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Iridomyrmex cuneiceps
| Iridomyrmex cuneiceps | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Dolichoderinae |
| Tribe: | Leptomyrmecini |
| Genus: | Iridomyrmex |
| Species: | I. cuneiceps |
| Binomial name | |
| Iridomyrmex cuneiceps Heterick & Shattuck, 2011
| |
Known populations of this uncommon ant appear to be confined to northern inland regions of Western Australia, although it may also occur in remote regions of the Northern Territory. The species has been collected by hand near Leinster, in a rocky, desolate area, by Brian Heterick.
Identification
Iridomyrmex cuneiceps is a medium-sized, brown ant. The main feature that will enable it to be distinguished from Iridomyrmex suchieri, the species with which it is most likely to be confused, is the very thin vertex when the ant is seen in profile. In this respect it rather resembles Camponotus perjurus Shattuck & McArthur.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -23.93333° to -25.958045°.
| 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. |
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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.
- cuneiceps. Iridomyrmex cuneiceps Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 67, fig. 27 (w.) AUSTRALIA.
Type Material
- Holotype, worker, 13mi. SW Mundiwindi, Western Australia, Australia, 26 April 1963, McInnes & Dowse, ANIC32-041030, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 5 workers, 13mi. SW Mundiwindi, Western Australia, Australia, 26 April 1963, McInnes & Dowse, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 2 workers, Kanka WH near Warburton, Western Australia, Australia, 3 October 1980, H. Heatwole, ANIC32-037500, Australian National Insect Collection.
- Paratype, 2 workers, Kanka WH near Warburton, Western Australia, Australia, 3 October 1980, H. Heatwole, ANIC32-037499, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Description
Worker Description. Head. Posterior margin of head planar to weakly concave; erect setae on posterior margin in full-face view set in a row; sides of head noticeably convex; erect genal setae absent from sides of head in full-face view (one to a few small setae may be present near mandibular insertion). Ocelli absent; in full-face view, eyes set at about midpoint of head capsule; in profile, eye set anteriad of head capsule; eye semi-circular, or asymmetrical, curvature of inner eye margin more pronounced than that of its outer margin. Frontal carinae convex; antennal scape surpassing posterior margin of head by approximately 2 x its diameter. Erect setae on scape absent, except at tip; prominence on anteromedial clypeal margin projecting as blunt but distinct protuberance; mandible regularly triangular with oblique basal margin; long, curved setae on venter of head capsule absent. Mesosoma. Pronotum moderately and evenly curved over its length. Erect pronotal setae sparse (6 or fewer) and bristly. Mesonotum straight. Erect mesonotal setae sparse (6 or fewer) and bristly. Mesothoracic spiracles always inconspicuous; propodeal dorsum smoothly and evenly convex; placement of propodeal spiracle mesad, more than its diameter away from propodeal declivity; propodeal angle weakly present or absent, the confluence of the dorsal and declivitous propodeal faces indicated, if at all, by an undulation. Erect propodeal setae sparse (6 or fewer) and bristly. Petiole. Dorsum of node convex; node thin, scale-like, orientation more-or-less vertical. Gaster. Non-marginal erect setae of gaster present on first gastral tergite; marginal erect setae of gaster present on first tergite. General characters. Allometric differences between workers of same nest absent. Colour uniformly brown. Colour of erect setae pale yellow.
Measurements. Worker (n = 2)—CI 86; EI 25-27; EL 0.24; EW 0.18-0.19; HFL 1.23-1.28; HL 1.03-1.09; HW 0.88-0.93; ML 1.20-1.24; MTL 0.90-0.95; PpH 0.18-0.20; PpL 0.47-0.54; SI 108-109; SL 0.94-1.02.
Etymology
Latin: ‘cuneus’—‘wedge’ plus ‘ceps’ derivative of ‘caput’—‘head’.
References
- [[Media:Heterick & Shattuck.pdf|Heterick, B.E. & Shattuck, S.O. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2845:*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).
1-175.]]