Dolichoderus omicron

Dolichoderus omicron
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Dolichoderini
Genus:	Dolichoderus
Species group:	scrobiculatus
Species:	D. omicron
Binomial name
Dolichoderus omicron Shattuck & Marsden, 2013 Specimen Labels

Dolichoderus omicron is found in semi-arid open forested areas such as mallee woodlands and broombrush thickets across most of southern Australia. It forages during the day in columns primarily on the ground and nests in soil under rocks.

Identification

Pale markings absent from lower margin of the eyes; pronotum and propodeum lacking spines; in dorsal view the pronotum with only weakly defined shoulders, with the area between the shoulders more strongly convex to flat; dorsum of propodeum weakly and evenly convex, the length shorter (at most approximately the same length) than the posterior face, with a narrow carina separating the dorsal and posterior faces; posterior face of propodeum weakly concave, separated from the dorsal face by a distinct carina; gaster yellowish red and lighter in colour than the mesosoma; with sparse pubescence on the first gastral tergite and hairs generally not overlapping or entirely absent; tibiae with erect or suberect hairs.

This species is most similar to Dolichoderus canopus but can be distinguished by having a gaster yellowish red and lighter in colour that the mesosoma whereas D. canopus has a gaster which is at least similar in colour if not darker than the mesosoma.

Identification Keys including this Taxon

• Key to Australian Dolichoderus Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -32.71666667° to -32.71666667°.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• omicron. Dolichoderus omicron Shattuck & Marsden, 2013: 127, fig. 18 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Poochera, "Freightline site" just south of village, South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 10–13 November 1981, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-066601, Australian National Insect Collection; nocturnal foragers, mallee woodland.
• Paratype, 5 workers, Poochera, "Freightline site" just south of village, South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 10–13 November 1981, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-061292, Australian National Insect Collection; nocturnal foragers, mallee woodland.
• Paratype, 3 workers, Poochera, "Rubbish dump site" just north of village, South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 10–13 November 1981, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-061295, Australian National Insect Collection; diurnal collection, mallee woodland.
• Paratype, 3 workers, Poochera, "Rubbish dump site" just north of village, South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 10–13 November 1981, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-061295, Museum of Comparative Zoology; diurnal collection, mallee woodland.
• Paratype, 1 worker, Poochera area, "Nothomyrmecia original site", South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 13–17 November 1977, R.W. Taylor & P.S. Ward, ANIC32-061294, Australian National Insect Collection; diurnal.
• Paratype, 2 workers, Poochera, "collected in CSIRO enclosure", South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, October–November, 1984, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-061291, Australian National Insect Collection; mallee woodland.
• Paratype, 2 workers, Poochera, site "X" 2km S of village, South Australia, Australia, 32°43′0″S 134°50′0″E, 6–15 November 1982, R.W. Taylor & R.J. Bartell, ANIC32-061293, Australian National Insect Collection; mallee woodland.

Description

Available specimens uniform and similar to the figured individual except in showing moderate variation in body colour, which varies from light reddish-brown to brown, and leg colour, which ranges from yellow-red to reddish-brown.

Measurements (n=5). CI 82–87; EI 31–34; EL 0.24–0.28; HL 0.87–0.99; HW 0.72–0.86; ML 1.14–1.34; MTL 0.61–0.71; PronI 66.49–70.16; PronW 0.49–0.59; SI 112–119; SL 0.85–0.96.

References

• 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. & Marsden, S. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716, 101–143 (doi 10.11646/zootaxa.3716.2.1) PDF

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Shattuck S. O., and S. Marsden. 2013. Australian species of the ant genus Dolichoderus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 3716(2): 101-143.