Colobostruma elliotti

Colobostruma elliotti
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Colobostruma
Species:	C. elliotti
Binomial name
	Colobostruma elliotti; (Clark, 1928) Specimen Label

This species is found across southern areas of Australia in mainly in dry sclerophyll and similar habitats or occasionally more moist sites. It forms small colonies between rocks.

Identification

Colobostruma elliotti is the only species in this group with 4- or 5-segmented antennae, the others have 6 or more segments (Shattuck 2000).

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -29.81667° to -42.3°.


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

Explore Overview of Colobostruma biology

Beyond what is stated in the introduction at the top of this page, little is know about the biology of Colobostruma elliotti. Until further studies reveal more about this species we can infer that its natural history and biology should be similar to other species in this genus. In general Colobostruma can be locally common although they are often overlooked. Most species have small colonies with less than 100 workers, and workers will lie motionless when disturbed. Nests can occur in soil usually under rocks, in cracks in rocks or in rotten logs. Only a single rainforest species is known to nest arboreally. Foraging is usually on the ground at night but occasionally they are found foraging on mallee. They are also commonly found in leaf litter.

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Castes

Nomenclature

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

elliotti. Epitritus elliotti Clark, 1928c: 42, figs. 1, 2 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Clarkistruma: Brown, 1948e: 124; in Colobostruma: Taylor & Brown, D.R. 1985: 60. See also: Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 42.

Type Material

Epitritus elliotti Clark, 1928: Syntype, 1 worker (damaged), Mt. Arapiles, Western District, Victoria, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Epitritus elliotti Clark, 1928: Syntype, 2 workers, Mt. Arapiles, Western District, Victoria, Australia, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
Epitritus elliotti Clark, 1928: Syntype, worker(s), queen, Mt. Arapiles, Western District, Victoria, Australia.

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

Description

Worker

Shattuck (2000) - TL 2.4 - 2.8, HL 0.61 - 0.67, HW 0.56 - 0.65 , CI 92 - 97, ML 0.13 - 0.15, MI 19 - 23 , SL 0.30 - 0.36, SI 51 - 55, PW 0.34 - 0.40, AL 0.65 - 0.74 ( 6 measured). Anterior region of head rounding gradually from the dorsal to lateral surfaces, not phragmotic. Ridge immediately in front of eye weakly defined, concave. Frontal lobes and lateral margins of clypeus smooth relative to the surrounding surface of the head. Mandibles broadly triangular. Hairs on dorsum of head short, thin. Posterior margin of head broadly concave. Antenna with 4, or rarely 5, segments; when 5-segmented the third funicular segment from the base is much shorter than the second segment. Scape strongly elbowed and with a broadly rounded subbasal lobe. Pronotum with weakly developed humeral angles. Propodeum high, its posterior face slightly less than the height of the petiolar node and with broad, thin lamellae; in profile the dorsum of the alitrunk weakly convex. Lateral postpetiole drawn outwards into thin flange-like wings, the wings with translucent windows along their posterior margins only. First gastral tergite with weak, indistinct sculpturing, superimposed with low, closely spaced carinae on the anterior one- half. Body colour pale, dull yellow overlain with irregular infuscation.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 42, see also)
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1948e. A preliminary generic revision of the higher Dacetini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 74: 101-129 (page 124, Combination in Clarkistruma)
Clark, J. 1928c. Excursion through Western District of Victoria. Entomological Reports. Formicidae. Vic. Nat. (Melb.) 45(Su Suppl: 39-44 (page 42, figs. 1, 2 worker, queen described)
Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76:1-206.
Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
Shattuck, S. O. 2000. Genus Colobostruma. Genus Mesostruma. Genus Epopostruma. Pp. 31-67 in: Bolton, B. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028.*Taylor, R. W.; Brown, D. R. 1985. Formicoidea. Zool. Cat. Aust. 2:1- 149: 1-149, 30 (page 60, Combination in Colobostruma)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
CSIRO Collection