–29, SI 53–61 (n 5 8).

Small body size; body yellowish brown, with genae slightly more yellowish; metapleural gland orifice large; gastral pubescence relatively widely set, but hair longer than the distance between their insertions.

Queen

AL 1.84–2.16, HL 1.18–1.28, HW 0.93–1.00, EL 0.40, SL 0.54–0.62, CI 75–80, EI 43–47, SI 57–63 (n = 8). PARATYPE. Queen: AL 2.16, HL 1.28, HW 0.99, SL 0.62, EL 0.46, CI 77, EI 46, SI 63.

Head elongate, clypeus smoothly rounded in lateral view; dorsal part of katepisternum with widely set, extremely thin and thus hardly visible pubescence, shining; low petiole, posteriorly gently declining; dense pubescence on gastral tergites; erect hairs scattered all over tergites; dorsum of alitrunk brownish red colored, distinct from head and gaster.

Male

Petiole a high node; subgenital plate long, slender, parallel-sided, and apically truncated; stipites apically wide, extended, and almost hemispherical; small body size.

Type Material

Agosti et al. (1999) - Holotype queen, BORNEO: East Malaysia, Sarawak, Mt Dulit, 4500 ft, moss forest, 10/14/1932, B. M. Hobby; The Natural History Museum [examined].

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Agosti D., J. Moog, and U. Maschwitz. 1999. Revision of the Oriental Plant-ant genus Cladomyrma. American Museum Novitates 3283: 1-24.
Donisthorpe H. 1937. Some new forms of Formicidae and a correction. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (10)19: 619-628.
Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58