Iridomyrmex rubriceps

Iridomyrmex rubriceps
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Iridomyrmex
Species:	I. rubriceps
Binomial name
	Iridomyrmex rubriceps; Forel, 1902

Iridomyrmex rubriceps is an ant of the rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests of the Australian east coast. Various label data indicate that colonies of this species have been located under rocks or stones. Workers have also been taken from termite nests around logs in Castlereagh SF (New South Wales), and have been found foraging on low vegetation (Tamborine, Queensland) and tending lycaenid larvae (Jalmenus evagoras) (Maryborough, Queensland).

Identification

Iridomyrmex rubriceps is the sister species to Iridomyrmex agilis, and can be distinguished from it as described under that species.

Keys including this Species

Key to Iridomyrmex species

Distribution

There is one South Australia record that requires verification.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -18.95° to -35.54999924°.


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.

Biology

Castes

Nomenclature

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

rubriceps. Iridomyrmex gracilis r. rubriceps Forel, 1902h: 468 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Raised to species: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 130.

Type Material

Syntype, 2 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Syntype, 5 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Syntype, 2 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Syntype, 8 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève.
Syntype, 1 worker, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Naturhistorisches Museum, Basel.

Description

Worker Description. Head. Posterior margin of head weakly convex to planar; erect setae on posterior margin in full-face view set in a row; sides of head convergent anteriad; 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. Frontal carinae convex; antennal scape surpassing posterior margin of head by approximately 3 x its diameter. Erect setae on scape absent, except at tip; prominence on anteromedial clypeal margin projecting as triangular spur; mandible elongate triangular with oblique basal margin; long, curved setae on venter of head capsule absent. Mesosoma. Pronotum weakly undulant or almost straight. Erect pronotal setae numerous (12 or more), short and bristly. Mesonotum straight. Erect mesonotal setae moderate in number (6–12), short and bristly. Mesothoracic spiracles always prominent as small, vertical protuberances; 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 moderate in number (6–12), short and bristly. Petiole. Dorsum of node convex, or planar; node thick, 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 head orange, pronotum brownish-orange, rest of body brown. Colour of erect setae pale, depigmented yellow.

Measurements. Worker (n = 3)—CI 81–82; EI 24–24; EL 0.29–0.29; EW 0.22–0.23; HFL 2.26–2.28; HL 1.47–1.5 1; HW 1.20–1.23; ML 2.00–2.06; MTL 1.58–1.63; PpH 0.23–0.24; PpL 0.72–0.74; SI 123–124; SL 1.49– 1.52.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Forel A. 1915. Results of Dr. E. Mjöbergs Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910-13. 2. Ameisen. Ark. Zool. 9(16): 1-119
Heterick B. E., and S. Shattuck. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2845: 1-174.