Monomorium anderseni

Monomorium anderseni
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Solenopsidini
Genus:	Monomorium
Species:	M. anderseni
Binomial name
	Monomorium anderseni; Heterick, 2001 Specimen Labels

Nothing is known about the biology of Monomorium anderseni.

Identification

Heterick (2001) - A member of the monomorium group. Monomorium anderseni is one of several M. laeve-like species that have a distribution wholly or largely confined to tropical Australia. This species can be distinguished from Monomorium laeve by the flattened, squamiform development of the nodes. Many workers also have a large propodeal spiracle, compared with a small spiracle in M. laeve. Monomorium anderseni can be separated from Monomorium disetigerum and Monomorium micula by the presence of erect and suberect setae on the frons, and more than one pair of erect setae on the alitrunk, and from Monomorium silaceum by the narrower head capsule (CeI ≤ 85, compared with CeI ≥ 86).

Keys including this Species

Key to Australian Monomorium Species

Distribution

Latitudinal Distribution Pattern

Latitudinal Range: -14.51666667° to -18.48332977°.


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

Castes

Nomenclature

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

anderseni. Monomorium anderseni Heterick, 2001: 395, figs. 33, 120, 125 (w.) AUSTRALIA (Northern Territory, Western Australia).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 18 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: Northern Territory, Manbulloo, SW Katherine, 25.x.1977 (P.J.M. Greenslade); paratypes: 3 workers with same data but 21-25.x.1977, 3 workers with same data but 24.x.1977, 5 workers with same data but 7-11.iv.1978, 1 worker 10 km. SW Katherine, 20.x.1977 (P.J.M. Greenslade), 1 worker 17 km. SW Katherine, 21.x.1977 (P.J.M. Greenslade), 3 workers 22 km. SW Katherine, 9.iv.1978 (P.J.M. Greenslade), 2 workers 23 km. SW Katherine, 9.iv.1978 (P.J.M. Greenslade).
- Type-depositories: ANIC (holotype); ANIC, BMNH, MCZC (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. HML 1.46; HL 0.54; HW 0.46; Cel 85; SL 0.41; SI 90; PW 0.30. Others. HML 1.24-1.50; HL 0.50-0.58; HW 0.41-0.43; Cel 75-85; SL 0.36-0.41; SI 87-97; PW 0.24-0.30 (22 measured).

As for the worker of Monomorium fieldi, but with the following apomorphies.

Head. Eye large, eye width greater than 1.5x greatest width of antennal scape. Anteromedial clypeal margin emarginate, median clypeal carinae produced as pair of bluntly rounded denticles. Posteromedial clypeal margin extending slightly posteriad of posterior surface of antennal fossae. Frontal lobes parallel, sinuate. Venter of head capsule without elongate, basket-shaped setae.

Alitrunk. Promesonotal sculpture present in form of microreticulation and striolae on and around katepisternum, otherwise promesonotum smooth and shining; dorsal promesonotal face evenly convex, or convex anteriad, otherwise flattened. Propodeal sculpture present as faint microreticulation with few striae, mainly on lower lateral surface on individuals seen; dorsal propodeal face gently convex; lobes present as blunt flanges. Declivitous face of propodeum smoothly convex. Erect and suberect propodeal setae >5. Propodeal spiracle lateral and about midway between metanotal groove and declivitous face of propodeum.

Petiole and postpetiole. Petiolar node cuneate, dorsally rounded; sculpture absent, petiolar node smooth and shining. Ratio of greatest node breadth (viewed from front) to greatest node width (viewed in profile) near 4:3. Height ratio of petiole to postpetiole near 1:1 to near 4:3; height- length ratio of postpetiole near 2:1.

General characters. Colour bright gamboge yellow. Worker caste monomorphic.

Type Material

Holotype, worker, Manbulloo, SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Greenslade,P.J.M., ANIC32-015711, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 6 workers, Manbulloo, SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Australian National Insect Collection.
Paratype, 1 worker, 10km SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 5 workers, Manbulloo, SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, The Natural History Museum.
Paratype, 1 worker (missing from point), 17km SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Paratype, 3 workers, 22km SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Paratype, 2 workers, 23km SW Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia, Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Etymology

Named in honor of Dr. Alan Andersen, CSIRO, Darwin.

References

References based on Global Ant Biodiversity Informatics

Andersen A. N., J. Lanoue, and I. Radford. 2010. The ant fauna of the remote Mitchell Falls area of tropical north-western Australia: Biogeography, environmental relationships and conservation significance. Journal of Insect Conservation 14: 647-661.
Heterick B. E. 2001. Revision of the Australian ants of the genus Monomorium (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Invertebrate Taxonomy 15: 353-459.