Dorylus fulvus ruficeps

Dorylus fulvus ruficeps
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Dorylus
Species:	D. fulvus
Subspecies:	D. fulvus ruficeps
Trinomial name
Dorylus fulvus ruficeps Santschi, 1926

Dorylus fulvus currently contains 11 subspecies and 7 junior synonyms. These taxa were described in the 1800's and early 1900's and the synonyms proposed in the early 1900's, with essentially no taxonomic consideration since. Of the 11 subspecies, 3 were described from workers, 4 were based on workers and males and 4 on males alone. This makes it almost impossible to taxonomically compare these taxa with each other, and makes the original descriptions essentially worthless. The true identity of these forms, and their relationships to each other, will remain uncertain until a full revision has been undertaken.

Distribution

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Palaearctic Region: Israel, Lebanon (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.

• ruficeps. Dorylus (Typhlopone) fulvus var. ruficeps Santschi, 1926e: 232 (m.) LEBANON.
  • Type-material: holotype male.
  • Type-locality: Lebanon: Jounich (no collector’s name).
  • Type-depository: NHMB.
  • As unavailable (infrasubspecific) name: Santschi, 1931d: 408.
  • Junior synonym of punicus: Menozzi, 1933b: 50.
  • Subspecies of fulvus: Santschi, 1938a: 29; Bolton, 1995b: 180; Vonshak, et al. 2009: 38.
  • Distribution: Egypt, Israel, Lebanon.

References

• Menozzi, C. 1933b. Le formiche della Palestina. Memorie della Societa Entomologica Italiana 12: 49-113 (page 50, Junior synonym of punicus)
• Santschi, F. 1926e. Quelques fourmis nord-africaines. Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afr. Nord 17: 229-236 (page 232, male described)
• Santschi, F. 1938a [1937]. Quelques nouvelles fourmis d'Egypte. Bull. Soc. Entomol. Egypte 21: 28-44 (page 29, Revived from synonymy as race of fulvus)