Iridomyrmex turbineus

Iridomyrmex turbineus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Dolichoderinae
Tribe:	Leptomyrmecini
Genus:	Iridomyrmex
Species:	I. turbineus
Binomial name
Iridomyrmex turbineus Shattuck & McMillan, 1998

Like Iridomyrmex conifer, this species appears to confined to largely coastal areas of south-western Western Australia, and can be found between Dwellingup, south of Perth, and Borden, north-east of Albany. Additional records from Kalgoorlie and the Hamersley Range are well outside of other known distributions for this species, and are regarded as highly dubious by Shattuck & McMillan (1998). The latter two authors also note that, although the ecology of I. turbineus has not been studied in detail, casual observations indicate that it is likely to be similar to that of I. conifer.

Identification

See Iridomyrmex conifer for the taxonomic characters that identify I. turbineus.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Iridomyrmex of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province
• Key to Iridomyrmex species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -25.958045° to -35.03333°.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• turbineus. Iridomyrmex turbineus Shattuck & McMillan, 1998: 309, figs. 11-13 (w.) AUSTRALIA. See also: Heterick & Shattuck, 2011: 151.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, 5km S Dwellingup, Western Australia, Australia, 33°45′0″S 116°04′0″E, Shattuck,S.O., ANIC32-000225, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 20 workers, 5km S Dwellingup, Western Australia, Australia, 33°45′0″S 116°04′0″E, Shattuck,S.O., ANIC32-039821, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 5km S Dwellingup, Western Australia, Australia, 33°45′0″S 116°04′0″E, The Natural History Museum.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 5km S Dwellingup, Western Australia, Australia, 33°45′0″S 116°04′0″E, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
• Paratype, 3 workers, 5km S Dwellingup, Western Australia, Australia, 33°45′0″S 116°04′0″E, Western Australian Museum.

Description

Worker Description. Head. Posterior margin of head weakly concave, or strongly concave; erect setae on posterior margin in full-face view set in a row, or present in small aggregations on one or both sides of posterior margin of head; sides of head noticeably convex; erect genal setae present on sides of head in full-face view, or 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 above 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 0.2–0.5 x its length. Erect setae on scape present and abundant, or present and sparse, or absent, except at tip; prominence on anteromedial clypeal margin present as an indistinct swelling or undulation; mandible elongate triangular with oblique basal margin; long, curved setae on venter of head capsule absent. Mesosoma. Pronotum strongly inclined anteriorly, or moderately and evenly curved over its length. Erect pronotal setae moderate in number to numerous (6 or more) and longest setae elongate, flexuous and/or curved. Mesonotum sinuous, or straight. Erect mesonotal setae moderate in number (6–12), short and bristly. Mesothoracic spiracles always prominent as small, vertical protuberances; propodeal dorsum protuberant; placement of propodeal spiracle mesad, more than its diameter away from propodeal declivity; propodeal angle present as a bluntly defined acute angle, the propodeal dorsum conical in shape. Erect propodeal setae numerous (12 or more) and elongate, flexuous and/or curved, or moderate in number (6–12), long, often curved. Petiole. Dorsum of node convex; node thin, scale-like, orientation more-or-less vertical. Gaster. Non-marginal erect setae of gaster present or absent on first gastral tergite; marginal erect setae of gaster present on first tergite, or absent on first tergite. General characters. Allometric differences between workers of same nest absent. Colour honey-brown to blackish-brown, gaster and sometimes head may be darker in specimens with a light coloured mesosoma. Colour of erect setae golden brown.

Measurements. Worker (n = 16)—CI 96–101; EI 20–24; EL 0.24–0.27; EW 0.15–0.18; HL 1.09–1.36; HW 1.05–1.37; ML 0.53–0.70; PpH 0.25–0.40; PpL 0.61–0.75; SI 96–108; SL 1.09–1.35.

References

• Heterick, B.E. & Shattuck, S.O. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2845: 1-175.
• 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).
• Shattuck, S. O.; McMillan, P. 1998. Revision of the species of the Iridomyrmex conifer group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with notes on their biology. Aust. J. Zool. 46: 301-315 (page 309, figs. 11-13 worker described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Heterick B. E., and S. Shattuck. 2011. Revision of the ant genus Iridomyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Zootaxa 2845: 1-174.
• Shattuck S. O., and P. McMillan. 1998. Revision of the species of the Iridomyrmex conifer group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with notes on their biology. Australian Journal of Zoology 46: 301-315.