Eburopone wroughtoni

Eburopone wroughtoni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dorylinae
Genus:	Eburopone
Species:	E. wroughtoni
Binomial name
	Eburopone wroughtoni; (Forel, 1910) Specimen labels
Synonyms
	Cerapachys roberti Forel, 1914; Cerapachys wroughtoni rhodesiana Forel, 1913;

Identification

Yamada et al. (2023) - Although Brown (1975) treated two southern African Eburopone (sub)species, E. roberti and E. w. rhodesiana as junior synonyms of E. wroughtoni, the types of these names show conspicuous morphological differences, especially between E. w. rhodesiana and the others.

Eburopone w. rhodesiana is the most morphologically distinct among these by

lateroventral flange of occipital carina less developed
promesonotal suture inconspicuous (hardly recognizable in the examined image)
abdominal segment III distinctly wider than long

Eburopone roberti is different from the syntype of E. wroughtoni at least by having deeper and more prominent promesonotal suture. The differences suggest a possible heterospecificity of these names, especially for E. w. rhodesiana. However, their taxonomic statuses are not addressed in the present study, since it would be appropriate to examine additional colony series; additionally, many undescribed species are known from the Afrotropical and Malagasy regions. Even if multiple species are confused under E. wroughtoni, the independence of Eburopone easoana at the species level is unquestionable.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -3.96667° to -34.1°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Afrotropical Region: Mozambique, South Africa (type locality), United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe.

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

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Worker. Specimen code casent0102166. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

wroughtoni. Cerapachys wroughtoni Forel, 1910e: 422 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: South Africa: Mts of Natal (R.C. Wroughton).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Combination in C. (Cerapachys): Emery, 1911d: 9;
- combination in Eburopone: Borowiec, M.L. 2016: 129.
- Status as species: Emery, 1911d: 9; Arnold, 1915: 16; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 756; Brown, 1975: 24, 63; Bolton, 1995b: 145; Collingwood, et al. 2011: 410; Borowiec, L. 2014: 62.
- Senior synonym of rhodesiana: Brown, 1975: 24; Bolton, 1995b: 145.
- Senior synonym of roberti: Brown, 1975: 24; Bolton, 1995b: 145.
- Distribution: South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Zimbabwe.
rhodesiana. Cerapachys wroughtoni var. rhodesiana Forel, 1913j: 212 (w.) ZIMBABWE.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: Zimbabwe (“Rhodesia”): Bulawayo (G. Arnold).
- Type-depository: MHNG.
- Subspecies of wroughtoni: Arnold, 1915: 16; Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 756.
- Junior synonym of wroughtoni: Brown, 1975: 24; Bolton, 1995b: 144.
roberti. Cerapachys roberti Forel, 1914d: 212 (w.) SOUTH AFRICA.
- Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
- Type-locality: South Africa: Natal, Estcourt, 1914 (R.C. Wroughton).
- Type-depositories: BMNH, MHNG.
- Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1922a: 756; Arnold, 1926: 192.
- Junior synonym of wroughtoni: Brown, 1975: 24; Bolton, 1995b: 144.

Description

References

Borowiec, M.L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1-280 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.608.9427).
Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 145, catalogue)
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agric. (Ithaca N. Y.) 5(1 1: 1-115 (page 24, Senior synonym of rhodesiana and roberti)
Collingwood, C.A., Agosti, D., Sharaf, M.R., van Harten, A. 2011. Order Hymenoptera, family Formicidae. Arthropod fauna of the UAE 4: 405-474.
Forel, A. 1910f. Note sur quelques fourmis d'Afrique. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 54: 421-458 (page 422, worker described)
Yamada, A., Nguyen, D.D., Eguchi, K. 2023. First discovery of the ant genus Eburopone Borowiec, 2016 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Dorylinae) in the Oriental realm, with description of a new species from Vietnam. ZooKeys 1184, 1–17 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1184.109702).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Borowiec M. L. 2016. Generic revision of the ant subfamily Dorylinae (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 608: 1–280.
Braschler B., S. L. Chown, and K. J.Gaston. 2012. The Fynbos and Succulent Karoo Biomes Do Not Have Exceptional Local Ant Richness. PLoS ONE 7(3): e31463.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0031463
Brown W. L., Jr. 1975. Contributions toward a reclassification of the Formicidae. V. Ponerinae, tribes Platythyreini, Cerapachyini, Cylindromyrmecini, Acanthostichini, and Aenictogitini. Search Agric. (Ithaca N. Y.) 5(1): 1-115.
Edge D. A., H. G. Robertson, and H. van Hamburg. 2008. Ant assemblages at three potential breeding sites for the Brenton blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen). African Entomology16(2): 253–262.
IZIKO South Africa Museum Collection
Kotze D. J., and M. J. Samways. 2001. No general edge effects for invertebrates at Afromontane forest/grassland ecotones. Biodiversity and Conservation 10: 443466.
Parr C. L., W. J. Bond, and H. G. Robertson. 2002. A preliminary study of the effect of fire on ants (Formicidae) in a South African savanna. African Entomology 10(1): 101-111.
Samways M. J., R. Osborn, and F. Carliel. 1997. Effect of a highway on ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) species composition and abundance, with a recommendation for roadside verge width. Biodiversity and Conservation 6: 903-913.