Meranoplus mucronatus

Meranoplus mucronatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Meranoplus
Species:	M. mucronatus
Binomial name
Meranoplus mucronatus Smith, F., 1857 Specimen Labels

Specimens of this species were collected from rainforest leaf-litter.

Identification

Schödl (1998) – Meranoplus mucronatus, the largest species in the Oriental region, is unique by its markedly armed promesonotal shield. Species with a similar armament on the dorsal alitrunk are known only from further easterly regions.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Oriental and Indo-Australian Meranoplus

Distribution

• 

  Yodprasit et al. (2024), Fig. 4. Distribution map of the Thai Meranoplus species.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: 5.79° to 2.374167°.

North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

• Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia (type locality), Singapore.
Oriental Region: Thailand.

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.

Castes

Worker

Images from AntWeb

Worker. Specimen code casent0270182. Photographer Noel Tawatao, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NBTC, Noel B. Tawatao Collection.

Holotype of Meranoplus mucronatus. Worker. Specimen code casent0902028. Photographer Ryan Perry, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by NHMUK, London, UK.

Nomenclature

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

• mucronatus. Meranoplus mucronatus Smith, F. 1857a: 82, pl. 2, fig. 6 (w.) WEST MALAYSIA.
  • Type-material: holotype worker.
  • Type-locality: Malaysia: Malacca, Mt Ophir (A.R. Wallace).
  • Type-depository: BMNH.
  • Viehmeyer, 1916a: 129 (m.).
  • Status as species: Smith, F. 1858b: 194; Smith, F. 1862d: 412; Roger, 1863b: 39; Mayr, 1863: 428; Mayr, 1867a: 116 (redescription); Smith, F. 1871a: 334; Emery, 1887b: 470; Dalla Torre, 1893: 137; Emery, 1893e: 194; Forel, 1903a: 705; Bingham, 1903: 168; Forel, 1911d: 388; Forel, 1913k: 82; Viehmeyer, 1916a: 129; Wheeler, W.M. 1919e: 90; Emery, 1924d: 228; Crawley, 1924: 400; Santschi, 1928h: 130; Donisthorpe, 1932c: 451; Santschi, 1932b: 16; Karavaiev, 1935a: 99; Chapman & Capco, 1951: 113; Bolton, 1995b: 251; Schödl, 1998: 388 (redescription); Jaitrong & Nabhitabhata, 2005: 27; Pfeiffer, et al. 2011: 47.
  • Distribution: Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra), Malaysia (Peninsula, Sabah), Myanmar, Thailand.

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

Description

Schödl (1998) - TL: 5.8 - 7.1, HL: 1.4 - 1.7, HW- 1 45 - 1 7 CI- 100 - 110 SL- 1.05 - 1.2, SI: 67 - 74, PML: 1.05 - 1.3, PW: 1.3 - 1.65, PMI: 120 - 128 AL- 2-25 (20 measured). Mandibles striate, armed with four teeth. Mid-portion of clypeus distinctly concave medially smooth, laterally rugose, or entire clypeal mid-portion rugose Anterior clypeal margin frequently feebly to distinctly emarginate. Frontal triangle broadly apparent smooth and brilliant. Frons anteriorly with a translucent fenestra above antennal sockets on each side of clypeus. Lateral sides of head above antennal scrobes sinuate above eyes, narrowed towards clypeus, overhanging most of antennal scrobes. Ventral part of head (below antennal scrobes) of similar shape, genae rounded and slightly protruding indistinctly visible from above. Antennal scrobes glabrous anteriorly, occasionally longitudinally striate, and shagreened posteriorly. Genae reticulate-rugulose. Compound eyes situated behind, though close to middle of lateral sides of head. Maximum diameter of eye 0.28 - 0.34, with 14-17 ommatidia in the longest row. Promesonotum slightly wider than long, the shield overhanging sides of alitrunk laterally and propodeum posteriorly. Anterior and posterior corners of promesonotal shield each provided with a very long, acute spine, which is directed in a ca. 45 angle away from the shield. Thus the shield apparently distinctly constricted in posterior half Lateral margins each with a translucent lamellate fenestra which is frequently followed by a second one in front of, or at the base of the posterior spines. Promesonotal suture not visible. Postenor margin with a pair of paramedian short posteriorly directed occasionally bifurcate spines, and with additional shorter, occasionally also bifurcate ones Declivity of propodeum smooth, frequently with an indistinct shagreening, above lateral spines tew longitudinal rugae may occur. Propodeal spines long, very slender and arcuate considerably diverging, situated somewhat above middle of propodeal length An arcuate suture between dorsal alitrunk and propodeum is only indistinctly apparent at the top of the propodeal declivity right beneath mesonotal hind margin, when viewed from behind. Petiole in profile cuneate, in dorsal view the crest a narrow, sharp line, highest in middle when viewed from posteriorly. Anterior petiolar face covered with a pelt of very fine and short pubescence, posterior petiolar face striate, or its middle smooth, with only lateral rugae. Postpetiole nodiform, strongly reticulate-rugulose. First gastral tergite dull entirely shagreened, when studied with higher magnification consisting of a minute reticulum. Dorsum of head and promesonotum reticulate-rugulose. width of meshes ca. 100 - 150 μm Meshes near margins of shield and around base of spines distinctly elongate All dorsal surfaces covered with scattered, stiff, suberect to erect, ca. 200 - 500 μm long hairs Individuals mostly bicoloured with the head, alitrunk, petiole and postpetiole and the appendages ferrugmeus or dark brown, the gaster being darker. Uniformly dark brown to piceous individuals may occur.

Type Material

Schödl (1998) - Holotype worker (The Natural History Museum; examined): "MT OPHIR 24 \ Holotype \ mucronatus Smith \ B.M. TYPE HYM. 1 1.442". Type locality: Mt. Ophir [= Gunong Ledang], Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.

References

• Khachonpisitsak, S., Yamane, S., Sriwichai, P., Jaitrong, W. 2020. An updated checklist of the ants of Thailand (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys 998, 1–182 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.998.54902).
• Maschwitz, U., Fiala, B., Dolling, W.R. 1987. New trophobiotic symbioses of ants with South East Asian bugs. Journal of Natural History 21, 1097-1107.
• Schödl, S. 1998. Taxonomic revision of Oriental Meranoplus F. Smith, 1853 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. B. Bot. Zool. 100: 361-394.
• Smith, F. 1857a. Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects collected at Sarawak, Borneo; Mount Ophir, Malacca; and at Singapore, by A. R. Wallace. [part]. J. Proc. Linn. Soc. Lond. Zool. 2: 42-88 (page 82, pl. 2, fig. 6 worker described)
• Viehmeyer, H. 1916a [1915]. Ameisen von Singapore. Beobachtet und gesammelt von H. Overbeck. Arch. Naturgesch. (A) 81(8): 108-168 (page 129, male described)
• Wang, W.Y., Soh, E.J.Y., Yong, G.W.J., Wong, M.K.L., Benoit Guénard, Economo, E.P., Yamane, S. 2022. Remarkable diversity in a little red dot: a comprehensive checklist of known ant species in Singapore (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with notes on ecology and taxonomy. Asian Myrmecology 15: e015006 (doi:10.20362/am.015006).
• Yodprasit, K., Buddhakala, N., Tasen, W., Jaitrong, W. 2024. Two new species and a new record of the ant genus Meranoplus Smith, 1853 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from Thailand. ZooKeys 1210, 207–227 (doi:10.3897/zookeys.1210.125990).

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• Chapman, J. W., and Capco, S. R. 1951. Check list of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Asia. Monogr. Inst. Sci. Technol. Manila 1: 1-327
• Crawley W.C. 1924. Ants from Sumatra, with biological notes by Edward Jacobson. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9)13: 380-409
• Emery C. 1887. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine). [concl.]. Ann. Mus. Civ. Stor. Nat. 25(5): 427-473.
• Emery C. 1888. Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza . Formiche raccolte dal sig. Elio Modigliani in Sumatra e nell'isola Nias. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 25: 528-534.
• Emery C. 1893. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1: 187-229.
• Emery, C.. "Catalogo delle formiche esistenti nelle collezioni del Museo Civico di Genova. Parte terza. Formiche della regione Indo-Malese e dell'Australia (continuazione e fine)." Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria (Genova) (2) 5, no. 25 (1887): 427-473.
• Emery, C.. "Voyage de MM. Bedot et Pictet dans l'Archipel Malais. Formicides de l'Archipel Malais." Revue Suisse de Zoologie 1 (1893): 187-229.
• Forel A. 1903. Les Formicides de l'Empire des Indes et de Ceylan. Part X. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 679-715.
• Forel A. 1913k. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse einer Forschungsreise nach Ostindien ausgeführt im Auftrage der Kgl. Preuss. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin von H. v. Buttel-Reepen. II. Ameisen aus Sumatra, Java, Malacca und Ceylon. Gesammelt von Herrn Prof. Dr. v. Buttel-Reepen in den Jahren 1911-1912. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 36:1-148.
• Jaitrong W.; Nabhitabhata, J. 2005. A list of known ant species of Thailand. The Thailand Natural History Museum Journal 1(1): 9-54.
• Karavaiev V. 1935. Neue Ameisen aus dem Indo-Australischen Gebiet, nebst Revision einiger Formen. Treubia 15: 57-118.
• Khoo Y.H. 1990. A note on the Formicidae (Hymenoptera) from pitfall traps at Ulu Kinchin, Pahang, Malaysia. Malayan Nature Journal 43: 290-293.
• Pfeiffer M.; Mezger, D.; Hosoishi, S.; Bakhtiar, E. Y.; Kohout, R. J. 2011. The Formicidae of Borneo (Insecta: Hymenoptera): a preliminary species list. Asian Myrmecology 4:9-58
• Santschi F. 1928. Fourmis de Sumatra, récoltées par Mr. J. B. Corporaal. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 71: 119-140.
• Santschi F. 1932. Résultats scientifiques du voyage aux Indes orientales néerlandaises de LL. AA. RR. le Prince et la Princesse Léopold de Belgique. Hymenoptera. Formicidae. Mémoires du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique. (2)4: 11-29.
• Schödl S. 1998. Taxonomic revision of Oriental Meranoplus F. Smith, 1853 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. B, Botanik, Zoologie 100: 361-394.
• Smith, F.. "Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects collected at Sarawak, Borneo; Mount Ophir, Malacca; and at Singapore, by A. R. Wallace." Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 2 (1857): 42-88.
• Wheeler W. M. 1919. The ants of Borneo. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 63:43-147.