Manica hunteri

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online
Manica hunteri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Tribe: Myrmicini
Genus: Manica
Species: M. hunteri
Binomial name
Manica hunteri
(Wheeler, W.M., 1914)

Myrmica hunteri 16373 16373 hal.jpg

Myrmica hunteri 16373 16373 had.jpg

Syntype Specimen Label

Synonyms

Typical habitat for this species is an opening in a coniferous forest. The elevation range is 2,300 feet (Alberta) to 9,000 feet at Angel Lake, Nevada.

Identification

He et al. (2024) - Body uniformly brownish yellow. In lateral view, dorsum feebly convex, with posterolateral corner of propodeum obtusely angular. Additionally, in lateral view, postpetiole compressed anteroposteriorly, distinctly higher than long. The lateral face of mesosoma longitudinal striae without puncta, while petiole and postpetiole smooth and not shining.

M. hunteri and Manica invidia can be easily distinguished from the congeners of this genus by their uniformly brownish yellow, or reddish brown to blackish. While M. hunteri may initially resemble an immature M. invidia, closer examination reveals distinct characteristics that differentiate them. In lateral view, the postpetiole of M. hunteri compressed anteroposteriorly, distinctly higher than long. Additionally, the lateral face of mesosoma exhibits longitudinal striae without puncta, and both petiole and postpetiole are smooth and shining (Fig. 3D).

  • He et al. (2024), Figure 3. Manica hunteri worker. (Non-type, images cited from https://www.antweb.org/, CASENT0922741, specimen’s photos by Wade Lee, label’s photo by Michele Esposito). A, head in full-face view. B, label. C, body in dorsal view. D, body in lateral view.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

  • He et al. (2024), Figure 1. Global map showing the type localities of †M. andrannae, M. bradleyi, M. hunteri, M. invidia, †M. iviei, M. parasitica, M. rubida, M. shanyii and M. yessensis (Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community).

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 52.873° to 38.699672°.

 
North
Temperate 		North
Subtropical 		Tropical South
Subtropical 		South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Nearctic Region: Canada, United States (type locality).

Distribution based on AntMaps

AntMapLegend.png

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

Reproduction:

In British Columbia, nuptial flights occur from mid-August to mid-September. Colonies are presumably founded monogynously, and dealate queens are semi-claustral, (meaning they need to forage for food throughout the founding stages). Dealate queens often overwinter before beginning the egg laying process.

Foraging/Diet:

According to Miles Maxcer from Montana State University, this species' interest in food sources changes rapidly. Workers forage alone.

Castes

Worker

MCZ ENT Manica hunteri hef.jpgMCZ ENT Manica hunteri hal.jpgMCZ ENT Manica hunteri had2.jpgMCZ ENT Manica hunteri lbs.jpg
. Owned by Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Images from AntWeb

Manica hunteri casent0005698 head 1.jpgManica hunteri casent0005698 profile 1.jpgManica hunteri casent0005698 dorsal 1.jpgManica hunteri casent0005698 label 1.jpg
Worker. Specimen code casent0005698. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences. Owned by UCDC, Davis, CA, USA.

Nomenclature

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

  • hunteri. Myrmica (Oreomyrma) hunteri Wheeler, W.M. 1914d: 121, fig. 1c (w.) U.S.A. (Montana).
    • Type-material: 12 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Montana, Madison River, nr mouth of Beaver Creek, 7500 ft (S.J. Hunter).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Cole, 1957c: 212 (m.); Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1972b: 235 (l.).
    • Combination in Myrmica (Neomyrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 507;
    • combination in M. (Manica): Emery, 1921f: 43;
    • combination in Manica: Weber, 1947: 440.
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 507; Emery, 1921f: 43; Essig, 1926: 862; Creighton, 1950a: 109; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 791; Cole, 1956h: 262; Cole, 1957c: 212; Smith, M.R. 1958c: 113; Smith, M.R. 1967: 351; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1970a: 151 (redescription); Yensen, et al. 1977: 182; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1978: 391; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1352; Allred, 1982: 486; Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1986g: 25; Bolton, 1995b: 249; Ward, 2005: 66.
    • Senior synonym of aldrichi: Cole, 1956h: 262 (in text); Smith, M.R. 1958c: 113; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1352; Bolton, 1995b: 249.
    • Distribution: Canada, U.S.A.
  • aldrichi. Myrmica (Oreomyrma) aldrichi Wheeler, W.M. 1914d: 120, fig. 1b (w.) U.S.A. (Idaho).
    • Type-material: 16 syntype workers.
    • Type-locality: U.S.A.: Idaho, Moscow (J.M. Aldrich).
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Combination in Myrmica (Neomyrma): Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 507;
    • combination in M. (Manica): Emery, 1921f: 42;
    • combination in Manica: Weber, 1947: 440.
    • Status as species: Wheeler, W.M. 1917a: 507; Emery, 1921f: 42; Essig, 1926: 862; Cole, 1936a: 36; Creighton, 1950a: 108; Smith, M.R. 1951a: 791.
    • Junior synonym of hunteri: Cole, 1956h: 262 (in text); Smith, M.R. 1958c: 113; Smith, D.R. 1979: 1352; Bolton, 1995b: 249.

(Cole selected hunteri as the senior name for this species using the Principle of the First Reviser.)

Description

Worker: Length 4-6 mm.

Body and appendages brownish red or ferruginous, with a large, black, subtriangular spot on the vertex and a band of the same color across the posterior portion of the first gastric segment. Frontal area, posterior clypeal suture, antennal clubs and dental border of mandibles more or less infuscated. Upper surface of head with coarse, scattered punctures in addition to the rugae. Smooth areas on the head, thorax and pedicel. Hairs pale yellow. Anterior clypeal border entire. Base of propodeum somewhat flattened, anteroventral protuberance of postpetiole broadly rounded.

Type

Described from a dozen specimens taken by Dr. S.J. Hunter from a couple of nests on the slopes of two mountains on the Madison River, nearly opposite the mouth of Beaver Creek, Montana, at an altitude of about 7,500 feet. The nests were in shaley earth and apparently of the crater type.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

  • Allred D. M. 1982. Ants of Utah. The Great Basin Naturalist 42: 415-511.
  • Allred, D.M. 1982. The ants of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42:415-511.
  • Borchert, H.F. and N.L. Anderson. 1973. The Ants of the Bearpaw Mountains of Montana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 46(2):200-224
  • Christiansen T., and R. Lavigne. 2010. Effects of the 1988 Fires in Yellowstone National Park, USA, on the Ant Populations (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Entomol. Res. Soc. 12(3): 29-37.
  • Cole A. C., Jr. 1957. Descriptions of sexual castes of some ants in the genera Myrmica, Manica and Xiphomyrmex from the western United States (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science 32: 208-213.
  • Cole, A.C. 1936. An annotated list of the ants of Idaho (Hymenoptera; Formicidae). Canadian Entomologist 68(2):34-39
  • Glasier, J. Alberta Ants. AntWeb.
  • Hoey-Chamberlain R. V., L. D. Hansen, J. H. Klotz and C. McNeeley. 2010. A survey of the ants of Washington and Surrounding areas in Idaho and Oregon focusing on disturbed sites (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology. 56: 195-207
  • Longino, J.T. 2010. Personal Communication. Longino Collection Database
  • Michigan State University, The Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection. Accessed on January 7th 2014 at http://www.arc.ent.msu.edu:8080/collection/index.jsp
  • Parson G. L., G Cassis, A. R. Moldenke, J. D. Lattin, N. H. Anderson, J. C. Miller, P. Hammond, T. Schowalter. 1991. Invertebrates of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, western Cascade Range, Oregon. V: An annotated list of insects and other arthropods. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-290. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 168 p.
  • Sharplin, J. 1966. An annotated list of the Formicidae (Hymenoptera) of Central and Southern Alberta. Quaetiones Entomoligcae 2:243-253
  • Wheeler G. C., and J. Wheeler. 1986. The ants of Nevada. Los Angeles: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, vii + 138 pp.
  • Wheeler J. N., G. C. Wheeler, R. J. Lavigne, T. A. Christiansen, and D. E. Wheeler. 2014. The ants of Yellowstone National Park. Lexington, Ky. : CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013. 112 pages.
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1970. The natural history of Manica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Journal of Kansas Entomological Society 43(2):129-162
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1978. Mountain ants of Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist 35(4):379-396
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Montana. Psyche 95:101-114
  • Wheeler, G.C. and J. Wheeler. 1988. A checklist of the ants of Wyoming. Insecta Mundi 2(3&4):230-239
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