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Hypoponera malayana
| Hypoponera malayana | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Ponerinae |
| Tribe: | Ponerini |
| Genus: | Hypoponera |
| Species: | H. malayana |
| Binomial name | |
| Hypoponera malayana (Wheeler, W.M., 1929) | |
Identification
Wheeler (1929) - I am unable to refer this rather distinct species to any of the East Indian members of the genus of which I have seen specimens or descriptions. It is related to P. punctatissima Roger, but is clearly distinct in color, sculpture, the structure of the epinotum, petiole, antennae of the worker, etc.
Distribution
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Indo-Australian Region: Malaysia (type locality), Singapore.
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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- malayana. Ponera malayana Wheeler, W.M. 1929g: 35 (w.m.) WEST MALAYSIA. Combination in Hypoponera: Bolton, 1995b: 215.
Type Material
- Syntype, 1 worker, 2 males, Penang Island, West Malaysia, Malaysia, 12 May 1925, Silvestri, MZC Type 20478, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.
Description
Worker
Length 2.5 mm.
Head about one fifth longer than broad, slightly narrower in front than behind, with broadly and feebly concave posterior border; sides of front flattened, with a distinct though shallow, longitudinal impression on the upper surface. Eyes minute, consisting of only two or three facets situated very near the anterior corners of the head. Clypeus short and broad, with evenly rounded, entire anterior border, sinuate on the sides, convex but scarcely carinate posteriorly between the frontal carinae. Mandibles rather large, triangular, with nearly straight external borders and strongly developed internal angles, the apical borders with three distinct terminal and four or five more irregular and less distinct basal teeth. Frontal carinae rather small; frontal groove very distinct, extending back to the middle of the head. Antennal scapes almost reaching the posterior border of the head; funiculi slender at the base, thickened apically; joints 2-5 very short and transverse, remaining joints broader than long, except the last, which is as long as the three preceding joints together. Pronotum as long as broad, rounded above and on the sides. Promesonotal suture distinct and strongly impressed; mesoepinotal suture obsolete. Mesonotum as broad as long, broad and rounded anteriorly, narrowed behind. Epinotum broader than long, with straight, subequal base and declivity meeting at a rounded but distinct angle. Petiole as broad as the epinotum, somewhat broader behind than long; the node in profile nearly as thick above as below, with flattened, perpendicular anterior and posterior surfaces and rounded dorsal border; the ventral surface with a thick, blunt anterior projection. Postpetiole nearly as long as broad and nearly as broad in front as behind. First gastric segment of a similar shape but somewhat longer; the constriction between the two segments pronounced. Legs moderately slender.
Mandibles smooth and shining, sparsely punctate. Clypeus, head and thorax subopaque, densely and sharply punctate, the punctures with shining centers. Abdomen shining, the petiole, postpetiole and gaster less densely and somewhat more finely punctate than the thorax; remainder of the gaster even smoother and more shining. Scapes subopaque, very densely and finely punctate, legs with similar but more superficial sculpture and therefore somewhat more shining.
Hairs and pubescence yellow, the former rather short and sparse, confined to the clypeus and gaster, the pubescence distinct, rather abundant and appressed, most conspicuous on the abdomen, very fine and appressed on the appendages.
Ferruginous red; legs, including coxae, and gaster behind the first segment, brownish yellow.
Male
Length 2 mm.
Head rounded-rectangular, as broad as long, eyes and ocelli rather small, the former less than half as long as the sides of the head and not very convex. Mandibles small, with long acuminate tips and a few indistinct basal denticles. Clypeus much as in the worker. Frontal groove deeply impressed in front of the anterior ocellus. Antennal scapes only 1 1/2 times as long as broad; first funicular joint as long as broad, remaining joints cylindrical and, except the last, less than twice as long as broad, terminal joint as long as the two preceding together. Thorax through wing-insertions broader than the head; both the pro-and mesonotum broader than long; epinotum sloping and evenly rounded, without base and declivity. Petiole much like that of the worker.
Shining; body finely and, superficially punctate; head slightly more opaque.
Hairs almost lacking; pubescence much as in the worker but more uniformly distributed.
Sordid brown; anterior portion of head, mandibles, antennae and tarsi paler and more yellowish.
References
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 215, Combination in Hypoponera)
- Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).
- Wheeler, W. M. 1929h. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Boll. Lab. Zool. Gen. Agrar. R. Sc. Super. Agric. 24: 27-64 (page 35, worker, male described)
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Wheeler W. M. 1929. Ants collected by Professor F. Silvestri in Formosa, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Bollettino del Laboratorio di Zoologia Generale e Agraria della Reale Scuola Superiore d'Agricoltura. Portici 24: 27-64.