Mesoponera manni

AntWiki: The Ants --- Online

The type specimens were collected by Mann from a colony nesting in a rotting log in lowland rain forest. Wilson collected this species under a rock in a partial clearing in midmountain rainforest of Bandong, New Guinea (Wilson, 1958).

Mesoponera manni
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Ponerinae
Tribe: Ponerini
Genus: Mesoponera
Species: M. manni
Binomial name
Mesoponera manni
(Viehmeyer, 1924)

Pachycondyla manni casent0249170 p 1 high.jpg

Pachycondyla manni casent0249170 d 1 high.jpg

Specimen Labels

Synonyms

Identification

Wilson (1958): This form is closely related to, and possibly conspecific with, the Indo-Malayan species M. rubra (Fr. Smith). More material from over the ranges of both species is needed before their relationship can be exactly determined. M. manni differs from the sympatric M. papuana as follows. (1) The petiolar node of manni resembles that of melanaria and australis as opposed to that of papuana (see also under papuana). (2) Manni differs from papuana, and also melanaria and australis, by its notably smaller eye size (eye length 0.13 mm as opposed to 0.15 mm). M. rubra, however, has an almost exactly intermediate eye size. (3) The body color of manni is light to medium reddish brown, that of papuana and melanaria always blackish brown. Australis is usually blackish brown but occasional specimens are as light as manni.

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -5.333° to -9.46°.

 
North
Temperate
North
Subtropical
Tropical South
Subtropical
South
Temperate

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Indo-Australian Region: New Guinea, Solomon Islands (type locality).
Oriental Region: India.

Distribution based on AntMaps

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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

Images from AntWeb

Pachycondyla manni casent0902486 h 1 high.jpgPachycondyla manni casent0902486 d 1 high.jpgPachycondyla manni casent0902486 p 1 high.jpgPachycondyla manni casent0902486 l 1 high.jpg
Holotype of Euponera robiginosaWorker. Specimen code casent0902486. Photographer Will Ericson, 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.

  • manni. Euponera (Mesoponera) melanaria subsp. manni Viehmeyer, 1924a: 228 (w.) SOLOMON IS (San Cristoval I., Isabel I.).
    • Type-material: syntype workers (number not stated).
    • Type-localities: Solomon Is: San Cristoval I., Wai-ai (W.M. Mann), and Isabel I., Fulakora (W.M. Mann).
    • [Note: taxon based on papuana Viehmeyer, sensu Mann, 1919: 290.]
    • Type-depository: MCZC.
    • Combination in Mesoponera: Wilson, 1958d: 349;
    • combination in Pachycondyla: Brown, in Bolton, 1995b: 307;
    • combination in Mesoponera: Schmidt, C.A. & Shattuck, 2014: 111.
    • Status as species: Wilson, 1958d: 349; Bolton, 1995b: 307; Sarnat, et al. 2013: 73; Bharti, Guénard, et al. 2016: 52.
    • Senior synonym of robiginosa: Wilson, 1958d: 349; Bolton, 1995b: 307.
    • Distribution: India, Indonesia (Irian Jaya), Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is.
  • robiginosa. Euponera (Mesoponera) robiginosa Donisthorpe, 1941c: 131 (w.) NEW GUINEA (Indonesia).
    • Type-material: holotype worker.
    • Type-locality: Indonesia: Irian Jaya (“Dutch New Guinea”), Cyclops Mts, Sabron, 2000 ft, vi.1936, no. 221, in dead leaves (L.E. Cheesman).
    • Type-depository: BMNH.
    • [Misspelled as rubiginosa by Chapman & Capco, 1951: 65.]
    • Status as species: Chapman & Capco, 1951: 65.
    • Junior synonym of manni: Wilson, 1958d: 349; Bolton, 1995b: 308.

Description

References

119: 303-371 (page 349, Combination in Mesoponera, Raised to species, and senior synonym of robiginosa)

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
  • Donisthorpe H. 1941. Descriptions of new species of ants from New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (11)7: 129-144.
  • Janda M., G. D. Alpert, M. L. Borowiec, E. P. Economo, P. Klimes, E. Sarnat, and S. O. Shattuck. 2011. Cheklist of ants described and recorded from New Guinea and associated islands. Available on http://www.newguineants.org/. Accessed on 24th Feb. 2011.
  • Wilson E. O. 1958. Studies on the ant fauna of Melanesia III. Rhytidoponera in western Melanesia and the Moluccas. IV. The tribe Ponerini. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 119: 303-371.
  • Wilson Edward O. 1959. Adaptive Shift and Dispersal in a Tropical Ant Fauna. Evolution 13(1): 122-144