Metapone hoelldobleri

Metapone hoelldobleri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Crematogastrini
Genus:	Metapone
Species:	M. hoelldobleri
Binomial name
	Metapone hoelldobleri; Taylor & Alpert, 2016

All specimens apart from the type-nest series and the Kuranda gyne are labelled “flight intercept” or “pitfall trap”. Worker/gyne association confirmed by McNamee Creek series. Apparently ranging at locally middle to lower elevations (all records below 600m) between at least the latitudes of Cape Tribulation and McNamee Creek in the “base of peninsula” rainforests of N.E. Queensland. (Taylor and Alpert 2016)

Identification

Keys including this Species

Key to Metapone of Australia

Distribution

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

Taylor and Alpert (2016) - Sympatric with Metapone mjobergi at Kuranda, and Metapone tecklini at Mossman Bluff. One of the Mossman Bluff Track worker specimens was originally mounted with the holotype alate gyne of M. tecklini (on the same pin, a separate card point).

Castes

Nomenclature

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

hoelldobleri. Metapone hoelldobleri Taylor & Alpert, 2016: 540, figs. 146-155 (w.q.) AUSTRALIA (Queensland).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 4 paratype workers, 6 paratype queens.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: NE Queensland, W. McNamee Creek, 17°40’S, 145°43’E, nr Innisfail, 6.vii.1971, rainforest, in rotting log (R.W. Taylor & J.D. Feehan); paratypes: 4 workers, 1 queen with same data, 1 queen Queensland, 1 km. WNW Cape Tribulation, 10 m., 1-31.v.1996 (P. Zborowski), 1 queen Queensland, Mossman Bluff Track, 5-10 km. W Mossman, 360 m., 16-30.xii.1988, ANZSES site 2 (G.B. Monteith & G.I. Thompson), 2 queens as last but 1-16.i.1989, 600 m., ANZSES site 4, 1 queen Queensland, Kuranda, 28.xii.1920 (F.P. Dodd).
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC, MHNG, QMBA (paratypes).
- Distribution: Australia.

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

Description

Worker

Holotype, smallest paratype, largest paratype (N=2): TL: ca 8.5, 7.7, 8.45; HL: 1.95, 1.76, 1.95; HW: 1.42, 1.28, 1.42; CI: 73, 73, 73; CpL: 0.77, 0.72, 0.78; CpI: 39, 41, 40; MSL: 2.51, 2.21, 2.51; PML: 1.27, 1.17, 1.31; PMW: 1.01, 0.88, 0.98; PMI: 51, 53, 52; PDW: 1.02, 0.76, 0.92; PetL: 0.61, 0.56, 0.64; PetW: 0.62, 0.58, 0.63; PetH: 1.05, 0.95, 1.02; PpetL: 0.57, 0.54, 0.62; PpetW: 0.78, 0.70, 0.80; PpetH: 0.78, 0.72, 081; GW: 1.50, 1.4, 1.49.

General and diagnostic features as in figures and the key to Australian species. In some specimens the rostrate portion of the clypeus has striation which is fundamentally longitudinal, but curves divergently to one side anteriorly. This feature is present in several series, so it could be a general characteristic of M. hoelldobleri.

Queen

(Nidoparatype, smallest, and largest specimens ( both labelled Mossman Bluff track): TL: ca 10.5, 10.1, 10.45; HL: 2.07, 2.01, 2.08; HW: 1.45, 1.36, 1.44; CI: 70, 68, 69; CpL: 0.83, 0.78, 0.85; CpI: 40, 39, 41; MSL: 3.37, 3.17, 3.32; ScW: 1.15, 1.12, 1.23; PetL: 0.75, 0.76, 0.81; PetW: 0.72, 0.67, 0.69; PetH: 1.10, 1.01, 1.10; PpetL: 0.68, 0.61, 0.65; PpetW: 0.92, 0.89, 0.91; PpetH: 0.88, 0.80, 0.84; GW: 1.53, 1.40, 1.45.

Type Material

Australia: N. E. Queensland: W. McNamee Creek, 17°40'S, 145°43'E, near Innisfail.

Holotype and paratypes from all localities in Australian National Insect Collection (Type No. 32-069961). Worker and gyne paratypes in The Natural History Museum, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle Genève, Queensland Museum.

Etymology

Named for our friend and respected colleague, the distinguished myrmecologist Bert Hölldobler.

References