Myrmatopa

Myrmatopa
	Polyrhachis aculeata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Formicinae
Tribe:	Camponotini
Genus:	Polyrhachis
Subgenus:	Myrmatopa; Forel, 1915
Type species
	Polyrhachis schang;
Diversity
	46 species Specimen Label

This is currently a subgenus of Polyrhachis. Please see Polyrhachis for further information.

Species Groups

Kohout (2008) - The subgenus Myrmatopa was divided by Emery (1925) into two species-groups (the wallacei-and schang-groups) and this arrangement was followed by Dorow (1995). However, I am further subdividing the wallacei-group and placing several of its constituent species into a new flavicornis-group. This group is characterised by the mesosomal dorsum being distinctly marginate along its entire length and by the black colour of the body (thus closely resembling some species of the subgenus Campomyrma). In contrast, the mesosoma of the redefined wallacei-group, is distinctly marginate only along the mesonotal and propodeal dorsa. The pronotal margins are completely lacking or evident only at the anterior pronotal angles and the colour of the body is yellowish-or light reddish-brown. The species of the schang species-group differ from members of the other two groups in having the lateral margins of the mesonotum distinctly raised dorsally and a completely immarginate pronotal dorsum.

Nomenclature

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

MYRMATOPA [subgenus of Polyrhachis]
- Myrmatopa Forel, 1915b: 107 [as subgenus of Polyrhachis]. Type-species: Polyrhachis schang, by original designation.
- Myrmatopa senior synonym of Irenea: Bolton, 1994: 50; Dorow, 1995: 42.
IRENEA [junior synonym of Myrmatopa]
- Irenea Donisthorpe, 1938e: 502 [as subgenus of Dolichoderus]. Type-species: Dolichoderus (Irenea) omyrmex, by original designation.
- Irenea raised to genus: Donisthorpe, 1941h: 59.
- Irenea junior synonym of Myrmatopa: Bolton, 1994: 50; Dorow, 1995: 42.

References

Bolton, B. 1994. Identification guide to the ant genera of the world. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 222 pp. (page 50, Myrmatopa senior synonym of Irenea)
Bolton, B. 2003. Synopsis and Classification of Formicidae. Mem. Am. Entomol. Inst. 71: 370pp (page 124, Myrmatopa as subgenus of Polyrhachis)
Dorow, W. H. O. 1995. Revision of the ant genus Polyrhachis Smith, 1857 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae) on subgenus level with keys, checklist of species and bibliography. Cour. Forschungsinst. Senckenb. 185: 1-113 (page 42, Myrmatopa senior synonym of Irenea)
Emery, C. 1925d. Hymenoptera. Fam. Formicidae. Subfam. Formicinae. Genera Insectorum 183: 1-302 (page 180, Myrmatopa as subgenus of Polyrhachis)
Forel, A. 1915b. Results of Dr. E. Mjöbergs Swedish Scientific Expeditions to Australia 1910-13. 2. Ameisen. Ark. Zool. 9(1 16: 1-119 (page 107, Myrmatopa as subgenus of Polyrhachis)
Forel, A. 1917. Cadre synoptique actuel de la faune universelle des fourmis. Bull. Soc. Vaudoise Sci. Nat. 51: 229-253 (page 251, Myrmatopa as subgenus of Polyrhachis)
Klimeš, P., Drescher, J., Buchori, D., Hidayat, P., Nazarreta, R., Potocký, P., Rimandai, M., Scheu, S., Matos-Maraví, P. 2022. Uncovering cryptic diversity in the enigmatic ant genus Overbeckia and insights into the phylogeny of Camponotini (Hymenoptera:Formicidae:Formicinae). Invertebrate Systematics, 36(6), 557-579 (doi:10.1071/is21067).
Kohout, R.J. 2008a. A review of the Polyrhachis ants of Sulawesi with keys and descriptions of new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 52:255-317.
Robson, S. 2020. Spiny Ants (Polyrhachis). Encyclopedia of Social Insects, pp. 1–6. (doi:10.1007@978-3-319-90306-4_115-1).
Wheeler, W. M. 1922i. Ants of the American Museum Congo expedition. A contribution to the myrmecology of Africa. VII. Keys to the genera and subgenera of ants. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 45: 631-710 (page 702, Myrmatopa as subgenus of Polyrhachis)