Mesostruma laevigata

Mesostruma laevigata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mesostruma
Species:	M. laevigata
Binomial name
	Mesostruma laevigata; Brown, 1952 Specimen labels

In WA this ant has been collected from bark traps on Powderbark Wandoo trunks at Dryandra. (Heterick 2009)

Photo Gallery

A Mesostruma laevigata worker on the trunk of a young Wandoo (Eucalytpus wandoo) tree near Wandering, Western Australia. The best time to find these ants seems to be in the evening, at night or early morning when they can be found foraging on the trunks of eucalypts. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 11 September 2011.
Mesostruma laevigata worker, Wandering, Western Australia. Photo by Farhan Bokhari, 11 September 2011.

Identification

Mesostruma laevigata can be recognisable by the presence of sharp angles or short teeth on the pronotal corners and the wing-like projections on the lateral surfaces of the postpetiole. The only other species with pronotal teeth or spines, M. eccentrica, lacks postpetiolar wings.

Keys including this Species

Distribution

Heterick (2009) - Widely distributed throughout southern Australia.

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -31.93333333° to -35.5°.


North Temperate	North Subtropical	Tropical	South Subtropical	South Temperate

Source: AntMaps

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists

Australasian Region: Australia (type locality).

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

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Explore Overview of Mesostruma biology

Castes

Images from AntWeb


Worker. Specimen code casent0172476. Photographer April Nobile, uploaded by California Academy of Sciences.	Owned by ANIC, Canberra, Australia.

Nomenclature

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

laevigata. Mesostruma laevigata Brown, 1952g: 12, fig. 1 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA. Wheeler, G.C. & Wheeler, J. 1955a: 130 (l.). See also: Taylor, 1973: 28; Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 51.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype and 14 paratypes. Weakly polymorphic. TL 2.9 to 4.2 mm.; HL 0.66 to 0.89 mm.; WL 0.72 to 1.12 mm.; CI 85 (smaller individuals) to 93 (larger individuals); MI 37 to 44 (70% of individuals 39 to 41, mean 40, no correlation between MI and HL or CI). Present series, from a single nest, too small and so not suitable for statistical analysis, but shows slight tendency toward division into large, broad-headed and small, narrow-headed castes.

Head shape as in fig.; narrower than in turneri, with larger but only weakly convex eyes. Humeral angles acutely subdentate. Propodeal lamellae as in figure. the upper and lower angles varying slightly in prominence; translucent, without distinct trace of solid tooth in upper angle. Petiole narrower and relatively Jess massive than that of turneri; posterior descending face of node weakly or not at all convex seen in profile.

Body over-all much more smooth and shining than in turneri, with the spaces between the foveolae, especially on the thorax, petiole and postpetiole wider and smooth and polished for the most part. Gastric dorsum smooth and shining, with a few minute, indistinct vestiges of longitudinal costulae or striae in the articular groove between postpetiole and gaster. Colour medium ferrugineous yellow, gaster lighter, clear honey-yellow.

Shattuck (2000) - TL 2.9 - 4.2, HL 0.66 - 0.90, HW 0.57 - 0.82, CI 85 - 93, ML 0.26 - 0.36, MI 34 - 44, SL 0.43 - 0.51, SI 59 - 63, PW 0.37 - 0.60, AL 0.72 - 1.12. Head longer than broad (CI 85 - 93), its posterior margin weakly and broadly concave. In dorsal view the anterolateral corners of pronotum armed with sharp angles or short teeth. Dorsum of mesosoma with shallow foveolate punctures of varying densities (more widely spaced medially, more densely spaced posterolaterally), the area between the punctures with weak, indistinct sculpturing. Propodeal lamellae well developed. Sculpturing on the metaplerual gland bulb reticulcate-punctate. Lateral surfaces of postpetiole with well developed wings. First gastral segment immediately posterior of the postpetiole with short, evenly spaced distinct rugae. Body colour dark yellow-red to dark red-brown, often with light infuscation; mandibles, legs and gaster slightly lighter.

Queen

Gynetype and one paragynetype. TL 4.7, 5.4 mm.; HL 0.92, 0.93 mm.; WL 1.36, l.40 mm.; CI 91, 93; MI 37, 39. Dealate. Differing only in the usual features of full sexuality from the workers.

Type Material

Sea Lake, Victoria (J. C. Goudie). Sea Lake is in northwestern Victoria, in the dry Mallee District. Dominant vegetation in this region is the shrubby mallee (Eucalyptus dumosa and related forms), but I have no information as to the precise type of nest site. The holotype and gynetype, pith paratypes, returned to Mr. John Clark, for eventual placement in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization collection at Canberra; paratypes also in the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. Harvard University, the U.S. National Museum, the South Australian Museum, and elsewhere.

Holotype, worker, Sea Lake, Victoria, Australia, Goudie,J.C., ANIC32-015704, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 4 workers, Sea Lake, Victoria, Australia, Goudie,J.C., ANIC32-015705, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 5 workers, Sea Lake, Victoria, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Paratype, 1 worker, Sea Lake, Victoria, Australia, Queensland Museum.
Paratype, 2 workers, Sea Lake, Victoria, Australia, South Australian Museum.

References

Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 51, see also)
Brown, W. L., Jr. 1952j. The dacetine ant genus Mesostruma Brown. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 75: 9-13 (page 12, figs. 1a, 1b worker, queen described)
Heterick, B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of South-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 76:1-206.
Heterick, B.E. 2021. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part I: Systematics. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 86, 1-245 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2021.001-245).
Heterick, B.E. 2022. A guide to the ants of Western Australia. Part II: Distribution and biology. Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement 86: 247-510 (doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.86.2022.247-510).
Shattuck, S. O. 2000. Genus Colobostruma. Genus Mesostruma. Genus Epopostruma. Pp. 31-67 in: Bolton, B. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 63, worker, queen described)
Taylor, R. W. 1973. Ants of the Australian genus Mesostruma Brown (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 12: 24-38 (page 28, worker, queen described)
Wheeler, G. C.; Wheeler, J. 1955a [1954]. The ant larvae of the myrmicine tribes Basicerotini and Dacetini. Psyche (Camb.) 61: 111-145 (page 130, larva described)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Bolton, B. 2000. The Ant Tribe Dacetini. Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 65
Brown W. L. J. 1952. The dacetine ant genus Mesostruma Brown. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia. 75: 9-13.
Heterick B. E. 2009. A guide to the ants of south-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 76: 1-206.
Taylor R. W. 1987. A checklist of the ants of Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) Division of Entomology Report 41: 1-92.
Taylor R. W. 1991. Nomenclature and distribution of some Australasian ants of the Myrmicinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 30: 599-614.