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Lepisiota fergusoni
| Lepisiota fergusoni | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Formicinae |
| Tribe: | Plagiolepidini |
| Genus: | Lepisiota |
| Species: | L. fergusoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Lepisiota fergusoni (Forel, 1895)
| |
This species is infrequent in collections and within India seems to be restricted to the coastal plains. Specimens have been collected in a leaf litter sample. (Wachkoo et al., 2021)
Identification
Lepisiota fergusoni is a medium-sized ant. The reticulate-striate head and blunt propodeal spines directed backward allow distinction from the somewhat similar Lepisiota pulchella which has a reticulate-punctate head and pointed propodeal spines directed upward (Wachkoo et al., 2021).
Keys including this Species
Distribution
India (Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal), Sri Lanka (Bharti et al. 2016; Dias et al. 2020; Wachkoo et al. 2021).
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: 8° to 8°.
| North Temperate |
North Subtropical |
Tropical | South Subtropical |
South Temperate |
- Source: AntMaps
Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Oriental Region: India (type locality), Sri Lanka.
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.
- fergusoni. Acantholepis fergusoni Forel, 1895e: 459 (w.) INDIA. Combination in Lepisiota: Bolton, 1995b: 227. See also: Bingham, 1903: 319.
Description
Worker
Bingham (1903): Head and abdomen reddish brown; the mandibles, clypeus. thorax, node of the pedicel, the base of the Ist abdominal segment broadly and a narrow transverse line at the base of the 3rd segment, yellow: antennae and legs pale brown. Head without the mandibles about as broad as long, lightly convex in front; the occiput transverse, densely and very finely punctured, opaque; mandibles narrow, curved, armed with 4 teeth; clypeus convex; antennal carinae short, widely separated, slightly divergent posteriorly. Thorax: the pronotum from above circular, rather flat, the mesonotum depressed, the thorax deeply emarginate behind the mesonotum: metanotum short, the basal portion from above crescentic, the two horns of the crescent formed by thick curved teeth or tubercles. Node of the pedicel emarginate above: abdomen comparatively massive and broad.
Length: 2 - 3.5 mm
Wachkoo et al. (2021): Head subquadrate; slightly longer than wide, wider posteriorly than in front; lateral margins convex, posterior margin convex, with rounded posterolateral corners; clypeus carinate in the middle; anterior
clypeal margin complete and convex; eyes oval, weakly convex, placed at the middle-line of head, covering about one-third of lateral cephalic margin; three small ocelli present; antennal scape surpassing posterior head margin
by about one-third its length. In lateral view promesonotum convex, metanotum low, almost straight; pronotum flat above; mesometanotum demarcated; metanotal area distinct; mesometanotum constricted; propodeum armed with a pair of diverging blunt spines directed backward; propodeal declivity steep. Petiole upright with angular sides, dorsally without distinct teeth or spines, shallowly emarginate; apical corners with acute angles pointing upward.
Head distinctly reticulate-striate, opaque; mesosoma dorsally fine microreticulate, overall opaque, laterally relatively shiny; gaster polished smooth and shining; propleuron relatively smoother, remainder of lateral mesosoma longitudinally striate; mesometanotal suture cross-ribbed. Body abundantly covered with erect setae; pubescence very fine and sparse; antennal funiculus with subdecumbent to suberect pubescence. Head reddish-brown, mesosoma and petiole reddish-yellow, gaster reddish-brown with a light reddish-yellow patch anteriorly on first gastral tergite.
Measurements (n = 5): HL 0.69–0.72; HW 0.65– 0.66; EL 0.17–0.19; SL 0.69–0.70; PnW 0.42–0.45; ML 0.95–1.05; PFL 0.59–0.61; PFW 0.16–0.17 mm. Indices: CI 91–94; SI 105–107; REL 24–26.
References
- Bingham, C. T. 1903. The fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Hymenoptera, Vol. II. Ants and Cuckoo-wasps. London: Taylor and Francis, 506 pp. (page 319, see also)
- Bolton, B. 1995b. A new general catalogue of the ants of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 504 pp. (page 227, Combination in Lepisiota)
- Dias, R.K.S., Kosgamage, K.R.K.A. 2013. Occurrence and species diversity of ground-dwelling worker ants (Family: Formicidae) in selected lands in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Journal of Science of the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka 7: 55-72 (doi:10.4038/josuk.v7i0.6233).
- Dias, R.K.S., Rajapaksa, R.P.K.C. 2017. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: A review. Journal of Science of the University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka 11, 23-45. (doi:10.4038/josuk.v11i2.7999).
- Forel, A. 1895f. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part V. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 9: 453-472 (page 469, worker described)
- Harshana, A., Dey, D. 2022. Taxonomic studies on the ant genus Lepisiota Santschi 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) in India, with description of four new species. Oriental Insects 1–34 (doi:10.1080/00305316.2022.2125096).
- Wachkoo, A.A., Bharti, H., Akbar, S.A. 2021. Taxonomic review of the ant genus Lepisiota Santschi, 1926 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) from India. Bonn Zoological Bulletin 70(2): 227–245 (doi:10.20363/BZB-2021.70.2.227).
References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics
- Dias R. K. S., and K. R. K. Anuradha Kosgamage. 2012. Occurrence and species diversity of ground-dwelling worker ants (Family: Formicidae) in selected lands in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 7: 55-72.
- Dias R. K. S., and R. P. K. C. Rajapaksa. 2016. Geographic records of subfamilies, genera and species of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the four climatic zones of Sri Lanka: a review. J. Sci. Univ. Kelaniya 11(2): 23-45.
- Rajan P. D., M. Zacharias, and T. M. Mustak Ali. 2006. Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Fauna of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). Conservation Area Series, Zool. Surv. India.i-iv,27: 153-188.