Mesostruma spinosa

Mesostruma spinosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mesostruma
Species:	M. spinosa
Binomial name
Mesostruma spinosa Shattuck, 2007

This species, together with Mesostruma inornata and Mesostruma loweryi, have only been collected once. Only one species, Mesostruma eccentrica, is at all common in Western Australia, having been collected over 10 times. It is likely that additional species remain to be discovered in this part of Australia. The single known specimen of M. spinosa was collected from a pitfall trap.

Explore Overview of Mesostruma biology  Template:Overview/Mesostruma

Identification

Mesostruma spinosa can be separated from all other known species in this genus by the presence of distinct, elongate propodeal spines, the lack of broad propodeal lamellae and the narrower head (CI = 81, CI is greater than 88 in the other known species). There is little chance it will be confused with any other species.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Mesostruma Species
• Key to Mesostruma of the southwestern Australian Botanical Province

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -34.25° to -34.25°.

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.

Nomenclature

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

• spinosa. Mesostruma spinosa Shattuck, 2007: 51, figs. 9-12 (w.) AUSTRALIA.

Type Material

• Holotype, worker, Manjimup, Western Australia, Australia, 34°15′0″S 116°9′0″E, July, 1977, J.D. Majer, ANIC32-007281, Australian National Insect Collection.

Description

Worker

Holotype. TL 2.9, HL 0.69, HW 0.56, CI 81, MandL 0.21, MandI 30, SL 0.41, SI 73, PW 0.40, ML 0.77. In dorsal view the anterolateral corners of pronotum rounded. Dorsum of mesosoma with scattered, shallow foveolate punctures spaced more than their width apart, the area between punctures smooth and lacking sculpturing. Propodeum armed with elongate spines, propodeal lamellae reduced to thin bands and essentially absent. Sculpturing on metapleural gland bulb consisting of indistinct rugae and punctures. Lateral surfaces of postpetiole rounded. First gastral segment immediately posterior of postpetiole smooth. Body colour yellow-red with light infuscation on dorsum of head above eyes, clypeus and first gastral tergite.

References

• 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. 2007. New species of myrmicine ants from Western Australia. Zootaxa 1661: 47-53.