Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus

Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Lophomyrmex
Species:	L. quadrispinosus
Binomial name
Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus (Jerdon, 1851) Specimen Labels
Synonyms
Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus taprobanae Forel, 1911

Bolton (pers. comm.) found this species rather abundant in Sri Lanka, where it was foraging on the ground in coconut plantations. It is also easily collected by means of sugar bait. (Rigato 1994)

Identification

A member of the Lophomymrex quadrispinosus group.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Lophomyrmex of India
• Key to Lophomyrmex species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 32.628611° to 6.783333333°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Oriental Region: India (type locality), Sri Lanka.
Palaearctic Region: China, Israel.

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

Association with Other Organisms

 Explore: Show all Associate data or Search these data. See also a list of all data tables or learn how data is managed.

• This species is a mutualist for the aphid Aphis gossypii (a trophobiont) (Lokeshwari et al., 2015; Saddiqui et al., 2019).

Nomenclature

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

• quadrispinosus. Oecodoma quadrispinosa Jerdon, 1851: 111 (w.) INDIA. Rigato, 1994a: 59 (q.m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1954a: 131 (l.). Combination in Pheidole: Smith, F. 1858b: 174; in Lophomyrmex: Emery, 1892a: 114. Senior synonym of taprobanae: Rigato, 1994a: 59. See also: Bingham, 1903: 195.
• taprobanae. Lophomyrmex quadrispinosus var. taprobanae Forel, 1911i: 223 (w.q.m.) SRI LANKA. Raised to species: Ettershank, 1966: 134. Junior synonym of quadrispinosus: Rigato, 1994a: 59.

Unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description.

Description

Worker

Rigato (1994) - TL 2.5-3.5, HL 0.67-0.88, HW 0.60-0.84, CI 89-99, SL 0.55-0.69, SI 75-84. PW 0.40-0.60, AL 0.72-1.03, SpL 0.16-0.26, HTL 0.55-0.75, TI 83-94 (93 measured).

With the characters given in the key and the following: Mesonotum in profile with a well-developed prominence and with a clear posterior step, sometimes ridged. Metanotal groove distinctly notched in profile. Propodeal spines in profile slightly bent downward and gradually tapering toward the apex. Petiolar node in profile usually briefly obliquely truncate or subtruncate.

Clypeus sublucid, except for its posteriormost median portion which is shining. Frontal triangle sublucid. Head strongly shining, with very feeble ground sculpture. Genae and frontal lobes more or less longitudinally rugulose. Rarely large specimens with head finely and irregularly longitudinally rugulose and sublucid. Anterior pronotal slope appearing transversely rugulose in dorsal view; the rugulae are stronger at the sides and often fade out at the midline. Pronotal dorsum, between the teeth, faintly reticulate and quite shining. Pronotal sides shining. Mesopleurae and propodeum, except the declivity, reticulate and opaque; mesonotum less distinctly sculptured. Petiole and postpetiole reticulate. Gaster glassy smooth, shining. Colour bright brownish yellow, cephalic dorsum usually darker, gaster often wholly infuscated, sometimes dark brown.

Queen

Rigato (1994) - TL approximately 9.5. Propodeal spines strong, short and with blunt apices. Petiolar node in profile triangular, with a rounded summit. Rather opaque throughout, with the exception of a central clypeal strip, frontal triangle and mesopleuron which are quite shining. Head with a strong ground reticulation and superimposed longitudinal rugulae more developed on the genae and frons. Scutum densely punctured and reticulate, subopaque with a sublucid midline. Axillae finely reticulate and opaque. Scutellum sublucid. Metanotum and propodeum, excluding the declivity, opaque. Petiole and postpetiole finely reticulate. Gaster densely and finely punctured, sublucid.

Colour dark brown. Wings uniformly moderately infuscated.

Male

Rigato (1994) - TL 6.3-6.5. Very similar to the female in sculpture, pilosity, pubescence, and colour.

Mandibles not serrated. Propodeal teeth very short. Petiolar node in profile thick and low. Rugulae on the head rare. Scutum sublucid, finely punctured. Gaster quite shining.

Type Material

Rigato (1994) - Syntype workers, India [probably lost].

References

• Rigato, F. 1994b. Revision of the myrmicine ant genus Lophomyrmex, with a review of its taxonomic position (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Systematic Entomology. 19:47-60. (page 59, queen, male described; Senior synonym of taprobanae)
• 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 195, see also)
• Borowiec, L. 2014. Catalogue of ants of Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and adjacent regions (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Genus (Wroclaw) 25(1-2): 1-340.
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• 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).
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• Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1954a [1953]. The ant larvae of the myrmicine tribe Pheidologetini. Psyche (Camb.) 60: 129-147 (page 131, larva described)

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