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Monomorium hoffmanni
| Monomorium hoffmanni | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Solenopsidini |
| Genus: | Monomorium |
| Species: | M. hoffmanni |
| Binomial name | |
| Monomorium hoffmanni Sparks, 2015 | |
This species is known only from the Victoria River District of the Northern Territory.
Identification
Sparks et al. (2015) - A member of the M. rothsteini species group. A medium sized, amber orange species with a concave clypeus with carinae that extend beyond the clypeal anteroventral margin, which in most specimens has a small median projection; the mesonotum is almost entirely smooth.
Keys including this Species
Distribution
Latitudinal Distribution Pattern
Latitudinal Range: -16.3345° to -16.9607°.
| 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. |
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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. |
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Biology
Genetics
COI sequences. Genbank accession numbers for this species are KC572868 and KC573023.
Castes
Nomenclature
The following information is derived from Barry Bolton's Online Catalogue of the Ants of the World.
- hoffmanni. Monomorium hoffmanni Sparks, in Sparks et al. 2014: 506, figs. 5g-i, 11f (w.) AUSTRALIA (Northern Territory).
- Type-material: holotype worker, 14 paratype workers.
- Type-locality: holotype Australia: Northern Territory, VRD, Mt Stanford Station, -16.9607, 130.53831, 12.vii.2008, TERC70 (A.N. Andersen); paratypes: 10 worker with same data, 4 workers Northern Territory, Pigeon Hole Station, Victoria River Downs, -16.3345, 131.1087, vi.2007, ANA09-16 (A. Fisher).
- Type-depositories: NTDA (holotype); NTDA, SAMA (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
(n=9). HW 0.76–0.99, HL 0.8–0.98, EL 0.16–0.2, PMH 0.29–0.45, PH 0.25–0.33, PNH 0.2–0.23, LHW 0.49–0.60, EW 0.11–0.13, PML 0.43–0.68, ML 0.78–1.11, PL 0.39–0.51, PNWdv 0.21–0.31
Medium sized species with a large, square head; posterior cephalic margin shallowly depressed to broadly v shaped; head clearly more broad above eyes than below. Anterodorsal margin of the clypeus concave with angulate frontolateral carinae that extending beyond anteroventral clypeal margin forming an obtuse angle; anteroventral margin with a small median projection. Sculpture on frons strigate, restricted to antennal lobes and area in between; coarse lateral cephalic strigae reach anterior eye margin. Eyes medium, EW 0.20–0.23 x LHW, 12 ommatidia in longest vertical axis, 9 in longest horizontal axis.
Mesonotum almost entirely smooth, a few strigulae on posterior and lateral portions of posterior mesonotum. Mesopleuron alveolate with one or two strigae extending anteriorly from metanotal groove. Propodeum in lateral view with dorsolateral angles clearly forming an obtuse angle, sculpture alveolate, laterally with strigae extending over metanotal gland bulla and reaching metanotal groove and extending from gland bulla on to posterior surface; dorsal surface with anterodorsal transverse carina and transverse strigae weakly present, longitudinal strigae very weekly present as a broken lines on posterior half only, posterolateral corners carinate, extending from metapleural lobe almost to dorsal surface. Petiole node of medium breadth, between 2 and 2.5 x eye width when viewed from above; shape in posterior view tapering from widest point to narrowly rounded apex, in lateral view with anterior and posterior face converging, apex broadly rounded from higher anterior face to lower posterior face; posterior surface finely reticulate laterally and basally but not extending more than half way to dorsal surface or rarely without sculpture, smooth and shining, postpetiole finely reticulate over most of surface excluding dorsum. T1 finely reticulate covering at least anterior third of surface or rarely completely smooth and without sculpture.
Head and mesosoma amber orange, to orange brown, antennal scapes and legs brown, petiole and postpetiole dorsally infuscated, metasomal brown, of a similar tinge to petiole node, sternites amber.
Type Material
Holotype worker. Northern Territory. VRD, Mt Stanford Station, -16.9607, 130.5383, 12 Jul 2008, A.N. Andersen, TERC70 (deposited in NTM) Paratypes. Northern Territory. 10 workers, same data as holotype; 4 workers, Pigeon Hole Stn. Victoria River Downs, -16.3345, 131.1087, May 2007, A. Fisher, ANA09-16 (deposited in NTM, South Australian Museum).
Etymology
This species is named in honour of Ben Hoffmann, who has spent many years collecting ants throughout Australia.
References
- Sparks, K. 2015. Australian Monomorium: Systematics and species delimitation with a focus of the M. rothsteini complex. Ph.D. thesis, University of Adelaide.
- Sparks, K.S., Andersen, A.N. and Austin, A.D. 2015. Systematics of the Monomorium rothsteini Forel species complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), a problematic ant group in Australia. Zootaxa. 3893:489–529. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3893.4.2