Mesostruma turneri

Mesostruma turneri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Mesostruma
Species:	M. turneri
Binomial name
Mesostruma turneri (Forel, 1895) Specimen Label

This rare species has been collected only once and is the northern most species known in the genus.

Explore Overview of Mesostruma biology  Template:Overview/Mesostruma

Identification

Shattuck (2000) - This species can be separated from the similar Mesostruma inornata by the evenly spaced, elongate rugae over fine microreticulations on the first gastral tergite immediately posterior of the postpetiolar insertion (in M. turneri this area has irregular, very short rugae overlying the smooth integument) and the essentially square head (CI 96 – 103, the head is elongate (CI < 95) in M. turneri),

Brown (1952) - Distinguished by the broad, convex head, with very convex, protruding eyes. Humeri broadly and evenly rounded, without traces of angulation or dentation. Propodeal lamellae and petiole. Body in general rather opaquely sculptured, with spaces between foveolae mostly minutely reticulate. Coriaceous or subgranulose; segment I of gaster with dorsum finely striate longitudinally and subopaque for more than the basal half of its length. Head ferrugineous in colour, darker than the rest of the body, which is ferrugineous yellow, gastric segment I dorsally lighter yellow.

Keys including this Species

• Key to Australian Mesostruma Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -21.15° to -21.16593°.

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.

• turneri. Strumigenys (Epopostruma) turneri Forel, 1895f: 424 (w.) AUSTRALIA. Combination in Epopostruma: Emery, 1924d: 330; in Mesostruma: Brown, 1948e: 119. See also: Taylor, 1973: 32; Shattuck, in Bolton, 2000: 52.

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

Description

Worker

Shattuck (2000) - TL 3.0 - 4.0, HL 0.75 - 0.86, HW 0.72 - 0.89, CI 96 - 103, ML 0.32 - 0.38, MI 43 - 45, SL 0.40 - 0.46, SI 53 - 56, PW 0.47 - 0.57, AL 0.81 - 0.96 (6 measured). Head essentially square (CI 96 - 103). In dorsal view the anterolateral corners of pronotum rounded. Dorsum of mesosoma with dense, shallow foveolate punctures which are generally spaced less than their width apart, and with the area between the punctures covered with weak but distinct sculpturing. Propodeal lamellae broad, the dorsal margins weakly convex, the posterior margins weakly concave, the angles between these margins slightly less than 90 degrees. Sculpturing on the metaplerual gland bulb punctate with several weak rugae ventrally. Lateral surfaces of postpetiole with well developed wings. First gastral segment immediately posterior of the postpetiole with evenly spaced, elongate rugae and fine microreticulations. Body colour honey yellow, the dorsum of the head slightly darker.

Type Material

Brown (1952) Mackay. Queensland (Gilbert Turner, May 1894). Cotypes in the Forel Collection, British Museum (Natural History). J. Clark collection, and in several of the larger Australian museums. The locality near Mackay, where Turner probably collected this ant, is now apparently under cultivation. Originally. it was more than likely dry, low woodland like that covering most of the coastal strip of Queensland.

• Syntype, 4 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Turner,G., ANIC32-003824, Australian National Insect Collection.
• Syntype, 2 workers, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
• Syntype, 1 worker, Mackay, Queensland, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

References

• Bolton, B. 2000. The ant tribe Dacetini. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 65: 1-1028 (page 52, Shattuck, in Bolton)
• Brown, W. L., Jr. 1948e. A preliminary generic revision of the higher Dacetini (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Trans. Am. Entomol. Soc. 74: 101-129 (page 119, Combination in Mesostruma)
• Emery, C. 1924f [1922]. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Myrmicinae. [concl.]. Genera Insectorum 174C: 207-397 (page 330, Combination in Epopostruma)
• Forel, A. 1895g. Nouvelles fourmis d'Australie, récoltées à The Ridge, Mackay, Queensland, par M. Gilbert Turner. Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belg. 39: 417-428 (page 424, worker described)
• 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 32, redescription of worker)
• Taylor, R. W. 1973. Ants of the Australian genus Mesostruma Brown (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J. Aust. Entomol. Soc. 12: 24-38 (page 32, redescription of worker)

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

• 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.